In this episode of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Quincy Castro, Chief Information Security Officer at Chainguard.
Quincy shares his unconventional journey into cybersecurity, from studying economics and political science to working at the NSA, leading security at GE Transportation, Wabtec and Redis, and eventually joining Chainguard.
The conversation explores how AI and open source software are reshaping cybersecurity, why people and culture are more important than security budgets, and how the rise of citizen developers is introducing new software supply chain risks. Quincy also discusses the evolving relationship between CISOs and boards, why vulnerability patching has become a strategic business concern, and his prediction that the CISO role could look completely different in five years.
Key Topics Covered
- Quincy’s unconventional career journey, from economics and political science to the NSA and cybersecurity leadership
- What offensive security experience teaches defenders about understanding attackers
- Choosing the right CISO opportunity and building security teams that challenge conventional thinking
- Why people, culture and leadership matter more than cybersecurity budgets
- The challenges facing cybersecurity startups and the growing cyber poverty gap
- How Chainguard is approaching open source security and software supply chain risks
- The rise of AI coding tools, citizen developers and new security vulnerabilities
- Open source attacks, including the axios compromise and Shai-Hulud worm
- How AI can combine low-severity vulnerabilities into more significant security threats
- Why vulnerability management and patching are becoming board-level priorities
- The future of the CISO role, regulatory liability and the EU Cyber Resilience Act
- Career advice for aspiring cybersecurity professionals
About Quincy Castro
Quincy Castro is Chief Information Security Officer at Chainguard, a company focused on securing open source software and strengthening software supply chains.
Before joining Chainguard, Quincy spent four years as CISO at Redis and previously led cybersecurity at Wabtec Corporation and GE Transportation. Earlier in his career, he held roles at the NSA, General Electric and within the US federal government.
Alongside his leadership experience, Quincy advises and invests in early-stage startups and has taught cybersecurity and national security at Marquette University. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MA from Marquette University and a BA in Economics from the University of Washington.
This episode is brought to you by neuco, a global specialist recruitment and executive search partner supporting organisations across Cyber Security, Satellite & NewSpace, Connectivity, and Media & Sports Technology.
