LISTEN: Security Breach: 'Prevention is Damn Near Impossible'

Security Breach

Security Breach
LISTEN: Security Breach: 'Prevention is Damn Near Impossible'
Jul 17, 2026
Eric Sorensen

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The truth can be … brutal. The harsh realities of many situations we face on a daily basis can be tough to embrace, especially when they dictate having to adjust many long-held beliefs or established processes. This is often referred to as “breaking paradigms”, and is a situation that is simultaneously prominent in need, and typically lacking in execution throughout industrial cybersecurity. 

We know the realities of addressing security concerns, but often face so many challenges in addressing them, that we choose to continue doing what we’ve always done, even if that’s not the best solution. 

That’s why it’s good to hear from people like my guest for today’s episode. John Anthony Smith is the founder and chief security office of Fenix24. His company specializes in responding to breaches and he pulls no punches when it comes to the changes he feels manufacturers need to make in order to address the evolving threat landscape. 

I can almost guarantee that at some point you will disagree with John, but I’d encourage you to continue listening and find the areas of your security strategies that could benefit from a more critical perspective.

Watch/listen as we discuss:

  • What he has learned from meeting clients on their worst day.
  • Why so many organizations struggle to fully understand their data, and the bad decisions and strategies this can fuel.
  • How over-spending on prevention tools has created a false confidence in defense posture.
  • Why the industry needs to share more information about breeches, and why that will continue to be a challenge.
  • The right ways to use AI.
  • The surprising source of a growing number of hacks in the manufacturing sector. 

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net,IEN.com or  MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast. And if you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

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To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

Episode Artwork LISTEN: Security Breach: 'Prevention is Damn Near Impossible' 34:52 Episode Artwork The Hard Realities of OT Cybersecurity 30:52 Episode Artwork Focus on Hitting Lower, Not Harder 43:38 Episode Artwork 'Defense in Depth is Dead' 35:36 Episode Artwork Countering New-Age, State-Sponsored Industrial Hackers 35:25 Episode Artwork Taking Down of a North Korean Remote Access Scam 36:41 Episode Artwork Multiple Paths to Zero Trust - Channeling D&D, LOTR and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 44:01 Episode Artwork The Bad Guy's Different Set of Rules 29:01 Episode Artwork Finding the Soul of a Pirate 37:35 Episode Artwork Analyzing, Responding to the Inevitable Uptick in Iranian Cyberattacks 36:38 Episode Artwork Hybrid Warfare is Upon You 31:34 Episode Artwork Security Breach: Strengthening Your Weakest Links 32:58 Episode Artwork Clarifying the Big-Picture Impacts of CMMC 41:23 Episode Artwork Shiny Objects and the Power of Preparation 44:22 Episode Artwork You Don't Have to Out-Tech the Hacker 40:55 Episode Artwork Speaking the Right Language 46:39 Episode Artwork Why People Are Not the Biggest Risk 49:03 Episode Artwork Preserving Uptime in the Face of Evolving Attacks 31:05 Episode Artwork New Patching Strategies for Old Vulnerabilities 26:12 Episode Artwork The Wild & Weird of Industrial Cybersecurity 30:33 Episode Artwork Using AI to Stay Ahead of the Hack 31:41 Episode Artwork Threat Landscape Update 49:32 Episode Artwork Cure Me or Kill Me - The Little Things That Escalate Attacks 43:18 Episode Artwork Being 'Proactively Paranoid, Not Paralyzed' 36:54 Episode Artwork Why More Hackers Are Logging On Than Breaking In 32:27