Do Human Work

From Sleep to Strategy: Cyber’s Human Future featuring John Koester

Title: 
From Sleep to Strategy: Cyber’s Human Future featuring John Koester
Summary: 
In this episode, Nate and Lior travel to Atlanta to sit down with John Koester, CISO of Graphic Packaging International, to explore what AI means for the human side of cybersecurity. From reimagining compliance and detection workflows to prioritizing creativity and employee development, John offers a grounded vision for how AI can return time to the people doing the work—and why that matters more than ever.
He discusses the pressing need for relationship-building inside large organizations, the risks of fast-moving attackers using AI, and how cyber leaders must prepare their teams to become true business partners. This conversation touches on architectural evolution, risk quantification, and the enduring importance of human engagement.
 
Impactful Moments
00:00 – Introduction
02:17 – AI gives time back for human focus
04:09 – AI can boost response effectiveness
06:00 – Attackers use AI to scale threats
08:03 – “Fire against fire” in cyber defense09:00 – Building trust through employee outreach10:29 – Innovation comes from unexpected voices
13:02 – AI and the future of compliance14:00 – Toward quantifying real dollar risk
16:13 – Rethinking architecture in the AI era18:38 – “The current model is kind of broken”
 
Interested in being a guest or want to recommend someone? Reach out to us at DoHumanWork@7ai.com

From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rethinking the SOC featuring Benjamin Dulieu

What happens when a Marine-turned-CISO stops accepting the status quo in cybersecurity? 
Benjamin Delieu, Chief Security Officer at Duck Creek Technologies, joins Nate Burke and Lior Div to explore how AI agents—not centralized systems—are reshaping the future of security operations. From overburdened SOC teams to the hidden costs of legacy infrastructure, Benjamin shares his perspectives from the frontline of transformation. He reveals his DIY AI trainer, an “aha” moment in Italy, and how he’s empowering his team to think creatively and build faster. This episode isn't just about tech—it’s about leadership, mindset shifts, and letting go of the old to build what's next.
 
Impactful Moments:
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – From Marines to AI-driven security leadership
03:40 – How a DIY AI trainer changed everything
05:00 – Kids, travel, and AI integration in daily life
07:00 – “Free the people” from 24/7 SOC toil
10:30 – The CISO bucket list and wasted creativity
14:45 – Flex the AI muscle like a bicep
18:00 – The RFP automation story that saved six figures
20:30 – AI-native vs. AI-retrofitted companies
25:30 – Destroy the old; build what’s next
27:00 – Inside Benjamin’s viral AI Innovation Series
30:00 – Don’t lead with ROI—start with small wins
36:30 – Magic wand moment: “Making memories, breaking systems”
38:45 – Three takeaways for modern security leaders
Interested in being a guest or want to recommend someone? Reach out to us at DoHumanWork@7ai.com

Shifting Up: How AI Frees Us to Be Human featuring Travis Farral

What would you do with 25% more time? 
Travis Farral, VP and CISO at Archaea Energy, joins hosts Nate Burke and Lior Div to explore how AI can reclaim our time from cybersecurity’s tedious tasks—and what we’d do with that time instead. From data sifting and incident response to managing swarms of AI agents, the conversation dives into how the nature of human work is evolving and what defenders should expect next.
This episode kicks off "Do Human Work" with real talk about reclaiming creativity, the inevitability of AI-human collaboration, and why the arms race between attackers and defenders just leveled up.
 
Impactful Moments:
00:00 – Introduction
02:31 – "More time means more human connection"
04:04 – Human work vs. machine work
06:13 – The cybersecurity tasks we want AI to take
07:58 – Managing AI agents like team members
10:22 – AI organizing your personal life
13:00 – Travis’s cybersecurity bucket list
15:30 – The cat-and-mouse game never ends
18:30 – What AI will change in five years
22:14 – Swarms of AI agents talking to each other
26:39 – AI is already part of everyday life
Interested in being a guest or want to recommend someone? Reach out to us at DoHumanWork@7ai.com