Guardians of the Data

Welcome to Guardians of the Data! Join host, Ward Balcerzak, each week as he dives deep into the passions, expertise, and experiences of CISOs, Chief Data Officers, and more. Guardians of the Data is sponsored by Sentra - AI-powered data security platform that discovers and classifies all your data accurately and automatically to achieve enterprise-scale data protection without the fuss.

Last refreshed: August 14th, 2025 at 11:00 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

From Tech to Team: People, Culture, Technology - Rick McElroy - Guardians of the Data - Episode #3

What are the people concerns when it comes to cybersecurity? Today Ward welcomes seasoned security veteran and CEO of Nexasure, Rick McElroy. Rick, with over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, shares his insights on the primary challenges organizations face in data security, focusing on the often-overlooked human and cultural elements. He emphasizes the importance of education, awareness, and the need for a balanced investment between technology and people. Rick also delves into the dynami...

Aug 14, 2025•49 min•Ep. 3

Ensuring Business Alignment in Data Security - Rick DeLoach - Guardians of the Data - Episode #2

How can you protect your data if you don’t know where it is? The answer is you can’t. Rick DeLoach, Deputy CISO at ADT, joins Ward on this week’s episode to discuss the crucial aspects of data security and governance. Rick shares his two decades of experience in the field, emphasizing the importance of data discovery, classification, and the implementation of structured programs involving process, policy, and technology. The conversation also covers the challenges of integrating AI technologies ...

Aug 07, 2025•42 min•Ep. 2

The Human Element of Data Security - Luis Valenzuela - Guardians of the Data - Episode #1

How can simplifying your data governance strategy revolutionize your security posture? In the inaugural episode of Guardians of the Data, host Ward Balcerzak sits down with Luis Valenzuela, Director of Data Governance and Data Loss Prevention at InComm Payments. Luis, who brings two decades of cybersecurity experience, dives into the often-overlooked fundamentals of data security. Discover why understanding and categorizing your most critical data is paramount, how robust governance can transfor...

Jul 31, 2025•49 min•Ep. 1

Guardians of the Data Trailer!

Jul 15, 2025•26 sec

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