Marco Ciappelli and Sean Martin are back with another random and unscripted weekly recap—from pre-Black Hat buzz and AI agents to vintage wood guitars, talent gaps, and Glen Miller debates. This week’s reflection hits tech, music, and philosophy in all the right ways. Tune in, ramble with us, and subscribe.
ITSPmagazine Weekly Update | From Black Hat to Black Sabbath / Ozzy: AI Agents and Guitars (again!) + Entry Level Cybersecurity Jobs, Robots Evolution, and the Weekly Recap You Didn’t Expect - On Marco & Sean's Random & Unscripted Podcast
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Marco Ciappelli and Sean Martin are back with another random and unscripted weekly recap—from pre-Black Hat buzz and AI agents to vintage wood guitars, talent gaps, and Glen Miller debates. This week’s reflection hits tech, music, and philosophy in all the right ways. Tune in, ramble with us, and subscribe.
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This week’s recap was a ride.
Sean and I kicked things off with the big news: we’re officially consistent. Weekly recap number… I lost count. But we’re doing it. We covered what ITSPmagazine’s been working on, what we’ve been publishing, and where our minds are wandering lately (spoiler: everywhere).
Black Hat USA 2025 is just around the corner, and we’re deep into prep mode. I even bought a paper map. Why? I don’t know. But we’ve got some great pre-event conversations already out—like our annual chat with Black Hat GM Steve Wylie, plus briefings with Dropzone AI (get ready for “agentic automation” to be the next big buzzword) and Akamai (yes, bots and APIs again, but with a solid strategy twist).
We also talked about a fantastic episode Sean did on resonance and reinvention—featuring Cindy, a luthier in NYC who builds custom guitars using century-old beams from historic buildings. The pickups even use the old nails. Music and wood with a past life. It’s beautiful stuff.
Speaking of stories, I officially closed down the Storytelling podcast. But don’t worry—I’m still telling stories. I’ve just shifted focus to “Redefining Society and Technology,” my newsletter and podcast series where I explore how humans and tech evolve together. This week’s edition tackled the merging of humans and machines as a new species. Isaac Asimov meets Andy Clark.
We also got a bit philosophical about AI and jobs. If machines take over the “easy” roles, where do humans begin? Are we cutting off our own training paths?
Sean’s episode with John Solomon dug into the cybersecurity hiring crisis—challenging the idea that we have a “talent gap.” The real issue? We’re not hiring or nurturing people properly.
Oh, and I finally released my long-overdue interview with Michael Sheldrick from Global Citizen. Music. Social impact. Doing good. It’s all there. I’m honored to support even a small piece of what he’s building.
And yes… Ozzy. RIP. Music never dies.
So if you’re into random reflections with meaning, tech with humanity, and stories that don’t always follow the rules—subscribe, share, and join the ride.
See you in Vegas. Or the future. Or somewhere in between.
________________ Keywords
Black Hat USA 2025, ITSPmagazine recap, Marco Ciappelli, Sean Martin, cybersecurity podcast, AI in cybersecurity, agentic automation, Dropzone AI, Akamai APIs, HITRUST security, Global Citizen, Michael Sheldrick, storytelling podcast, Redefining Society, Andy Clark, Isaac Asimov, human-machine evolution, cybersecurity talent gap, custom guitar NYC, Ozzy tribute
Hosts links:
📌 Marco Ciappelli: https://www.marcociappelli.com
📌 Sean Martin: https://www.seanmartin.com
Sean Martin: I dunno… are you ready?
Marco Ciappelli: Hmm, lemme think about it… yeah, I’m ready.
Sean: That’s it. Let’s do it. We’re done.
Marco: All right. Stay tuned. Subscribe. See you next time.
Sean: That’s right.
Marco: Man, it’s that time of the week. I think this is the first time we’re actually being consistent.
Sean: Consistently inconsistent.
Marco: That’s what it’s all about! If you’re doing a weekly recap, you have to actually do it every week. So, welcome everybody to the random and unscripted weekly recap—what Sean’s been doing, what I’ve been doing, what ITSPmagazine’s been doing.
It’s basically me, Mr. ITSPmagazine, and this guy… giving you an update in the form of a newsletter, a podcast, and a video. I’d scrap the video if it were up to me—look at me, I look like a scarecrow.
Sean: Only people who want to see this face will tune in. But anyway, here we are.
Marco: It’s been a busy few days, right?
Sean: Yeah. A lot of travel—Europe, conferences. That’s mostly behind us now. We’re getting ready for Black Hat. We’ve got a few things already produced. A few stories.
Marco: Yeah, I just bought a map. A paper one. To drive to Vegas and follow the storms. Like the old days.
Sean: Did you see the picture I posted?
Marco: No. What’d you post?
Sean: It’s on your post. Go look at it. I just did it before we started recording.
Marco: Nah, I’m not looking now. Actually… I don’t even care. But if it’s important, you can tell me.
Sean: I’m not telling you.
Marco: Great. Anyway… we produced a few new things this week—episodes for Redefining Cybersecurity and Redefining Society. So that’s cool.
Also… I chopped the head off the Storytelling podcast.
Sean: Wait, what?
Marco: Yeah, I’m done with that—for now. I love it, but I need to focus more on Redefining Society and Technology. Been busy writing kids’ stories with my mom, doing coverage, newsletters… you know, you want to do it all, but eventually you realize you’re spreading yourself too thin. And honestly, I’m still telling stories—I talk about storytelling on Redefining Society, with you, with clients. It’s all still part of the same thread.
Sean: Focus is a good thing.
Marco: Exactly. And I’m really motivated now. Last week I shared the second entry of my new weekly newsletter—still inspired by Isaac Asimov. This one wasn’t about Robbie the robot—it explored a future where humans and machines merge into a new species. Kinda transhumanist, philosophical. I quoted Andy Clark too, from our podcast episode with him.
If you like that kind of reflection, it’s in the Redefining Society and Technology podcast or on my LinkedIn newsletter. Listen or read—your call.
What about you?
Sean: Oh yeah, I did a few things. One of them was an interview with Cindy—she runs a custom guitar shop here in NYC. It was an on-location recording, not a Zoom. Took a while to prep but I’m happy with how it turned out. Tons of good storytelling—Cindy has a great story, the wood has a story, the guitars have a story. Music always has a story.
Marco: She uses wood from old NYC buildings, right?
Sean: Exactly—hundreds of years old. Beams get pulled out during renovations, and she turns them into guitars. Even the nails are reused—they’re sent to the pickup makers. So yeah… 100-year-old nails in the pickups. Pretty cool.
Marco: That’s beautiful. A second or third life for the wood. When I come visit you, we’re going there.
Sean: Absolutely.
Marco: But let’s move on before people get bored. That episode was called “Resonance and Reinvention,” and then—yep, time to talk Black Hat.
We already mentioned it, but the official “Chats on the Road” with Steve Wylie is out. He’s the GM of the show, and he’s been doing it since ITSPmagazine started—11 years now.
Check out that episode—it’s a solid preview of what’s coming. And even if you’re not attending, you can follow our coverage.
Sean: Yeah, we’ve already got one Black Hat-related episode out with Dropzone AI—talking about agentic automation. Big buzzword this year: agents.
Marco: Everyone’s gonna be saying “agentic.” They’re in the thick of it.
Sean: We also have a briefing with Akamai—talking about AI, bots, APIs, and modern approaches to securing them. Another solid preview.
Marco: And then you did one titled, “The Proof is in the Posture, Not the Pudding,” with HITRUST.
Sean: That one’s with ITRUST. They’ve been around a while—started in healthcare and expanded to other sectors. They’ve got a framework that helps orgs comply with regulations in a reliable, repeatable way.
They’ve pulled years of certification data to show how organizations with HITRUST certifications have a much lower breach rate. That translates to better insurance terms, stronger partnerships, and business growth.
Marco: And there’s a webinar next week, right?
Sean: Yep, tons of signups already. It’s around SOC 2—well, kind of an anti-SOC 2 narrative, without bashing it too much. More like… here’s what to be aware of if you rely on a SOC 2 readiness report for your business decisions.
Marco: Sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll crash it.
Sean: You weren’t invited.
Marco: Rude. I’ll just show up and distract you.
Sean: I’m moderating. It’s gonna be meaningful and valuable. Hope folks join live.
Marco: And now, the last two episodes. One’s about how poor hiring practices in the present hurt the future of cybersecurity. Heavy stuff.
The other one is mine—and no, it’s not about cybersecurity. It’s with Michael Sheldrick, co-founder of Global Citizen. Amazing organization. They use music to drive social change—artists like Shakira, Coldplay, John Legend, all performing for causes like climate action, fighting poverty, and vaccinations.
I finally published our conversation—had it in the drawer for too long with all the travel. But it’s out, and I’ll have him back soon. His book, From Ideas to Impact, is also worth a read.
Sean: Super nice guy. I had a chance to chat with him off-camera too. Hope we get to support one of their events someday.
Marco: Yeah, and speaking of support—that hiring conversation really hit home. There’s no shortage of people—it’s just that companies aren’t hiring them, paying them, or preparing them. We can’t all just keep fishing from the same pond without helping refill it.
Sean: Exactly. John Solomon shared some sharp insights in that episode. Might ruffle some feathers, but it’ll make execs think.
Marco: And AI ties in here too. If AI takes over entry-level jobs, who’s going to train the next generation? Where do people even start?
Sean: It’s a valid concern. The entry-level floor keeps shifting upward, and that’s dangerous.
Marco: So yeah, more AI convos are coming, especially at Black Hat. And one more thing—we’ve got another pre-Black Hat webinar next week. We’ll talk trends, buzzwords, bets for the show… and maybe revisit after to see if we were right.
It’s live and interactive—no money involved, but you might win some perspective.
Sean: Great panelists lined up—announcements soon.
Marco: And last but not least… RIP Ozzy. I’ve been binging Black Sabbath lately. Music doesn’t age—at least not for me. We were talking about that today—Beethoven, Ellington, Glen Miller… it’s about taste, not time.
Sean: I mean… I’m probably not throwing on a Glen Miller playlist. But fair point.
Marco: Funny enough, “In the Mood” is one of his hits. Anyway, I’ll make you a playlist.
Sean: Thanks. I’ll pretend to listen.
Marco: And with that—we said 20 minutes, but it’s been 49. Time to wrap.
Sean: Bring your headphones to Vegas.
Marco: You bring yours. I’ll listen to mine. See you in Vegas—or the future, or the fantasy realm. No limits on that one.
Sean: See ya next week.
Marco: Subscribe. Share. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Join us on the trip—whatever realm it’s in.