#183: Errika Celsy, Aaron Jones, & Sandeep Desai – The Untold Story of Arizona’s Cyber Leadership Blueprint [2024 Phoenix Live Podcast Tour]

Featuring:

* Errika Celsy, Director of Educational Technology at Cave Creek Unified School District

* Aaron Jones, Analyst at Chandler Police Department

* Sandeep Desai, Information Security Officer at Arizona Department of Education

In this episode, you'll learn:

* How Cave Creek School District reduced phishing rates from 15% to 5% through security awareness training and creative incentives

* Why cybersecurity risk should be viewed through a business lens rather than just a technical perspective

* How law enforcement can leverage open-source intelligence (OSINT) to assist investigations

* The importance of the "60/40 Rule" when hiring cybersecurity talent

* Strategies for empowering women in technology through programs like "Cyber Squad" and "Girls Get IT"

This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a playbook for building tomorrow’s cybersecurity workforce. Don’t miss these actionable insights from Arizona’s top minds.

Timestamps

* (00:54) Guest Introductions & Personal Backgrounds

* (04:00) TechTales Newsletter: Gamifying Security Awareness

* (07:00) Last Bell's Security Corner & Business Risk Alignment

* (11:30) Digital Safety Best Practices

* (12:00) Digital Citizenship Education at Cave Creek

* (14:45) Building the Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline

* (18:00) OSINT & Modern Law Enforcement

* (23:00) Power of Mentorship in Career Development

* (28:45) Girls in Cyber & Women in Technology

* (31:45) Final Advice: The 60/40 Rule & Career Growth

Links Mentioned

* Manda’s Macs catered at the 2024 Phoenix Live Podcast Tour. Go support a small business in Phoenix, AZ

* Nearpod

* Shodan

* ISACA Phoenix Chapter

* Arizona Cyber Command Center

* Girls in Cyber Initiative

* Glendale Community College

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PARTNERS

Thanks to our friends at SentinelOne for being our 2024 Podcast & Newsletter Partner

Want to see AI-powered security in action? Check out how the State of Montana revolutionized their cybersecurity using SentinelOne - they're now protecting over 15,000 endpoints across 25 state agencies. See their success story below.

Verizon Frontline: The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Check out the solutions built for first responders: https://www.verizon.com/business/solutions/public-sector/public-safety/

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🎥 Upcoming Live Podcast Tours

1. 2026 IGNITE Powered by Info-Tech LIVE - Austin, TX - Sept. 17th-18th

If you’re an IT leader in Austin, Houston, or nearby, Info-Tech’s got complimentary tickets with your name on them (just DM me I’ll be there). IGNITE is getting past the AI hype and into the real questions CIOs are wrestling with: how to get your people actually using AI, what the shift from “employee in the loop” to “employee on the loop” looks like, and how to budget when the costs keep moving up.

→ Ready to join the conversation in person? Email joe@techtables.com

3. 2026 TechTables Austin Live Podcast Tour - November 4th

We’re coming back to Texas for a live podcast stop in Austin, TX and we could not be more excited. TechTables heads to Austin to celebrate the leaders, the stories, and the work shaping the future of public sector!

→ Ready to join the conversation in person? Email joe@techtables.com

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3. 🤝 The Better Together Series

The narrative-driven series bringing together industry partners and public sector CXOs. Discover the compelling stories that unfold when we stop working in silos and start building together.

»»» Email joe@techtables.com to learn more.