Engineering Better Relationships: Why We Should Shift GRC Left w/ Ayoub Fandi @ Gitlab
Release Date: 03/06/2025
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Is Your GRC Team Technical Enough? (Probably Not...) ft. Jeevan Singh @ Rippling
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Engineering Better Relationships: Why We Should Shift GRC Left w/ Ayoub Fandi @ Gitlab
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In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy (CEO of ComplianceCow) sits down with , a Staff Security Assurance Engineer at GitLab and co-author of the GRC Engineering Manifesto, for a deep dive into the evolution of GRC through an engineering lens. Ayoub shares how his background in consulting and cloud-native startups led him to question the traditional, checklist-heavy approach to GRC—and why embracing real-time data, automation, and developer-friendly processes is the key to building stronger security and compliance programs. He also reveals his controversial...
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Security Unfiltered: Carlos Batista on GRC, Leadership, and Risk Realities
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In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy, CEO of ComplianceCow, sits down with —former CISO and AWS Security Engineering Leader—to explore the evolving landscape of security, governance, and risk management. Carlos shares his journey from leading security in highly regulated industries like banking and energy to championing large-scale security engineering at AWS. Together, they discuss how effective GRC programs can move beyond “checkbox” compliance to become true business enablers—accelerating growth, deepening customer trust, and supporting innovation...
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Security, Compliance & Customer Trust: The Evolution of GRC at Scale | feat. Abhay Kshirsagar from Salesforce
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In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy, CEO of ComplianceCow, sits down with Abhay Kshirsagar, Director of Security Services and Tools at Salesforce, to explore the evolving landscape of security, compliance, and customer assurance. Abhay shares his journey from IT audit and risk advisory to leading compliance automation, continuous monitoring, and customer assurance at industry giants like Cisco and now Salesforce. They discuss how compliance programs can move beyond checkboxes to become strategic enablers of business growth, unlocking new markets,...
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Navigating DeepSeek’s AI Risks: Insights for Security & Compliance Teams
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In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, Raj Krishnamurthy, CEO of ComplianceCow, sits down with Walter Haydock, CEO of StackAware, to discuss the evolving landscape of AI security, governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). Walter shares insights on emerging AI threats, the importance of ISO 42001 certification, and the challenges organizations face when integrating AI into their security and compliance programs. Key topics include: DeepSeek and AI Privacy Risks Regulatory Challenges in AI Security & Compliance The Intersection of AI Governance and GRC Building a Business Case for AI...
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From Risk-Based to Trust-Based: Evolving GRC with Netflix’s Mosi Platt
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In the premiere episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy sits down with Mosi Platt, Senior Security Compliance Engineer at Netflix, to explore his unconventional journey into security and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). From his first exposure to computers in his aunt’s home lab to becoming a leader in IT audits and compliance, Mosi shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career. Together, they unpack the realities vs. myths of security governance, why risk quantification is still an unresolved debate, and how security and GRC teams can move from reactive...
info_outlineIn this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy (CEO of ComplianceCow) sits down with Ayoub Fandi, a Staff Security Assurance Engineer at GitLab and co-author of the GRC Engineering Manifesto, for a deep dive into the evolution of GRC through an engineering lens. Ayoub shares how his background in consulting and cloud-native startups led him to question the traditional, checklist-heavy approach to GRC—and why embracing real-time data, automation, and developer-friendly processes is the key to building stronger security and compliance programs.
He also reveals his controversial perspective on external certifications—explaining why they can sometimes feel overrated—and makes the case for continuous, risk-based assurance that truly reflects an organization’s security posture. If you’ve ever felt the “cognitive dissonance” of outdated compliance controls in a modern engineering world, this conversation is a must-listen.
Key Takeaways
✅ Bridging the Gap with Engineering: How GRC teams can embed themselves into developers’ workflows (e.g., JIRA, pull requests) to gain more accurate data and achieve real-time compliance insights.
✅ Continuous vs. Annual Audits: The advantages of leveraging APIs and automation to monitor control effectiveness in near real-time, instead of relying on point-in-time evidence.
✅ Rethinking External Certifications: Why these certifications can be a misleading representation of true security and how GRC professionals can ensure audits deliver real value.
✅ Building a Modern GRC Program: Practical tips on designing policies and controls that align with fast-paced, cloud-native environments—minus the “waterfall mentality.”
Tune in to hear why GRC must evolve alongside today’s DevOps-driven world, and how you can unlock greater efficiency, credibility, and trust by adopting an engineering-first approach to governance, risk, and compliance.
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