SecurityPal AI Featured on CISO Series’ Defense in Depth Podcast

You’re about to close a major deal when — suddenly — a 200-page security questionnaire lands in your inbox, asking everything from GDPR compliance to whether you have barbed wire around your data center.

Sound familiar? Then this episode of CISO Series’ Defense in Depth podcast, hosted by David Spark and Steve Zalewski, is for you. 

🎧 Listen to the full episode here.

SecurityPal AI was proud to sponsor this episode. Even more exciting, our founder and CEO, Pukar Hamal, joined as the featured guest to share how enterprises can handle last-minute compliance requests in ways that save time and strengthen customer trust.

Why Last-Minute Compliance Matters

The episode tackled a challenge familiar to many security and GRC teams: how to handle last-minute compliance requirements. These requests often feel like a fire drill, showing up just as the business is about to close a deal.

As Pukar noted, this tension highlights a key question: How can security teams enable business while still managing real risk? The conversation stressed that security should never be seen as the “department of no.” Instead, security leaders need to find pathways to “yes” — balancing speed with assurance.

Key Takeaways from the Episode

SecurityPal AI’s founder and CEO, Pukar Hamal, shared lessons from both his entrepreneurial journey and his work helping enterprises scale customer trust:

• The danger of quick fixes: Agreeing to compliance requirements without proper controls in place might close a contract, but it creates long-term exposure.
  
  
• Start with what you can do: Reframing compliance conversations around solutions makes security a business enabler, not a roadblock.
  
  
• The “question behind the question”: Most compliance asks are really about gaining assurance. Understanding what truly keeps CISOs up at night helps uncover the right response.

The Origin Story of SecurityPal AI

Pukar also shared the story that inspired him to launch SecurityPal AI. Back in 2018, while building a startup in the HR tech space, his team was close to finalizing a large enterprise deal — until they were hit with a 200-page security review.

The questions ranged from the straightforward to the surprising (“Do you have barbed wire around your data center?”). With GDPR going live at the same time, it became clear there was no scalable way for startups to navigate the growing complexity of security and compliance reviews.

That pain point led to the founding of SecurityPal AI, which today helps companies like Airtable and Figma streamline security reviews, automate assurance, and unlock faster paths to revenue.

Security as a Business Enabler

The episode closed on an important reminder: last-minute compliance requirements aren’t going away. But with the right approach, security can become a powerful business enabler, rather than a bottleneck.

By combining clear communication, thoughtful risk management, and modern tools like SecurityPal AI, security leaders can transform compliance from a fire drill into a competitive advantage.