The Rise of AI in Cyber Defense Strategy | Harry Thomas, Frenos
Thu Nov 27 2025
In this episode of the Tesoro AI podcast, host Darius Gant interviews Harry, a former nurse turned cybersecurity expert and the founder of Frenos, an AI-native OT security posture management platform. Harry shares his unique career journey from the medical field to cybersecurity and AI, delving into his transition phases and the creation of Frenos. The discussion covers the implementation and benefits of AI in cybersecurity, the challenges of building AI models, and the differences between local and cloud-based large language models. Harry also provides insights into the future of AI technology and shares valuable advice for hiring AI talent. Tune in for an enlightening conversation on AI in cybersecurity and the evolving landscape of AI solutions.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
With over a decade of deep-rooted experience in cybersecurity, Harry Thomas stands at the forefront of the industry as an expert offensive penetration tester with a specialized focus on the industrial and healthcare sectors. Renowned for his strategic approach to securing critical infrastructure, Harry has mastered the art of OT/ICS passive monitoring, designing solutions that not only detect but also thwart sophisticated cyber threats.Harry is currently the CTO of Frenos, where he continues to leverage his extensive expertise in cybersecurity to lead the company's strategic direction and innovation. Under his leadership, Frenos is setting new standards in the development and implementation of advanced cybersecurity solutions, focusing on protecting critical industrial and healthcare infrastructures from emerging cyber threats.
Prior to his leadership at Frenos, Harry served as the Director of Product Research and Development at Dragos, where he led initiatives to integrate robust security practices into industrial control systems. He also played a pivotal role at AWS, leading the development of AI/ML-driven User Behavioral Analytics products that significantly enhanced security protocols across various platforms.
Time Stamps:
00:35 Harry's Journey from Nursing to AI
04:35 Building the Frenos Platform
08:40 Proactive Cybersecurity with AI
12:18 Challenges and Solutions in AI Implementation
15:12 Local vs. Cloud-Based LLMs
22:40 Cloud vs. Local Models: Key Differences
24:09 Building vs. Buying: Challenges in AI Development
27:48 Talent and Skills for AI Projects
30:12 Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Systems
32:16 Building a RAG as a Personal Project
35:49 Cost and Scalability in AI
39:22 Frenos Found Rising Journey
41:41 Future of AI Models
44:28 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources:
Follow Darius Gant
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/
Company Website - www.tesoroai.com
Subscribe on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4uDVNgsK3iNeu7yU4Inu2n
Subscribe on Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-darius-gant-show/id1527996104
Company website: http://frenos.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frenos-inc/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-j-thomas/
More
In this episode of the Tesoro AI podcast, host Darius Gant interviews Harry, a former nurse turned cybersecurity expert and the founder of Frenos, an AI-native OT security posture management platform. Harry shares his unique career journey from the medical field to cybersecurity and AI, delving into his transition phases and the creation of Frenos. The discussion covers the implementation and benefits of AI in cybersecurity, the challenges of building AI models, and the differences between local and cloud-based large language models. Harry also provides insights into the future of AI technology and shares valuable advice for hiring AI talent. Tune in for an enlightening conversation on AI in cybersecurity and the evolving landscape of AI solutions. If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development. Founder Bio: With over a decade of deep-rooted experience in cybersecurity, Harry Thomas stands at the forefront of the industry as an expert offensive penetration tester with a specialized focus on the industrial and healthcare sectors. Renowned for his strategic approach to securing critical infrastructure, Harry has mastered the art of OT/ICS passive monitoring, designing solutions that not only detect but also thwart sophisticated cyber threats.Harry is currently the CTO of Frenos, where he continues to leverage his extensive expertise in cybersecurity to lead the company's strategic direction and innovation. Under his leadership, Frenos is setting new standards in the development and implementation of advanced cybersecurity solutions, focusing on protecting critical industrial and healthcare infrastructures from emerging cyber threats. Prior to his leadership at Frenos, Harry served as the Director of Product Research and Development at Dragos, where he led initiatives to integrate robust security practices into industrial control systems. He also played a pivotal role at AWS, leading the development of AI/ML-driven User Behavioral Analytics products that significantly enhanced security protocols across various platforms. Time Stamps: 00:35 Harry's Journey from Nursing to AI 04:35 Building the Frenos Platform 08:40 Proactive Cybersecurity with AI 12:18 Challenges and Solutions in AI Implementation 15:12 Local vs. Cloud-Based LLMs 22:40 Cloud vs. Local Models: Key Differences 24:09 Building vs. Buying: Challenges in AI Development 27:48 Talent and Skills for AI Projects 30:12 Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Systems 32:16 Building a RAG as a Personal Project 35:49 Cost and Scalability in AI 39:22 Frenos Found Rising Journey 41:41 Future of AI Models 44:28 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Resources: Follow Darius Gant LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/ Company Website - www.tesoroai.com Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4uDVNgsK3iNeu7yU4Inu2n Subscribe on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-darius-gant-show/id1527996104 Company website: http://frenos.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frenos-inc/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-j-thomas/