Structurally Sound - Institute for Homeland Security
Structurally Sound is a podcast produced by the Institute for Homeland Security (IHS) at Sam Houston State University. The podcast will be a game-changer for small to medium-sized businesses looking for the latest best practices in security and resilience. We want to inspire professionals like you to help you achieve your goals. New episodes are available on first and third Mondays each month!
Episodes
January 7, 2026 • 46 mins
We're accustomed to prioritizing energy independence as a national security concern. Is the infrastructure for artificial intelligence also becoming critical? This week, we chat with Jason Davis, a research professor and co-director of the Emerging Insights Lab at Syracuse University, about sovereign AI and the broad infrastructure it requires. We also touch on articles about data centers and related power plants and water con...
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December 3, 2025 • 43 mins
Exemplary corporate security begins with effective communication - knowing your audience, knowing when to be direct and when to tell a compelling story. This week, we chat with Kirsten Meskill, the Chief Security Officer at Solventum and the second in our Hall of Fame Speaker Series following our Thought Leaders Conference in October.
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November 25, 2025 • 51 mins
How has the war between Israel and Hamas affected the Middle East and the United States? What's next for Gaza, and what can the conflict teach us about intelligence and critical infrastructure? This week, we chat with Dr. Nadav Morag, a professor and chair of the Security Studies department at Sam Houston State as well as a former senior director for Israel's National Security Council, about the war and what might come next.
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November 12, 2025 • 37 mins
What makes a great chief security officer, or chief information security officer? It's not only about security knowledge - intentionality, agility and personnel development all play a big role. This week, we chat with Jim Hutton, a former CSO for Procter & Gamble and other major companies as well as a member of the inaugural Hall of Fame Speaker series at our recent Thought Leaders conference. We're also joined by IHS Prog...
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November 4, 2025 • 44 mins
If you put the right camera on a drone, it can spot cracks in a rooftop or nitrogen levels in crops, among other versatile and positive uses. If you're up to no good, though, the same drone could cause plenty of problems for public- and private-sector critical infrastructure operators. This week, we chat with Dr. Art Wolfskill, professor and head of the agribusiness program at Sam Houston State, about the benefits and risks of...
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October 21, 2025 • 47 mins
Safety, security and resilience require planning and agility. They also require partnerships both within a company and between private and public groups - especially in critical infrastructure. This week, we chat with Julio Gonzalez, the CEO of Sentinel Resilience Group, about building resilient frameworks and avoiding silos.
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October 1, 2025 • 32 mins
Most critical infrastructure is operated by private companies, not the government - and those corporations are facing existential threats emerging from cybersecurity, social media and international adversaries. This week, IHS Program Executive Scott McHugh and IHS Coordinator Shelby Payne introduce our upcoming Thought Leaders Conference featuring seasoned leaders innovating solutions and strategies for those threats. More inf...
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September 17, 2025 • 41 mins
Historically, nuclear energy has faced two major obstacles - it's expensive and scary. Both may be changing rapidly. This week, we chat with Robin Gaster, the
research director for the Center for Clean Energy Innovation at the Information
Technology and Innovation Foundation, about how small modular reactors could make nuclear power more affordable and accessible at home and abroad. We also talk about shifting public opinion a...
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August 3, 2025 • 38 mins
All disasters are local. Disaster preparation often comes down to reliable information and accessible routine. This week, we chat with Justen Noakes, the Executive Director of Before/During/After and HEB's former "hurricane guy," about how an accessible and localized information hub can help small business plan, react and recover from crises. Noakes has also written a research paper for IHS on supply chain management and problem so...
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July 20, 2025 • 56 mins
We all depend on products delivered by trucks. Shipping industries are a vital part of critical infrastructure at risk of unique scams and fraud - even when goods themselves make it from Point A to Point B just fine. This week, we chat with Matthew Wood, vice president of strategic relationships and general manager of Cedar Bluff Companies, about proactive steps to detect and avoid freight fraud. You can also learn more f...
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July 14, 2025 • 30 mins
This week, we give a fond send off to Grant Threat, transportation project manager and podcast co-host extraordinaire, who is moving to a new role in critical infrastructure. We also chat a bit about the devastating flooding in Kerrville, Texas.
Here's a list of charities collecting donations:
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/where-to-donate-help-central-texas-flood-recovery/
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June 16, 2025 • 44 mins
Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, emerging in a variety of programs and technologies in critical infrastructure. Michael Echols from MAX Cybersecurity argues that adoption needs to be measurable and intentional - not surprising or under the radar. We also touch on news that AI programs can decline instructions to shut down and Echol's book on cybersecurity and his new book on AI.
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June 2, 2025 • 42 mins
Embracing new technology brings risks and rewards. On the one hand, adopting the right emerging tech and tools can enhance, elevate and streamline your business. On the other hand, adopting the wrong new tools can be expensive and burdensome for employees or customers. The key is strategy - planning deliberately, not hopping on a bandwagon. This week, we explore that strategy in the transportation sector with digital transform...
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May 19, 2025 • 55 mins
The Arctic environment is shifting - literally and figuratively. There are unique and varied opportunities and risks for critical infrastructure and national security in and around Alaska and the Arctic Circle. This week, we're joined by IHS program executives Scott McHugh and Robert Crane to chat about last week's Maritime Risk Symposium and the emerging arctic landscape.
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May 5, 2025 • 51 mins
How do you plan for a disaster? There's only so much you can do with paperwork and theory, but you also don't want to wait for an actual crisis to develop a strategy. That's where simulations come in - and, often, adaptive board games and training exercises. This week, we chat with James Meaux, the regional training and exercise coordinator for SETRAC, and John Suarez, project manager for the health and public health sectors at IHS...
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April 21, 2025 • 9 mins
is recognizing when circumstances have changed and adapting to compensate, even if it means changing plans. We've got a short podcast today about responding honestly to curve balls.
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April 7, 2025 • 56 mins
Current computers use binary code, a series of ones and zeroes that are arranged methodically in lines of code. They're entirely linear - everything is step by step by step, a one or a zero at a time. That's not the case for quantum computers, the "weird" new computational technology that could shred conventional encryption methods and turn digital infrastructure upside-down. This week, we explore quantum computing w...
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March 17, 2025 • 34 mins
This week on Structurally Sound, we share our biggest takeaways from our water infrastructure mini-series and discuss the future of water in Texas. We chat with Reyna Loosmore, Water & Wastewater Sector Project Manager and feature the triumphant return of co-host Grant Threatt, Transportation Systems Project Manager.
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March 3, 2025 • 46 mins
The vast majority of community water systems in Texas are rural, with 10,000 or fewer residential connections. That's also where most of our population growth is headed. How can small water systems plan, update and adapt their aging infrastructure? This week, we chat with Ms. Lia Clark, Community Engagement Manager with the Water Finance Exchange, and Mr. Jason Knobloch, Deputy Executive Director with the Texas Rural Water Ass...
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February 23, 2025 • 39 mins
What happens if the water goes out at a hospital? What if the tap dries up during a broader crisis, like a hurricane or a winter storm? With thoughtful planning and careful training, plus cooperation and coordination between sectors, some of those risks can be reduced. This week, we chat with Mike Mastrangelo, Emergency Management and Public Health Expert, and Elston Johnson, president and owner of Elston Johnson & As...
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