In the sixth episode of the Future of Security Operations podcast, Thomas interviews Niall Heffernan, the Head of Security at Cygnvs and a cybersecurity lecturer at the National College of Ireland, to discuss various facets of security operations. The conversation covers Niall's insights into the evolution of security operations over the past five years, his approach to building a security team from the ground up, and the role of automation in prioritizing incidents. They also explore common pitfalls in integrating automation into security programs, lessons that can be learned from software engineering, and the implications of an organization going public on its security posture. Additionally, they address the ongoing security talent shortage and Niall shares his top advice for security leaders and practitioners, along with his predictions for the future of security operations and the anticipated changes in the roles of security analysts.