Welcome back to the show! Hacker Valley Studio podcast features Host Ron Eddings, as he explores the world of cybersecurity through the eyes of professionals in the industry. We cover everything from inspirational real-life stories in tech, to highlighting influential cybersecurity companies, and we do so in a fun and enthusiastic way. We’re making cybersecurity accessible, creating a whole new form of entertainment: cybertainment.
Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
What happens when AI refuses to be replaced? This episode kicks off with a chilling real-world example of an AI threatening blackmail—and only gets more intense from there.
Host Ron Eddings unpacks the terrifyingly innovative ways AI is altering the cybersecurity threat landscape. From deepfakes convincing enough to fool your own family to auto-summarizing email clients acting as unintentional insiders, the stakes have never been higher. Ron also shares insights from his brand-new book Attack Surface Management, co-authored with MJ Kaufman and published by O'Reilly, and breaks down why the simplest social engineering tactics remain the most dangerous—even in the age of advanced AI.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
02:30 - Model Context Protocol explained
05:00 - Google's VEO-3 and fake riot videos
07:00 - Fake Facebook ads pushing malware
09:30 - Social engineering still reigns supreme
13:30 - Using AI to write malicious emails
16:30 - Calendly phishing and credential theft
19:00 - Gemini and the risk of auto-summarization
21:30 - LLM access to your private documents
22:45 - Takeaways and protecting your environment
Links:
Connect with Ron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldeddings/
Grab a copy of Ron’s new book, “Attack Surface Management: Strategies and Techniques for Safeguarding Your Digital Assets”: https://a.co/d/1nmPod2
Check out the full article on “The Rise of ‘Vibe Hacking’ Is the Next AI Nightmare” here: https://www.wired.com/story/youre-not-ready-for-ai-hacker-agents/
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Thursday Jun 05, 2025
Thursday Jun 05, 2025
What if Zero Trust isn’t a framework, but the only viable cybersecurity strategy—more about people than products?
In this episode, George Finney, CISO at the University of Texas System and author of Project Zero Trust, reveals the human-first truth behind the Zero Trust movement, and why it’s not something you buy but something you build. George shares stories from hacking a college database to launching a deepfake of himself trained on his own books, all while breaking down how AI and creativity are reshaping security leadership.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Cyber Hall of Fame recognition
07:00 - Hacked his college to solve mail
09:00 - Took startup job without paycheck
14:14 - Zero Trust is a strategy, not tool
17:00 - Tailoring security like a custom suit
23:29 - AI strategy through Zero Trust lens
29:30 - Built a Zero Trust voice clone hotline
36:00 - You don’t need to be a CISO
38:30 - Why weirdos make cybersecurity stronger
Links:
Connect with our guest, George Finney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgefinney/
Check out George’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01MT0C6X3
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Thursday May 29, 2025
Thursday May 29, 2025
You won’t be replaced by AI—you’ll be replaced by someone using it better.
Returning guest Marco Figueroa is back with a frontline report on the AI agent boom. This isn’t a prediction—it’s a tactical update from someone tracking every release, every benchmark battle, and every edge worth chasing.
In this episode, Ron is joined by Marco as he breaks down the rapid evolution of AI agents—from Claude Code to Codex to Google Flow. He explains why general-purpose models are leveling off, how specialized tools are reshaping the landscape, and why creativity is now your most valuable edge. Whether you're in code, ops, or content, your two-year advantage starts right here.
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
01:08 - AI agents are no longer hype
03:45 - Major LLM releases and what's next
05:32 - The Grok delay and pricing drama
07:30 - Why general models are losing steam
10:50 - Benchmark manipulation and model specialization
14:15 - The future belongs to creatives
22:05 - The next AI drops to watch
Links:
Connect with our guest, Marco Figueroa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-figueroa-re/
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Thursday May 22, 2025
Thursday May 22, 2025
Most people think red teaming is digital—until someone bypasses your locks, plants a Raspberry Pi in your server room, and walks out with your data. That’s not sci-fi. That’s White Knight Labs.
In this episode, Ron talks with Greg Hatcher and John Stigerwalt, co-founders of White Knight Labs, a boutique offensive security firm built on real-world action. They share high-stakes red team operations—like triggering alarms and dodging police during a break-in—and explain why most companies are wide open to physical and insider threats. This isn’t a theory. It’s what’s happening right now, and it’s being executed with precision and purpose.
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
02:13 - Origin story of White Knight Labs
08:56 - Why physical red teaming is broken
12:20 - Breaking into a lottery facility
16:00 - Hiding from police mid-engagement
22:30 - Getting hired to breach from inside
25:45 - Hijacking code from offshore devs
33:29 - Real difference: red team vs pen test
35:00 - Get in touch with WKL
Links
Connect with our guests!
Greg Hatcher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryhatcher2/
John Stigerwalt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-stigerwalt-90a9b4110/
Learn more about White Knight Labs: https://www.whiteknightlabs.com
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Thursday May 15, 2025
Thursday May 15, 2025
What if fixing cybersecurity wasn’t about more tools, but about unlocking human potential?
In this episode, Ron Eddings welcomes back David Shipley, CEO and Field CSO of Beauceron Security, for a conversation on the real force behind security resilience: people. Together they expose the failure of "reactive" cybersecurity strategies, drawing parallels with preventative healthcare — and explain why culture, psychological safety, and behavior change are the true secret weapons.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
01:36 - The true meaning of "people in cyber"
03:13 - Cybersecurity’s flawed healthcare analogy
07:31 - Nutrition for cyber: proactive strategies
10:00 - MSPs: why selling tools isn’t enough
16:22 - Measuring culture, not just clicks
19:12 - Why people really click phishing emails
23:59 - Building psychological safety in security
30:30 - Celebrating human wins in security
34:00 - The future: empathy, transparency, trust
Links:
Connect with our guest, David Shipley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbshipley/
Learn more about Beauceron Security here: https:///www.beauceronsecurity.com/partner
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/