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
Thursday Apr 10, 2025
Thursday Apr 10, 2025
Passwords are the original digital clutter—messy, overstuffed, and way too easy to forget. Like a junk drawer full of old keys and cables, we keep tossing more into them, hoping they’ll somehow keep working. But what if it’s time to throw the whole thing out?
In this episode, Ron Eddings is joined by Collin Sweeney of ZKX Solutions and Dr. Chase Cunningham, a.k.a. “Dr. Zero Trust,” for a bold conversation on the future of authentication. From the failures of MFA to the promise of zero-knowledge proofs, the crew breaks down how we got stuck with broken access systems—and what it’ll take to finally fix them. Whether it’s SIM swapping, face IDs, or security keys on the battlefield, this is the real talk on identity security you don’t want to miss.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 – Introduction
03:45 – ZKX’s origin: voice verification breakthrough
06:45 – Collin’s “oh crap” SolarWinds realization
09:15 – Why MFA still fails in practice
13:15 – Zero-knowledge proofs explained with a coin
15:30 – How ZKPs reduce identity attack surfaces
17:45 – Making MFA faster, smarter, more human
20:00 – MFA fatigue and ice skating uphill
24:00 – Why people still cling to passwords
30:54 – Quantum fears vs real-world encryption limits
Links:
Connect with Collin Sweeney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-sweeney-6ab6a5176/
Check out ZKX Solutions new product, Helix:
Connect with Chase Cunningham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-chase-cunningham/
Grab a copy of Chase Cunningham's book “vArIable: A Novel in the gAbrIel Series” here: www.amazon.com/vArIable-gAbrIel-Dr-Chase-Cunningham-ebook/dp/B0DVMWCWCD?ref_=ast_author_mp
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