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
Jul 24, 2025
Jul 24, 2025
24 min
Is compliance just a checkbox, or the backbone of real security?
Returning to the show with decades of hard-earned insight, Jeff Man makes the case that compliance, especially PCI-DSS, isn't just a formality; it's foundational to modern security. As one of the original architects of the NSA Red Team and a 20-year PCI veteran, Jeff explains how this often-misunderstood framework has shaped everything from pen testing to vendor accountability.
Ron and Jeff unpack the six core goals of PCI, how red teams and SaaS builders are directly affected, and why many security teams resist compliance efforts, despite relying on them to get essential buy-in and funding.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 – Introduction
01:00 – Does compliance equal security?
02:09 – Jeff returns with PCI firepower
03:15 – Defining security vs. compliance
05:33 – “Show me what you’re doing”
06:45 – Six goals at PCI’s core
10:45 – Security is watching, not reacting
13:30 – Companies secure because they have to
15:00 – PCI gave red teams their jobs
16:30 – Stripe and Square absorb PCI burden
19:30 – PCI 4.0 causes confusion
21:00 – Vendors aren’t your trusted advisors
22:30 – “Hate me, but I’ll help”
Links:
Connect with our guest, Jeff Man: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyeman/
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/
Jul 17, 2025
Jul 17, 2025
37 min
What separates a great CISO from a great one? In this powerhouse conversation, Ron invites friend and cybersecurity leader Gary Hayslip, CISO at SoftBank Investment Advisers, back on the mic to discuss what it takes to lead in today’s high-stakes digital world. Gary shares battle-tested insights on accountability, the evolving expectations of the CISO role, and how AI is reshaping leadership without replacing it.
Gary shares stories ranging from military mishaps to enterprise-scale transformation, and makes the case for visibility, trust, and embracing change. His perspective brings clarity to the fundamental responsibilities of a CISO and the mindset required to lead with impact.
Impactful Moments
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Defining the modern CISO as a business leader
05:45 – Why CISOs should never delegate accountability
07:30 – The danger of staying invisible
10:45 – The $40K UPS explosion mistake
15:00 – How leaders build trust in new teams
19:10 – Visibility is not micromanagement
24:30 – Staying humble while leading big
30:00 – Building “Rocky the Raccoon” internal GPT
34:30 – Hiring for AI fluency in security teams
Links:
Connect with our guest, Gary Hayslip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghayslip/
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/
Jul 10, 2025
Jul 10, 2025
32 min
Want to stand out as a leader? According to our guest Mel Reyes, you need to dress like you mean it and speak like you’ve got nothing to prove.
In this episode, Mel shares how he built billion-dollar portfolios, coached executive teams, and still shows up in a white hoodie when that feels right. With Ron, he unpacks how executive presence becomes a strategic weapon for breaking resistance, commanding attention, and making your message unforgettable. You’ll learn why generic resumes fail, how to master executive storytelling with the SPAR method, and what dropping the ego really looks like in your next leadership role.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 – Introduction
03:00 – Breaking the rules of executive delivery
07:00 – Why confidence starts in your closet
11:30 – Respecting identity in professional spaces
12:30 – Advice for breaking into cybersecurity
17:00 – Reinvention at the mid-senior level
21:00 – The SPAR framework for storytelling
30:00 – Drop the ego, find your passion
Links:
Connect with our guest, Mel Reyes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melreyes/
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/
Jun 26, 2025
Jun 26, 2025
43 min
Cybersecurity isn’t just red or blue anymore... it’s purple, white, and deeply human. Maril Vernon, award-winning ethical hacker and Senior Solutions Architect at NetSPI, returns to the Hacker Valley Studio to discuss purple teaming as the most future-proof career path in cyber. She opens up about mentorship, burnout, compensation realities, and how we’re still failing the fundamentals.
Together, Ron and Maril dig into what purple teaming really is (and isn’t), why soft skills matter more than ever, and how defenders are the frontline signal source for law enforcement. From guiding her mom into IR to co-founding Mind Over Cyber, Maril embodies what it means to show up for the cyber community and demand more from the culture itself.
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
01:01 - Maril’s role at NetSPI
03:00 - Why purple skills are future-proof
05:19 - Salary truths in purple teaming
08:30 - Know your value, negotiate wisely
13:07 - How defenders enable law enforcement
16:22 - The real meaning of purple teaming
18:39 - Common misconceptions debunked
24:45 - People are always the soft spot
26:01 - The two security stack must-haves
29:00 - Mom made it to incident response
30:48 - Maril’s mentorship philosophy
34:09 - Why you need to post anyway
36:35 - What Mind Over Cyber is really about
40:00 - CISOs are burning out silently
41:31 - Closing thoughts
Links:
Connect with our guest, Maril Vernon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilvernon
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/
Jun 19, 2025
Jun 19, 2025
30 min
The new cybersecurity pioneers aren’t chasing alerts, they’re building with AI. But what happens when tools meant to assist begin making decisions for us? And what skills do we lose when machines fill the gaps we used to grow into?
In this episode, Chris Cochran, CEO and Founder of Commandant, returns to Hacker Valley Studio with an insider view on building in the AI boom. He shares why he’s betting on incident response over the “AI SOC,” what it means to use AI with integrity, and how this moment mirrors the early industrial revolutions: chaotic, risky, but ripe with once-in-a-career opportunity.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 – Introduction
02:11 – Launch of Commandant AI
03:06 – Early-stage LLM opportunities
05:26 – Built first AI co-pilot in 4 hours
06:00 – AI bot tops HackerOne leaderboard
07:44 – AI used for and against orgs
10:14 – Focus on incident response, not AI SOC
12:34 – Reducing cost of prolonged incidents
14:01 – Cybersecurity changing every 2 months
16:58 – AI causing rapid skill loss
21:59 – AI-assisted job interviews detected
24:49 – AI lacks business context for blocking
27:30 – Daily AI use pays long-term dividends
Links:
Connect with our guest, Chris Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishvm/
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/