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 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/
Thursday May 08, 2025
Thursday May 08, 2025
Still tracking certificates in a spreadsheet? You’re not alone—and there’s a better way.
In this special episode from RSA 2025, Ron sits down with Michael Klieman, Global Vice President of Product Management for Digital Security Solutions at Entrust, to discuss how leading organizations are rethinking cryptographic security. From simplifying certificate management to preparing for a post-quantum future, this conversation covers real-world risks, surprising breach stories, and practical steps for bringing order to crypto chaos—without the stress.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 – Introduction
04:00 – Three major problems with crypto today
06:45 – Certificates often missing from inventories
08:30 – Managing EV charging infrastructure with spreadsheets
11:00 – The two biggest certificate-related risks
12:50 – Expired certs can tank brand trust
14:45 – Automation usually comes after spreadsheets
16:30 – Why quantum risk grows every year
18:15 – Start with a cryptographic inventory
20:30 – Nation-state threats and critical infrastructure
22:15 – AI could fast-track quantum breakthroughs
24:45 – Entrust’s new unified crypto security platform
26:35 – One question every CISO must answer in 2025
Links:
Connect with our guest, Michael Klieman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mklieman/
Learn more about Entrust at: https://www.hackervalley.com/entrust
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 Apr 24, 2025
Thursday Apr 24, 2025
AI is reshaping the cybersecurity battlefield, and cyber adversaries are getting smarter.
In this episode, Ron Eddings welcomes Andrey Suzdaltsev, Co-Founder and CEO of Brightside AI, for a look into the evolution of social engineering, AI’s role in personalized phishing, and how Brightside is turning the tables with automation and human-centric protection. From offensive AI simulations to family-inclusive cyber safety, Andrey shares how his team secures both professional and personal perimeters before cybercriminals can strike.
Impactful Moments
00:00 Cyber criminals get a theatrical glow-up
01:47 AI models + personal data = mass fraud
03:42 Brightside’s 3-part solution explained
07:32 Why security must get personal
11:16 Ron’s reaction to Brightside’s realism
13:16 AI research tools now used by hackers
19:33 Why deepfake detection may fail
15:16 Automating attacks with AI agents
37:34 Protecting families = smarter security
41:56 Brightside’s vision for defending human risk
Links
Connect with our guest, Andrey Suzdaltsev: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndrey
Learn more about Brightside: www.brside.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 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
Check out Hacker Valley’s 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
B