Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode of the Hacker Valley Studio, hosts Ron and Chris are joined by McKenna Yeakey to talk about her experience with being laid off in cybersecurity and finding a new job. Mckenna shares her journey through the emotional and psychological struggles she faced during her layoff, and how she overcame feelings of self-doubt and worthiness. She also highlights the role her professional network and the cybersecurity community played in supporting her during this difficult time and how she ultimately landed her next gig.

McKenna also shares her insights on diversity and leadership in the cybersecurity industry, as a black woman in tech. She offers her perspective on what true inclusivity should look like, and how to identify companies that are actively promoting it. From her favorite leadership questions to ask during job interviews to tips on how to support others in the industry, McKenna shares it all.

This cybersecurity podcast episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to grow their cybersecurity career. This promises to be an inspiring and empowering resource for anyone facing job loss or seeking to improve their professional prospects in the cybersecurity field.

...........................

Links:

Stay up to date with McKenna Yeakey on LinkedIn

Join our Patreon monthly creative mastermind

Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter

Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter

Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord

Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode of the podcast, Maril Vernon joins Ron and Chris and discusses the importance of breaking down silos between cyber teams and inspiring individuals to drive their own careers in cybersecurity. Maril has been a key player in promoting the concept of purple teaming - the combination of red teaming and blue teaming to improve an organization's overall security posture. She discusses the importance of hands-on experience and practical knowledge over just having certifications.

Maril's approach to her career has been driven by her passion for the work and her desire to break down silos between different cybersecurity teams. She emphasizes that individuals can drive their own success in the field and take control of their careers, regardless of the limitations their organizations or the industry may impose. Through her collaborations with organizations such as Cyber Queens and nonprofit foundations, she hopes to provide more educational material to high school and college students to inspire the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Maril has big plans for the future, including starting a doctorate program in cybersecurity and working on several undisclosed projects that she promises to share in future podcasts. She hopes to leave a legacy of empowering individuals in the cybersecurity field and inspiring them to love their work and take control of their careers. 

This cybersecurity podcast episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to pursue a career in cybersecurity and gain insight into the field from a successful professional.

 

--------------

Links:

Stay up to date with Maril Vernon on LinkedIn

Join our Patreon monthly creative mastermind

Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter

Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter

Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord

Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode of Hacker Valley Studio, Rob Wood, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at CMS, discusses the challenges of data silos within organizations. Rob explains that security teams often operate in silos, with different departments focusing on various aspects of security, such as incident management, compliance, and penetration testing. One way to improve this is by flattening the organizational structure and finding ways to work together in the same data environments, using the same data tools. This would allow teams to collaborate better and share information, improving overall security.

In the episode, Rob also highlights the importance of supportive leadership and culture in driving change and the impact of the mission in his work. Ron picks up on two key elements - people and communication - as important in cybersecurity and business, as breakdowns often happen due to lack of communication. Chris mentions how he is hard on leaders who create toxic environments or use fear and intimidation to lead their teams. He also notes that he is starting to see a different kind of leader in the technical space, one that knows a lot, and is intelligent but also knows how to talk to people and make them feel seen. The conversation then shifts to where this change in leadership is coming from.

Rob Wood suggests that it is the next wave of leaders coming in, as there are more leadership opportunities available. He also notes that there are many people moving into security from diverse fields, creating a polymath effect of blended disciplines. This helps humble people and allows them to be more human. He also mentions that his own career path was not traditional, as he studied sports management in college and transitioned into an internship in cybersecurity.

Be sure to subscribe to Hacker Valley Studio, the premiere cybersecurity podcast for cybersecurity professionals.

--------------

Links:

Stay up to date with Rob Wood on LinkedIn

Join our Patreon monthly creative mastermind

Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter

Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter

Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord

Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

Taylor Lehmann, Director of Office of the CISO at Google Cloud, has made it his mission to make healthcare and life sciences more secure and strategic for everyone. Joining our security podcast this week, Taylor talks about how security and strategy have to start with people— from properly managing them to realistically motivating them. Healthcare is in need of some serious security TLC and Taylor is ready to tackle the difficult questions about how personal medical data can stay safe in a constantly evolving environment.

 

Timecoded Guide:

[01:47] Motivating your team & understanding your real cyber constraints

[06:19] Creating a shared, measurable goal for every team

[14:26] The haves and have-nots of healthcare security

[22:08] Revolutionizing the security standard of healthcare

[25:16] How to not fail your future self

Be sure to subscribe to Hacker Valley Studio, the premiere cybersecurity podcast for cybersecurity professionals.

--------------

Links:

Keep up with our guest Taylor Lehmann on LinkedIn and Twitter

Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter

Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter

Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord

Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

Maxime “Max” Lamothe-Brassard, Founder of LimaCharlie, brings a tech-focused community perspective and a history of working at Google to the Hacker Valley security podcast this week. Inspired by the internal motivation to empower others and build what didn’t exist, Maxime created LimaCharlie to help security teams automate and manage security operations. In this episode, Max walks through his founder’s journey and points out the problems that are begging for innovative solutions from the brightest minds in cyber.

Be sure to subscribe to Hacker Valley Studio, the premiere cybersecurity podcast for cybersecurity professionals.

 

Timecoded Guide:

[01:59] Improving community & empowering practitioners

[06:04] Leaving Google for LimaCharlie

[10:55] Unpacking the incentivization problem of cyber 

[16:21] Targeted products vs massive suites of problem solvers

[21:29] Looking at a red team-less future

 

Sponsor Links:

Thank you to our sponsors Axonius and NetSPI for bringing this episode to life!

The Axonius solution correlates asset data from existing solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory, uncover gaps, and automate action — giving IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity. Learn more at axonius.com/hackervalley

For more than 2 decades, NetSPI has helped companies discover and remediate critical security issues through its platform-driven, human-delivered security test. NetSPI is much more than a pentesting company, bringing you the most comprehensive suite of offensive security solutions. Visit netspi.com/HVM to learn more.

---------------

Links:

Keep up with our guest Maxime Lamothe-Brassard on LinkedIn

Learn more about LimaCharlie on LinkedIn and the LimaCharlie website

Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter

Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter

Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord

Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio