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 Oct 30, 2025
Thursday Oct 30, 2025
To defend like a human, you first have to think like a hacker.
In this episode, Ron Eddings sits down with Chris Dale, Co-Founder and Chief Hacking Officer at River Security, to explore the human side of hacking, where curiosity, persistence, and vigilance meet defense. Chris shares how the traditional idea of penetration testing has evolved into a continuous journey of discovery, and why reconnaissance and storytelling are critical tools for modern defenders. From real-world breach stories to lessons on trust and responsibility, this episode reveals how thinking like a hacker, and acting like a human can transform the way we approach cybersecurity.
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction and massive breach overview
03:00 - Trusted systems become exposure points
05:00 - Meet Chris Dale of River Security
07:00 - The problem with traditional pen testing
08:30 - Continuous reconnaissance and real-world risk
10:00 - Knowing yourself as a security principle
13:00 - The meaning of continuous vigilance
15:00 - Turning cybersecurity lessons into stories
18:00 - Storytelling and mindset in defense
19:30 - Final takeaways on fundamentals and vigilance
Links:
Connect with our Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisad/
Read the Tech Radar article here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/f5-breach-fallout-over-266-000-instances-exposed-to-remote-attacks
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/
Friday Oct 24, 2025
Friday Oct 24, 2025
When code meets intuition, innovation gets personal. But what happens when we let AI vibe with our ideas?
In this episode, Ron Eddings covers the rise of AI-driven development from Vibe Coding, where natural language shapes real code, to the emerging Model Context Protocols (MCPs) that redefine how apps talk to AI. He breaks down the recent Figma MCP vulnerability to discuss how creativity and security now collide in surprising ways. With hands-on insights using Raycast and practical steps for building responsibly, Ron takes you inside a new era where human intuition and machine intelligence truly build together.
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - The Figma vulnerability explained
03:00 - Why MCP security matters
05:00 - What vibe coding really means
07:00 - Writing with intention and context
08:00 - The power of structured prompting
10:00 - How MCP connects everything
12:00 - Why adoption is skyrocketing
15:00 - Setting up an MCP server
17:00 - Agents, actions, and security trust
19:00 - The real takeaway: curiosity with caution
30:00 - Predictions on OpenAI’s upcoming browser
33:00 - The profit battle between OpenAI and Microsoft
35:00 - Windsurf’s rollercoaster of acquisitions
Links:
Connect with our Ron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldeddings/
Check out the Hacker News article here:
https://thehackernews.com/2025/10/severe-figma-mcp-vulnerability-lets.html?m=1
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 Oct 16, 2025
Thursday Oct 16, 2025
The real edge in cybersecurity isn’t found in new tools, it’s built through timeless fundamentals and a mindset that never stops learning.
In this episode, Ron sits down with Rich Greene, Senior Solutions Engineer and Instructor at SANS Institute, to uncover how true cyber value starts with skills, curiosity, and mindset. Rich shares his remarkable story of surviving a battlefield injury, retraining his brain, and how that journey shaped his approach to mastering cybersecurity. Together, they connect real-world lessons like the recent Discord breach to the core truth that even advanced systems depend on people who master the basics.
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - Discord breach and third-party risk
05:00 - Meet Rich Greene from SANS
06:00 - The power of mastering fundamentals
07:00 - Learning how to learn
08:30 - Rich’s story of rebuilding his memory
11:00 - Forcing the brain to grow stronger
12:00 - Top skills that get you paid
14:00 - Skills that lead to fulfillment
16:00 - Fundamentals that fuel long-term success
17:00 - The OSI model decoded
20:00 - Why operating systems matter
21:00 - Security operations fundamentals
23:00 - Why cloud is the #1 must-learn skill
25:00 - Final advice: sharpen your fundamentals
Links
Connect with our Rich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/secgreene/
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/
Friday Oct 10, 2025
Friday Oct 10, 2025
What if protecting your digital twin becomes the new cyber hygiene?
In this week's episode, Ron welcomes back cybersecurity leader Jason Rebholz, CEO of Evoke, to discuss how AI is reshaping the fundamentals of cyber hygiene. From data breaches and deepfakes to everyday habits that protect our digital lives, Jason shares how small actions and smarter use of AI can make all the difference. Together, they uncover how our growing digital footprints are giving rise to digital twins, AI replicas that can mirror our behaviors, voices, and even decisions, and what that means for the future of trust, identity, and security.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - The Neon app data leak story
03:00 - Why our voices are the new passwords
05:00 - How AI can strengthen cyber hygiene
07:00 - Jason’s mission to secure AI systems
09:00 - AI as a force multiplier for defenders
11:00 - Deepfakes and the new social engineering playbook
13:00 - Attackers’ use of AI and what it means for us
15:00 - The rise of digital twins and identity threats
19:00 - How to defend against “yourself” online
20:00 - Final reflection: Trust in the AI age
Links:
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrebholz/
Check out the TechCrunch article on the Neon app data leak story: https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/25/viral-call-recording-app-neon-goes-dark-after-exposing-users-phone-numbers-call-recordings-and-transcripts/
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 Oct 02, 2025
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
The biggest security threat isn’t in the cloud, it’s hidden in the code you trust the most.
In this episode, Ron sits down with Varun Badhwar, Co-Founder & CEO of Endor Labs, who shares why research shows that nearly 80–90% of application code comes from open source and third-party libraries, not your own developers. Varun discusses the unseen risks of AI-generated software, how attackers can now weaponize vulnerabilities in hours, and why precision in security matters more than ever. He also reveals how AI can be both the ultimate accelerator and the ultimate weakness in modern development.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - Varun’s journey from RedLock to Endor Labs
04:00 - Why the software supply chain is broken
07:00 - AI coding assistants and insecure code risks
10:00 - The NPM self-replicating worm discovery
13:00 - Simple controls to enforce Zero Trust in code
16:00 - Pairing AI with security to prevent slop
19:00 - AI-powered security code reviews explained
22:00 - Why 88% of code goes unused
26:00 - Developer efficiency as the new security metric
29:00 - The next wave of AI-driven software threats
Links:
Connect with our Endor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vbadhwar/
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/