

Hacker Valley Studio
Hacker Valley Media
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
Mentioned books

May 23, 2023 • 26min
Attack Surface Management: The Grit Needed for True Cyber Resilience with Nabil Hannan
Join hosts Ron and Chris as they dive into the world of Attack Surface Management (ASM) in this episode recorded live at RSAC 2023. Special guest Nabil Hannan, a seasoned industry expert and Field CISO at NetSPI, shares his wealth of knowledge and expertise in this critical field. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of ASM, highlighting NetSPI's unique approach compared to other solution providers and shedding light on the state of ASM to empower listeners to enhance their security posture.
NetSPI has a team of skilled pen-testers that can help you find those critical vulnerabilities and become your partner in creating the right remediation game plan for you. Check them out at https://www.netspi.com/HVM
Links:
Connect with Nabil Hannan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nhannan/
Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments:
01:08 - Introducing Nabil Hannan
01:25 - Relationship-building through play
04:39 - The power of authenticity
05:39 - What is a Field CISO?
07:02 - The rise of attack surface management
09:17 - What makes NetSPI different?
11:26 - A word from our sponsor
12:17 - Attack surface management for SMBs
15:15 - ASM solutions & false positives
17:16 - An ASM case study
21:15 - Red teaming influence on ASM
24:12 - Where do I get started with ASM?

May 16, 2023 • 26min
A Tale of Two Risks: Third-Party and SaaS Security
In this episode, hosts Ron and Chris are joined by Paul Valente, CEO and co-founder of VISO Trust, and Bryan Wong, Sr. Security Analyst at Headspace, as they dive into the world of third-party risk in cybersecurity. With conversations ranging from the current state of third-party risk to identifying trustworthy vendors such as VISO Trust, they'll provide insights into how organizations manage partnerships in a scalable and secure way.
Say goodbye to frustration and hello to peace of mind with VISO TRUST! Visit https://visotrust.com/hackervalley/ to learn how to transform your third-party risk management program.
Links:
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments:
01:03 - Introducing Paul Valente & Bryan Wong
01:54 - The current state of third-party risk
02:46 - VISTO Trust — trust through transparency
04:43 - Headspace’s approach to 3rd party providers
05:23 - Managing risk successfully
07:44 - There’s a better way!
09:04 - Risk assessment & procurement
11:37 - VISO Trust & Headspace’s approach to AI
14:43 - A word from our sponsor
15:26 - The challenges of complete visibility
17:16 - Continuous, automated due diligence
18:52 - Identifying trustworthy vendors
21:34 - Doing more with less/cost-effectiveness
23:22 - Is 100% automation doable?
24:20 - You can have your cake and eat it too with third-parties

May 9, 2023 • 22min
Paying the Piper in Cybersecurity: Balancing Success and Personal Life
In this episode, Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran discuss the concept of "paying the piper" and its impact on their careers and personal lives. Paying the piper means facing the consequences of one's actions, whether they are good or bad. Chris shares his personal struggles and successes while working at Netflix, where he had to balance his career and family. Ron and Chris also discuss the importance of finding balance in one's life, understanding the consequences of one's actions, and recognizing the impact of one's legacy on both their family and the world.
Links:
Icarus’ Balloon: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/icarus-balloon-short-story-chris-cochran-chris-cochran
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
01:18 - What does it mean to ‘pay the piper’?
03:22 - Sacrifices and paying your dues
05:06 - Icarus’ Balloon
07:16 - Maintaining a balanced life
08:36 - Join our community!
09:40 - What is your legacy?
13:32 - Conflict = growth
15:27 - Learning to love the process
18:05 - The power of exploration
19:34 - Staying committed

May 2, 2023 • 23min
CISO Burnout and Gaps in Cybersecurity Detections with Jack Roehrig
In this podcast episode, Jack Roehrig, Technology Evangelist at Uptycs, discusses his experience with burnout and health issues due to his job as a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Jack has always known health is wealth and retired to Mexico for a few months to recover from his burnout. Despite telling himself he wouldn't work again, Jack discovered Uptycs, a leading XDR platform that has the opportunity to change cybersecurity and joined their team as Technology Evangelist. Links: Follow Jack Roehrig on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackery/
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introducing Jack Roehrig
01:40 - Jack’s security origin story
04:50 - The harsh realities of burnout in tech
05:33 - Finding peace in Mexico
07:51 - Working for your purpose
11:26 - From risk aversion to risk tolerance
13:51 - Join our community!
15:37 - Falling in love with XDR

Apr 25, 2023 • 23min
The Critical Role of Empathy in Cybersecurity with Tracy Maleeff
In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked importance of empathy in the cybersecurity field. Our guest, Tracy Maleeff, shares her personal journey from community involvement to the industry and discusses how embracing empathy can lead to more effective threat intelligence and a stronger cybersecurity community.
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
01:42 - Tracy’s volunteer and community participation
05:58 - Empathy in cybersecurity, or lack thereof
10:36 - How to bring more empathy into cybersecurity
13:21 - Tracy’s threat intelligence aspirations
18:46 - Identifying the “perfect” employer
20:19 - Diversity of thought and empathy
22:44 - Farewell and outro

Apr 18, 2023 • 24min
RSA With Purpose: Sealing Deals, Getting Hired, and Networking with Industry Leaders
Head into RSA 2023 with a purpose. This episode is all about how to reach a win-win when sealing deals, getting hired, and networking.
If you want to catch up with the Hacker Valley Team during RSA be sure to jump into our discord. You can join by going to hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Recapping our first time at RSA
03:02 - The 4 types of interactions
05:27 - Purposeful relationship building
06:57 - The vendor experience at RSA
08:51 - Opportunities and mutual benefiting
12:20 - Join our community!
13:20 - Find your new role at RSA
17:02 - Who inspires us?
18:19 - Tips on making new connections
23:28 - Come meet us at RSA!
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com

Apr 11, 2023 • 36min
Mastering Focus with Simone Biles and Amy Bream at RSA
RSA is right around the corner and we’re so excited because it’s one of our big opportunities to meet with you, our dedicated listener. If you want to catch up with the Hacker Valley Team be sure to jump into our discord. You can join by going to hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Intro
01:24 - Introducing Amy Bream & Simone Biles
02:50 - What’s it like being at a cybersecurity conference?
04:20 - Persevering through adversity
05:28 - Consistency — according to Amy & Simone
07:20 - How to overcome imposter syndrome
10:15 - Advice on handling burnout
11:53 - Focus and goal planning
15:09 - Authenticity and staying true to yourself
17:07 - The Axonius partnership — the bridge between athletes and technologists
19:42 - Staying focused in high-intensity environments
22:45 - Simone Biles, as a “person”
24:23 - The mind/body connection
26:55 - Mastering the basics
31:11 - What does legacy mean to you?
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com

Apr 4, 2023 • 29min
What Is Cyber Threat Intelligence and How To Stand Out As Threat Intelligence Analyst
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
01:22 - What is Threat Intelligence?
02:17 - How did you get into Threat Intel?
03:20 - All Source vs Threat Intelligence
04:09 - What was the transition into cyber like?
07:03 - What is the salary potential for Threat Intel analysts?
09:00 - What skills do Threat Intel Analysts need?
10:09 - How to answer tough Threat Intel interview questions
10:47 - What does the first day on the job look like?
12:07 - What are the expectations of a Threat Intel Analyst?
13:18 - What expectations should an Intel Analyst have for their employer?
16:51 - Are threat intel feeds valuable?
18:26 - Chris’ first big threat intel “win”
22:24 - How have you changed as an analyst over the years?
24:22 - How to stand out in cybersecurity
27:24 - Advice for those breaking into Cyber Threat Intel
Be sure to subscribe to Hacker Valley Studio, the premiere cybersecurity podcast for cybersecurity professionals.

Mar 28, 2023 • 31min
Emerging Cybersecurity Technologies with Jake Reynolds
Special Thanks to our sponsor NetSPI NetSPI has a team of skilled pen-testers that can help you find those critical vulnerabilities and become your partner in creating the right remediation game plan for you. Check them out at http://netspi.com/HVM
This Hacker Valley Studio episode features Jake Reynolds, Head of Emerging Technology @ NetSPI.
We chat with Jake about:
0:00 - Welcome Jake Reynolds
2:30 - What is a full stack engineer?
4:39 - Having a large cybersecurity attack surface
6:00 - Attack surface trends
8:29 - Do cloud engineers need to know networking?
10:12 - Levels of abstraction in the cloud and making sense of it
12:13 - Does bug bounty help you with your job?
15:49 - Will we see network exploits again?
16:53 - Special question from NetSPI
17:31 - Which emerging technologies are you watching?
20:30 - Have we really reached the max of ChatGPT hypes?
24:33 - What AI/ML capability does cybersecurity need?
27:28 - How do we stack the deck against the hackers?
Be sure to subscribe to Hacker Valley Studio, the premiere cybersecurity podcast for cybersecurity professionals.
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Links:
Connect with Jake Reynolds on LinkedIn
Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop
Join our Patreon monthly creative mastermind
Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter
Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord

Mar 21, 2023 • 37min
Accelerate Your Cybersecurity Career
In this episode of the podcast, Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran share insights and tips on how to navigate a career in cybersecurity. They discuss the importance of having the right mindset, finding the right career path, building a network, and negotiating a salary.
Ron and Chris emphasize the value of having a positive attitude and being open to learning and growth. They suggest exploring different areas within cybersecurity to find the best fit for your interests and skills. Additionally, they stress the importance of building a strong network, both online and in-person, to connect with industry professionals and stay up to date on the latest trends and technologies.
Ron offers advice on negotiating a salary and knowing your worth. Ron and Chris also encourage listeners to do their research and interview for multiple jobs to get a sense of market rates for different roles. They also discuss the taboo around discussing salaries in cybersecurity and offer suggestions on how to navigate this sensitive topic.
Be sure to subscribe to Hacker Valley Studio, the premiere cybersecurity podcast for cybersecurity professionals.
NetSPI has a team of skilled pen-testers that can help you find those critical vulnerabilities and become your partner in creating the right remediation game plan for you. Check them out at http://netspi.com/HVM
...........................
Links:
Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop
Join our Patreon monthly creative mastermind
Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter
Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord


