In this episode of Simply Offensive, Phillip Wylie welcomes Katherine (Kat) McNamara, Technical Solutions Architect at Cisco and holder of two prestigious Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certifications. Kat shares her remarkable journey from overcoming significant personal challenges to becoming one of the industry's leading networking and security professionals.The conversation explores the evolution of cybersecurity careers, the value of certifications versus degrees, today's hiring landscape, and the growing influence of AI on offensive and defensive security. Phillip and Kat also examine why organizations continue to struggle with AI security, the dangers of "vibe coding," and how organizations can avoid repeating the same mistakes made during the early cloud adoption era.Whether you're an aspiring cybersecurity professional or an experienced practitioner navigating AI-driven security challenges, this episode delivers practical insights, honest perspectives, and plenty of thought-provoking discussion.

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Connect with KatherineMcnamara:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinermcnamara/

X: https://x.com/kmcnam1

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Connect with your host, Phillip Wylie:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/phillipwylie

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@PhillipWylie

X: https://x.com/phillipwylie

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Presented by Suzu Labs

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All the ways to connect with @Suzulabs

https://suzulabs.com

https://x.com/suzulabs

https://www.linkedin.com/company/suzu-labs/