Hacker Valley Studio

Introducing the Cyber Ranch Podcast and Allan Alford!

Allan Alford is currently the Chief Technology Officer/Chief Information Security Officer at TrustMAPP. Allan Alford is a member of the Hacker Valley family and has launched a new show called the Cyber Ranch Podcast. Allan has been a CISO at a number of different companies and has a wealth of knowledge in Cybersecurity. Has about 20 years of Cybersecurity and has a background in product security. 

Allan is a tinkerer and a second generation information security practitioner. His father was a systems operator/administrator who specialized in Systems Security, his father brought their first IBM PC into the house while Allan was in middle school. Since that moment, Allan has always been interested in technology and had a group of friends who had the brand new tools of the time like the TI-99, TRS-80, IBM PC and Apple IIe. He and his friends were porting and writing games, hacking and war dialing. Allan’s mother was a school teacher and had house rules about television time, and so with an hour of TV a week Allan’s primary form of entertainment was reading.

In high school Allan took a creative writing class where he found a passion for storytelling and reading novels. Before entering college Allan was confident in his technology skills and decided that studying Humanities would make a greater impact for him. While studying, Allan learned that there were many parallels between the study of humanities and technology. There was a vocabulary, grammar, and structure by which things operated that had a consistent set of rules. Allan learned that the correct application of grammar and vocabulary helped all things work properly. 

As the episode progresses, Allan shares while reading books, articles or other word based sources there’s a sort of internal voice that is within his mind that reads the words ‘out loud,’ however once he’s immersed in the book or text that the subvocalization fades and there’s a much more immediate type of onboarding of the information, the non-conscious reading voice. Chris shares that he describes this as the flow of learning. Allan also speaks of lucking into a prime slot on the KTCU college radio station and how he found his groove djing by deconstructing threads of music. He would put together his set by starting with a popular song and tracing it back from influence and inspirations. 

Allan also shares his thoughts on the importance of networking - And not all networking starting points being equal. With his success now he tries to create bridges and conversations through his network that promote the exchange of ideas and further conversations for people, Allan is hoping to do the same with his podcast - The Cyber Ranch. Professionally he’s embarking on a new journey as the Chief Technology Officer at TrustMapp and is currently learning how to be a great producer of Security technologies. 

Impactful Moments During the Show

0:00 - Welcome back to the Hacker Valley Studio!

01:30 - Welcome back to the Hacker Valley studio and welcome to the Cyber Ranch podcast

02:30 - Allan’s Professional Adventuring Card

03:00 - Allan’s tinkering background and a second generation info security professional

04:30 - Writing and porting video games as a youth, growing up as a STEM kid

05:35 - Creative writing opening the world to storytelling

06:50 - Going to college already knowing about Computer Science

08:40 - Practices and techniques for learning rapidly and staying sharp

10:30 - Understanding the fields of vocabulary and grammar

11:56 - Conscious reading voice, non-conscious reading voice and flow

14:14 - From reading to producing work that people could consume

16:00 - DJ Deconstruction, how Allan put together a primetime radio set on KTCU

17:00 - Networking without inherited connections

19:20 - How networking works for Allan now

22:20 - Networking misunderstood, the traps of the output side

24:00 - Allan’s 70/30 rule for career advancement

25:30 - CISO and CTO parallels

27:30 - What motivated Allan to start his own cyber security podcast

29:30 - For someone entering the Cybersecurity world from a non-technical background

Connect with Allan on LinkedIn Allan Alford - CISO & CTO - TrustMAPP

Check out The Cyber Ranch Podcast!

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Lindsay Lee is the founder and managing member of Authentic Ventures. Authentic Ventures is an early stage VC firm based in Oakland CA. Lindsay has worked many years in the investment industries as well as venture capital and ran a direct investment fund. Authentic ventures is a new kind of firm focused primarily on women and under-represented minority founders. Authentic Ventures is focused on building its own network of women founders of more diverse backgrounds and entrepreneurs who really want to see success translate into more opportunities for their communities.

Coming from modest beginnings and raised by immigrant parents from the West Indies, his parents really solidified the importance of education. Lindsay has worked in investment banking as an analyst alongside graduates of Ivy League schools, there he learned about his own determination to excel even in tough working conditions while learning as much as possible. After graduating from graduate school Lindsay started an ill-fated technology start up in 1999; funding was hard to find in the early naughts (00’s) especially for Black founders.

After pivoting to working in asset management companies Lindsay joined a family office where he built and managed a portfolio. He reached a turning point there where he was able to look at public and private investments and assess the landscape. Lindsay decided he wanted to differentiate himself and focus efforts on really approaching investment in his own way, to invest in “early stage companies,” as opposed to series A or series B companies. A peer at another firm told him that it was going to be double the effort and twice the financing to get it off the ground. Lindsay’s drive and the network he was a part of propelled him through the challenges. 

The conversation touches upon the “rules of the game” for galvanizing new ideas and bringing new products and companies into the market. He speaks about the roles that entrepreneurs, lawyers and investors have in capital markets. Lindsay found his calling as an investor was one where he was a coach, rather than an entrepreneur who is trying to score goals all the time. Lindsay describes how his focus was on cultivating relationships and community in order to grow an interconnected network that would allow for long lasting impact in the landscape while also bringing success to his firm. 

He shares that the one thing he’s had to get right is finding A+ people to work with. In his approach as an investor he is trying to set the table for women of color and reserve, or build, a seat at the table that allows for success to be shared.  Lindsay believes this focus will lead to more opportunities for more diverse teams. For folks interested in becoming an investor or entrepreneur Lindsay speaks about the importance of team building and utilizing the connections they already have as capital. He also urges people to not ignore the skills they’ve gained by applying themselves and that those skills plus knowledge of the space they’re focused on can create something that’s meaningful. 

00:00 - Welcome back to the Hacker Valley Studio, introducing Lindsay Lee of Authentic Ventures, a VC firm that invests in seed and early stage companies.

02:30 - Building a more diverse inclusive VC network and culture. 

04:30 - What the exploration of VC was like for Lindsay and what were some of the motivations for moving in this way in that sphere.

06:45  - Why it’s important for diversity that a firm like Authentic Ventures exists in Silicon Valley and the tech community.

07:20 - How VC firms can help create more wealth across communities of color and gender.

09:30 - The journey to VC and what exploring that world looked like for Lindsay.

10:00 - Entrepreneurship as a sport: who are players, rule-makers and play callers.

11:45 - Taking the long view on cultivating good investments and finding the right people.

12:20 - Starting his own thing in VC, differentiating himself and dealing with uncertainty

14:27 - What immersion in VC is like, navigating changing landscapes

15:15 - If you’re looking for a challenge, investing is a good field; things not going to plan.

15:45 - Why you need to find A+ people.

17:20 - Staying humble and grounded in VC

18:14 - What creates success in entrepreneurial endeavors

19:30 - Why Authentic Ventures has a culture of good energy

20:45 - Studying and data in VC, compounding experience and knowledge, the value of having a community

22:40 - Trying to find ideas and company with momentum

23:20 - No free lunch in investing? What does a margin of error mean in this VC world.

24:45 - Why VC firms learn about the founders, how to scrutinize the methodology

26:00 - If you’re an entrepreneur why you should get to know a VC fund outside of funding events.

27:00 - Being an early believer in trailblazers

28:00 - Authentic Ventures tries to win together, with the right people

29:25 - Lindsay talks about not starting out on First or Second Base and making an impact that helps his community.

30:35 - Having something to prove as an analyst at investment banks

31:45 - The best lesson to learn as an investor, understanding the people, connecting with people that share your values.

33:30 - Why there’s no substitute for excellence or hard work.

37:23 - Staying power and determination: “Get your money right.”

38:30 - Staying in touch with Lindsay Lee and Authentic Ventures

Stay connected with Lindsay Lee by checking out Authentic Ventures

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Learn more about our sponsor ByteChek. 

Hacker Valley Studio presents: We Are Here - an audio journey and series exploring black excellence in technology and cybersecurity. In part three of this series, Ron and Chris interview Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 9th congressional district since 2013. 

Congresswoman Clarke’s parents immigrated to Brooklyn, New York in the 1950s from Jamaica. Being born from immigrant parents and witnessing the transformation of the country during the civil rights movement helped shape her worldview. Congresswoman Clarke mentions that the nurture from her family and community sparked her interest in public service at an early age. Congresswoman Clarke recalls being a child and looking up to her pediatrician, Dr. Thompson. Congresswoman Clarke could see herself being like Dr. Thompson and that led her to pursue her interests in STEM in grade school and college. When Congresswoman Clarke went away to college she made a commitment to come back to Brooklyn and use her education to help others

As the episode progresses, Congresswoman Clarke mentions her parents were engaged in the community out of necessity. They wanted to be able to navigate the United States and create community for her and her brother. Congresswoman Clarke’s mother started her community outreach at Parent Teacher Association meetings and was encouraged to run for political office after some time. In fact, Congresswoman Clarke became the first and only child to succeed a parent in political office. 

Congresswoman Clarke describes community as essential and building communities is done through education. Digital transformation has enabled all generations to collaborate on common causes that they previously wouldn’t have had the opportunity to. An example that Congresswoman Clarke provides is narrowing the education gap for children of color. Through technology, parents have been working with government agencies and private organizations to provide more resources to schools in need.  

Impactful Moments:

0:00 - Hacker Valley Studio presents We Are Here Pt 3

0:52 - Congresswoman Yvette Clarke on Hacker Valley Studio!

1:56 - Early life and how Congresswoman Clarke made it into office

3:38 - What inspired Congresswoman Clarke to help others

7:21 - Surprises while in office and servicing the public

13:35 - Congresswoman Clarke’s story of perseverance

16:36 - The importance of community and how to influence yours

24:40 - Education and mentorship

27:51 - Using technology to course correct and amplify your voice

31:59 - Sage wisdom for embarking on your personal journey

Follow Congresswoman Yvette Clarke on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter

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In this episode of Hacker Valley Studio podcast, Ron and Chris are joined by Chris Parker, creator of WhatIsMyIPAddress. His website now reaches six million monthly visitors and began as a necessity to solve a technical problem, which you can probably guess, determine his IP Address.

WhatIsMyIPAddress predates Google and was often found through the search engine AltaVista. For years, the site was simple, straightforward and didn’t have any graphics or markup (HTML). At some point, Chris stumbled upon a Content Management System (CMS) called Geek Log but quickly learned with the amount of traffic that it was best for him to manually code each page on his website. For quite some time Chris maintained the website, answered questions from users about IP Addresses, and created more content without receiving any monetary compensation. The advent of Google AdSense led Chris to realize that he could make a profit for hosting his website.

Chris’s website is in the top 3,000 websites on the Internet and was managed out of his home office for over 8 years. As you can imagine, he received traffic from users across the world and was even the target of some cybersecurity attacks. However, keeping the functionality on his website simple, the biggest threat Chris faced was Denial of Service (DoS). After moving his website from his home to a CDN provider that blocks malicious traffic and bots, Chris saw a 90% reduction in web traffic to his website. This led Chris down the path of creating content about security and configuration.

With such a large audience, Chris decided to start the Easy Pray podcast and help listeners learn how to avoid becoming easy targets for scammers and fraudsters online and in the real world. Chris recalls a story of a fraud group that scammed victims by telling the victim that they’ve won the lottery in their country but are unable to withdraw the winnings because of citizenship. This scam is not uncommon and has caused hopeful individuals to lose thousands and sometimes their entire life savings. Chris has set out on a mission to inform others of these scams and create awareness about online safety.

Impactful Moments

0:00 - Welcome back to the Hacker Valley Studio

1:44 - Introducing Chris Parker, Creator of WhatIsMyIPAddress

5:11 - Was the naming of the website intentional or was it incidental?

6:04 - Adapting and digital transformation

7:29 - Malicious traffic and cyber attacks

10:39 - Creating a more safe Internet with the Easy Pray podcast

12:43 - Unfortunate spam and scamming stories

15:18 - More about Chris’s goal to provide education to his listeners

18:40 - Learnings and takeaways to avoid being scammed

24:02 - Tools that Chris is using to grow and scale his business

26:51 - How to stay up to date with Chris Parker

Links:

Learn more about Chris Parker and visit his website and podcast.

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Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Learn more about our sponsor ByteChek. 

In this featured episode of Hacker Valley Studio podcast, Ron and Chris are joined by Jeff Cook, Co-Founder, and CFO of ByteChek. Jeff has over 10 years of experience in both accounting and auditing and has set out a mission to “make compliance suck less”

Jeff began his career at accounting firm, Arthur Andersen. In 2002, the firm surrendered it’s license to practice as a CPA which forced Jeff to consider working at other firms. This surprise turned out to be a blessing as it made him transition from New York to Washington DC. After his transition, Jeff worked in public accounting and auditing for 12 years and began starting IT auditing practices and SOC practices at large accounting firms. 

While working at a cybersecurity firm, Jeff met his co-founder AJ Yawn. The two worked on numerous SOC engagements together - which gave them the confidence to scale their ideas and efforts to make compliance suck less. Despite 2020 being the beginning of a global pandemic, the two decided to persevere and form their company ByteChek.

As the episode progresses, Jeff describes his partnership with AJ as dynamic and fluid. Jeff brings to the table a deep understanding of accounting and auditing challenges and solutions. Jeff admires AJ’s ability to be a leader and rally the troops to ensure everyone is moving in the right direction. Besides complimenting each other’s strengths and weaknesses, Jeff and AJ are also great friends and check-in together to help each other grow personally outside of work.

Jeff describes his superpower as his ability to work under pressure. When there’s deadlines and a surplus of work, Jeff leans on his experience as an accountant. While working as an accountant, each year in January through April (tax season) Jeff had to practice his discipline of working under pressure with clear deadlines from his clients and the government. Additionally, Jeff has spent years practicing martial arts, and describes it as a great technique to use to clear his mind in all situations.

Impactful Moments

0:00 - Welcome back to the Hacker Valley Studio

1:41 - This episode features Jeff Cook, Co-Founder, and CFO of ByteChek

2:26 - Jeff’s background and start in accounting and auditing

5:08 - Thriving in business as a founder during a global pandemic

8:31 - Jeff’s superpower and where it began

11:16 - How to overcome your kryptonite and core emotional challenge

13:58 - How martial arts has helped Jeff as a practitioner

17:48 - Parallels between cybersecurity, chess, and martial arts

21:21 - Getting comfortable with discomfort

28:14 - Wisdom from Jeff for leveling up as a entrepreneur and practitioner

Links:

Learn more about Jeff Cook and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio.

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon.

Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter.

Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Learn more about our sponsor ByteChek. 

Hacker Valley Studio presents: We Are Here - an audio journey and series exploring black excellence in cybersecurity. In part two of this series, Ron and Chris host a mastermind conversation with Tia Hopkins, Charles Nwatu, AJ Yawn, and Kelvin Coleman. In this special conversation, we discuss ExIST, a framework to promote excellence in the pursuit of human endeavors like hobbies, careers, and finding purpose.

As humans, we’re always on the brink of discovery. Watching a documentary, witnessing someone perform a piece of art or a eureka moment might be all that it takes to pull you in a new direction to explore a new topic. Learning something new can be like stepping into a new world that you’ve never experienced. This leap can be exciting, scary, or even uneventful but always leads to discovery.

Tia Hopkins began exploring technology since she can remember. One of her first memories of her interest in technology was when she noticed her mom stopped buying her toys because she would take them apart to understand how they worked. Tia took a giant leap into the new world of technology when she took apart her family and realized that she had to put it back together before her mom found out. Tia has explored many facets of technology from working with Internet Service Providers, IT teams, and Managed Detection and Response teams.

After deciding which world to ExIST in, the next step to understanding and mastery is immersion. This is surrounding yourself in a new topic or idea and learning what it means to succeed in that arena. In sports, this might be watching a professional game and learning more about the rules. In cybersecurity, immersion may be reading blogs on the topic or watching YouTube videos that explain a focus area. While immersing yourself in this world you’ll identify the mindset needed to remain there and grow.

Charles Nwatu’s advice on immersion is to not be afraid to fail - It's the only way you succeed. Not giving yourself the opportunity to take the shot is even worse than failure itself. Learn how to consume content in any way that works best for you - read, listen, watch everything you possibly can. Identify ways that help you articulate what you’ve learned to others.

After learning the rules and where the boundaries exist in the new world, the next step is to study. Using tools, knowledge, examples and mentors to improve your capabilities. If you’re learning about a topic with subtopics, you may need to re-immerse yourself in areas that you’re weak on. In this phase of the framework, you're using your new capabilities to rapidly learn and improve.

AJ Yawn provides the advice of staying focused and ignoring the results. To Focus AJ often implements the  90-90-1 rule. And it's taking 90 days spending the first 90 minutes of your day, focusing on ONE thing. Whenever AJ is trying out a new endeavour he ignores the results for the first 90 days, even if there’s no visible improvements. When picking up anything new the focus should be on the attempt rather than the outcome.

Translation is expressing the sense of wisdom into language. During this part of the ExIST framework, you’re using the collection of experience and wisdom to create, innovate, or teach. Taking your developed ability and bettering the lives of others.

Kelvin Coleman has always been an advocate of teaching others and promoting the people in the cybersecurity industry. Kelvin can recall researching and reciting state capitals that he’d take to his meetings to build a rapport with city and state government stakeholders. While the name of a state capital or mascot may not seem critical, it helped his customers understand that he does the research and cares about doing what is best for everyone.

Impactful Moments

0:00 - We Are Here a series exploring black excellence in cybersecurity

1:13 - Kelvin Coleman, the strategic mastermind

1:50 - Tia Hopkins, the technical juggernaut

2:25 - Charles Nwatu, the wise warrior

3:00 - AJ Yawn, the empathetic CEO

4:28 - ExIST, a framework to promote excellence

5:40 - Explore

22:14 - Immerse

56:09 - Study

1:10:10 - Translate/Transform

1:20:12 - Sage wisdom from our mastermind group

1:25:20 - How to keep in touch with our amazing guests

Stay In Touch Kelvin Coleman on LinkedIn

Connect with Tia Hopkins on LinkedIn and Empow(her) Cybersecurity

Follow Charles Nwatu on LinkedIn

Stay connected with AJ Yawn on LinkedIn

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Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Get your start in cybersecurity with SANS through their Diversity Cyber Academy!

Hacker Valley Studio presents: We Are Here - an audio journey and series exploring black excellence in cybersecurity. in part one of this series, Ron and Chris interview Patrice Washington, one of the world's most popular podcasters and authors. This episode in the series is a story of ascension.

As we begin the episode Patrice mentions although she has a background in education, she’s here because of the hard work she put in during uncertain times and stepping into the unknown. 

In 2009, Patrice was in her mid 20s and graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree emphasizing entrepreneurial studies. During her senior year she started a real estate and mortgage brokerage and grew it to a seven figure business by 25. Everything changed for Patrice after becoming a mother and experiencing the housing crisis shortly after experiencing so much success. Between ages 25 to 28 years old, she went from seven figure business owner to being on the bathroom floor, bawling and snotting and crying scraping up change in couch cushions.

Patrice describes that “doing all the things”, “checking all the boxes”, or “being the one” is not the path to professional or financial success. From following her faith and reading scripture she was reminded, “What good is money in the hands of a fool if they have no desire to seek wisdom?”

Patrice had a lot of knowledge, information, education but I didn't have wisdom. Which is how to apply knowledge, when to apply education, and with whom to apply education. Since March, 2009 Patrice has been on a mission to go everywhere she can and teach others that the journey is not just about chasing money, it’s about seeking wisdom.

What helped turn around Patrice’s life was an unlikely encounter with blogging mothers at Starbucks that gave her the idea of sharing her story through blogs. She was instantly reminded of her first grade teacher. Patrice recalled Ms. Boynton saying, “Miss Cunningham, you know something, you have a responsibility. To share with your friends is not enough. You have to share what you know to everyone, so that everybody moves forward”. That’s what Patrice started to do with the blog, she began commitment to share everything that she has learned.

When Patrice began writing and speaking she began embracing her gifts. At the start of her career she was writing, speaking and educating others with real estate but later realized that her gift was in sharing information and teaching others in a broader way. Patrice began asking herself, “How can I feel the same joy I felt to help others get to the aha moment when buying a home but without the real estate transaction?”. She searched for answers and found examples but none done by a black woman. Though this was discouraging, there was enough supporting information to let her know that if she stepped into the unknown she’d define her own success.

Redefining your wealth and life is done through being intentional. It starts by doing what you adore and not being too tied with how much it pays. Setting intentions through your day, calendar, and time is a great place to start to begin understanding what you enjoy and what you can make into a career. Your career is not the only aspect of your life that generates wealth, your well-being is the vessel that guides you to wealth. Redefining your wealth and life means that you’re putting your health as a top priority.

Impactful Moments:

0:00 - Intro

0:52 - Patrice Washington on Hacker Valley Studio!

1:55 - Patrice’s background and dedication to hard work

6:04 - Going from seven figure business to zero and redefining wealth

9:47 - Identifying and applying purpose

15:08 - Dissolving the need for validation from others

20:32 - What others can do to disassociate their purpose from money

26:36 - Investing in your health NOW, not when you’re sick

31:15 - Advice for embarking on the journey of redefining wealth

Pre-order Redefine Wealth for Yourself: How to Stop Chasing Money and Finally Live Your Life's Purpose

Connect with Patrice Washington on LinkedIn and Twitter

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In this episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast, Ron and Chris are joined by Tia Hopkins, Founder of Empow(H)er Cybersecurity with the focus of empowering mentoring, educating, and providing opportunities for women of color. Tia is also VP, Global Solutions Engineering at eSentire.

The episode begins by Tia describing her early interests in technology. She began exploring her interest by taking apart her family computer - After her mom found out that she disassembled the computer, she quickly learned that she had to reassemble it before there were consequences. Early in Tia’s career she worked at phone companies installing DSL, IT operations, and managing technology focused teams. Tia has always been a doer and problem solver which led to resistance when first being called to become a leader. She was initially concerned that if she wasn’t hands-on with technical issues that she wouldn’t be as effective as a leader. However, she discovered that as a leader she can leverage her experience to have a broader impact through her team. 

As the episode progresses, the cast chat about “Happy Accidents”. Tia had the opportunity to get involved with the Social Movement project by a coincidental conversation with a stranger at a cybersecurity conference many years ago. The premise of the project is 4 days to change the world. Tia’s challenge during the project was to solve racism issues by bringing brilliant minds together. Tia mentions that the challenge is a tall order but great minds in the world can solve any problem.

During COVID-19, a lot has changed for Hacker Valley Studio - Ron and Chris used to record in the same studio but now record separately due to the lockdown. Despite this difference in production, HVS has been able to scale and grow by dividing and conquering tasks. Tia can relate to this sentiment because without COVID-19 she likely would have not started Empow(H)er Cybersecurity. In addition to starting her foundation, Tia has also started a PhD program. When asked her about her superpower, Tia describes her ability to get things done. As a former athlete, Tia has a growth mindset and is determined to accomplish her goals.

Meaningful moments in the podcast:

0:00 - Intro

1:51 - Tia Hopkins on Hacker Valley Studio Podcast

2:39 - Tia’s background and start in technology

4:24 - Tia’s perspective on being a leader

7:17 - Induction in the American Football Hall of Fame

9:01 - Social Movement Season 2

14:30 - Developing and working on your craft

16:50 - What has changed since COVID-19

19:00 - Tia’s Superpower

24:13 - Personal resiliency techniques

28:47 - How to stay in touch with Tia Hopkins

Links:

Connect with Tia Hopkins on LinkedIn.

Follow Empow(H)er Cybersecurity on Twitter and LinkedIn

Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio.

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon.

Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter.

Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Learn more about our sponsor AttackIQ. 

In this episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast, Ron and Chris are joined by Chris Castaldo, Chief Information Security Officer at Crossbeam and author of Start-Up Secure: Baking Cybersecurity into Your Company from Founding to Exit. Throughout his career, Chris noticed that the same cybersecurity related problems surface but there are many different ways to solve them.

Chris has always been passionate about startups and has plans to one day start his own company. While going through lists of top 10 books for startups and entrepreneurs he didn’t find any that mentioned how to do cybersecurity at a startup. This a significant gap for startups, not baking in cybersecurity early results in expensive rework 4-10 years after the startup is founded. This led to Chris writing Startup Secure - his goal was to create a guide and methodology for startup founders to avoid the expensive mistake of not baking cybersecurity into the startup in the beginning.

As the episode progresses, Chris highlights the difference in challenges for startups that are B2B (Business-to-Business) vs B2C (Business-to-Consumer). Cybersecurity startups must weigh the risks of building a product and building a secure company. It’s easier to implement all of the security controls offered by a solution when the startup is 20 employees or less because there is less impact on users and business functions. When cybersecurity startups are selling to organizations with cybersecurity teams, the startup is asked tough questions. For example:

• What is your vendor review process?

As a cybersecurity professional, Chris emphases the importance of networking with other professionals. There is an increase in virtual conferences and adoption of LinkedIn. Asking questions to the leaders in the field and providing mentorship to others both provide a significant impact while cultivating your career. Chris also highlights the importance of following up on conversations to build relationships and securing opportunities. 

When transitioning from engineer to CISO, Chris found that being intentional and purposeful with his time was impactful in his transition. He developed these skills by reading books about stoicism. He found that focusing on “the right thing to do” was tough because of constant distractions but being purposeful was the solution to distraction. Instead of focusing on all the things that were on his plate he would break down his goals into smaller chunks and give them his undivided attention for a specific amount of time.

Moments During This Podcast:

0:00 - Intro

1:57 - Chris Castaldo on Hacker Valley Studio Podcast

2:47 - Chris’ start in cybersecurity as a red team member

3:50 - Why did Chris write his book Startup Secure

6:58 - Challenges of implementing cybersecurity at a startup

9:56 - What excites Chris about cybersecurity

13:35 - How do you immerse yourself in learning about cybersecurity?

17:33 - Surprises when transitioning from engineer to CISO

22:43 - Core tenants of solving hard problems

25:53 - Protecting the crown jewels at an organization during a breach

33:38 - Advice on sharing knowledge with the world

Links:

Pre-order Start-Up Secure: Baking Cybersecurity into Your Company from Founding to Exit

Learn more about Chris Castaldo and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio.

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon.

Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter.

Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Learn more about our sponsor ByteChek.

The tables have turned on Ron and Chris this episode and they are interviewed by guest host, Carole Theriault! Besides being a two-time guest on the Hacker Valley Studio Podcast, Carole is producer and host of the Smashing Security Podcast and Sticky Pickles podcast. Carole put together 7 serious questions and 7 funny questions to interview Ron and Chris.

Question #1 - How did you get into podcasting?

Ron - describes his entry into podcasting as a surprise. Ron had set up a studio at his home in San Jose, California with the intention to create YouTube videos. When Chris relocated to the area, he suggested that the two get on the microphones and have a conversation to see where it goes - Where the two began speaking about Cybersecurity Alchemy. 

Chris - Before moving to Silicon Valley, Chris experimented with content creation on Instagram and worked with professionals to document his weight loss journey. This experiment went well but left Chris hoping to make a greater impact through content creation.

Question #2 - What are the most surprising lessons you learned from podcasting

Carole begins by describing her most surprising lesson is the sheer amount of work.

Chris was surprised about all of the aspects that go into a quality production. For example, mastering the sound of the podcast.

Ron describes the most surprising lesson being the work that goes into show notes and the conversion of full-length topics into bite sized nuggets.

Question #3 - What trait do you like most in your podcast partner

Ron - Chris’ accountability and availability. We meet together daily during the week to discuss goals, challenges, and collaboration opportunities. When help is needed, Chris is consistently there to help.

Chris - Ron’s calm, understated competitiveness nature. The competitive nature pushes both of us to get better everyday. 

Question #4 - What do you worry most about when creating an episode of Hacker Valley Studio?

Chris - Capturing great quality audio. During post-production, we can fix nearly everything like “ahs”, “ums”, awkward pauses but not poor quality audio. Carole can relate to this technical difficulty as she has experienced difficulties with hearing feedback from internal microphones on her podcasts

Ron - HVS has had over a hundred episodes and around 10% of the guests have never been on a podcast. When recording with the 10% that have not been on a podcast before Ron’s main goal and concern is to ensure that the guest is comfortable. Creating an environment where guests can share their story and as.king great questions creates raving fans of our content through our listeners and guests

Question #5 - Who does more of the work on the podcast?

Ron - Chris is the GOAT for the HVS podcast. In the very beginning, Ron said that he did most of the work. In the beginning Ron was editing the video and audio for the podcast but at some point, Chris became curious about the audio editing process and fell in love with the process and built a strong foundation for rapidly increasing the quality of Hacker Valley Studio content.

Follow up to Question #5 - Chris do you appreciate about Ron’s contribution to the podcast?

Chris - Our chemistry. Episode one shows our chemistry because even though we did not have any experience podcasting, we still had a great conversational flow. It didn’t take anytime for us to build this chemistry up because Ron is able to read expressions and see where I’m going with questions and answers. Ron has always been able to pick up where I left off and bring up topics that I may forget.

Question #6 - Which episode of HVS sticks out most in your mind and why?

Chris - Episode 40 with Daniel Meade. This episode started out with us speaking with Daniel about AppSec but had many turns where we got to experience Daniel’s authentic humor and moments of growth throughout his life. This episode helped shape the future of Hacker Valley Studio.

Ron - Episode 104 with Robin Black. This episode has very little connection with technology and cybersecurity but focuses on the auxiliary skills that make practitioners at any craft great. Robin is fascinated with his work and crossing the chasm to gain expertise from similar or related fields.

Question #7 - What does success mean for Hacker Valley Studio?

Ron - Having fun during the process. Chris and I are extremely successful at this point because we’ve been enjoying creating the process everyday. We are lucky enough to speak to experts, work with vocal coaches, and learn how to make quality productions each week.

Chris - The impact on the listener. We’ve received emails and messages on social media from listeners that have thanked us for helping them get into cybersecurity and promoted within their field. We’ve been able to create our own journey and be part of others journeys.

Moments During the Podcast

0:00 - Intro

1:22 - Carole Theriault takes over Hacker Valley Studio! 

2:50 - How Chris and Ron got into podcasting

5:06 - Would you rather be 8 foot tall or have eight feet?

5:55 - What are the most surprising lessons you learned from podcasting?

8:13 - If you were on a desert island, what luxury item would you bring?

9:10 - What trait do you like most in your podcast partner?

11:17 - What's your favorite thing to do outside of work and family responsibilities?

14:07 - What do you worry most about when creating an episode of Hacker Valley Studio?

18:55 - What is one thing any friend or family member could do to make you laugh or smile?

20:28 - Who does more of the work on Hacker Valley Studio podcast?

24:50 - Who would play you in a movie?

27:30 - Which episode of HVS sticks out most in your mind and why?

37:16 - How would you define success for Hacker Valley Studio?

Links:

Our guest host Carole Theriault

Carole’s podcast - Smashing Security and Sticky Pickles

Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio.

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon.

Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter.

Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Learn more about our sponsor ByteChek.