Criminals don’t seek degrees in cybercrime from universities. So where do they learn their skills? And what is the role of higher ed in helping keep smart minds on the right side of the law and preparing them to defend against attacks? Minnesota State University professor Chris Veltsos has more than two decades of teaching and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. He unpacks what he teaches in the classroom, what he wishes could be taught, and what higher ed can do to help keep bright minds on the right track.

Key Takeaways:

00:05 - 00:59 Intro to episode

02:01 - 03:42 How Chris because a professor focusing on a niche subject

03:56 - 05:30 How to stay current with the cyber landscape

05:59 - 07:42 Does university prepare students for a cyber career?

14:01 - 16:08 The role of mentorship at university and within the workplace

20:02 - 22:14 What would Chris include in his curriculum that he thinks is missing today?

23:09 - 26:22 Advice to those who are interested in becoming a mentor

Part 2 of this two-part episode looks at the flip side of criminal hacks  —the defense. Law enforcement and private security teams work diligently to defend against cyber threats. And they often work better together. We speak with Nick Rossmann, former head of IBM X-Force with a background in both the CIA and FBI. He explains how threat intelligence is evolving to keep pace with the booming cybercrime industry, and how the dark side of the industry is becoming a full-service economy.

Key Takeaways:

00:05 - 00:40 Intro to this episode

01:12 - 03:14 Threat Intelligence: What is is, how it's gathers, and what it's used for

03:21 - 06:38 What the cybercrime industry is like right now

07:03 - 08:42 Ransomware as a service

12:08 - 14:48 Nick's experience at the CIA and the FBI before joining private industry

17:43 - 19:45 What businesses can do to help make a legitimate cyber career more interesting than a dark web cyber career

21:30 - 25:03 Advice for those interested in a cyber career

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, we dive into the mind of the criminal hacker —what motivates them, how they get started, who they target, and whether they deserve a second chance. Former BBC journalist, Chris Quevetra, sits down with us to discuss an organization he investigated  that takes young criminal threat actors and turns them into contributing members of society —and turns them into valuable security assets for companies.

Read Chris's article on teen hackers here.

Key Takeaways:

00:06 - 00:52 Intro to the episode

01:15 - 01:48 How Chris landed on this story of The Criminal Hacker Journey

02:16 - 04:04 How teen boys end up as a criminal hacker, before having and education in cyber

09:31 - 10:35 The potential future of these teens if they hadn't been caught and ended up at Blue Screen IT

12:40 - 13:53 Lessons learned for the cybersecurity industry

14:23 - 15:17 Emotions that came up while writing this story

16:12 - 17:44 The ironic interaction between the arrester and the arrestee

19:12 - 21:04 Chris shares what he's learned during his cybersecurity journey

21:04 - 22:57 Mitch's story about what he's learned during his cybersecurity journey

Whether you are an individual who is always on your phone, an IT professional who lives through your laptop, or an organization that

Join your host Mitch Mayne, IBM X-Force Public Information Officer and former journalist and, together, let’s venture into the breach.