In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we dive into the world of zero-day exploits, marketplace dynamics for vulnerability research, and the evolving role of cybersecurity in boardroom decision-making. Guest Evan Dornbush, founder of Desired Effect, shares his journey from government cyber-ops to founding multiple security startups, and explains why attackers don’t care about compliance paperwork. We also explore the real-world consequences of hardware vulnerabilities, how a plug won’t save your hotel lock, and why we might be fooling ourselves by trying to “out-tech” cybercriminals.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/evandornbush/

https://www.desiredeffect.io/

Evan Dornbush is the founder and CEO of Desired Effect, which helps vulnerability researchers get fairly compensated and helps defenders act before attacks begin. He hosts the researcher-focused Hackers On The Rocks podcast. Previously, Evan co-founded Point3 Security, a cybersecurity workforce development firm acquired in 2021, and served as CEO. He co-founded P3F, a cybersecurity research firm acquired in 2021. He led Customer Experience at Vulnerability Research Labs, a security research firm acquired in 2010. He worked as a Computer Network Operator for the National Security Agency. Evan holds an M.S. in computer science from The George Washington University and has four ridiculously good-looking children.