Show Notes
In this episode, we speak to a Detection and Response expert! Our guest is Nick Hakmiller, Senior Engineering Manager at Panther Labs.
Nick was first exposed to technology in High School where he took an introduction to Visual Basic programming course. When learning about multi-threaded applications Nick became curious and began exploring how to open too many threads to crash a computer. Throughout Nick’s career he’s maintained an interest and focus on attack techniques and building defensive security programs.
On occasions, security controls may fail to catch an attacker. A detection is logic that is applied to logs, security controls, and alerts to notify teams and automated processes. Nick describes Python as an exceptional programming language to apply detections and create detections as code.
Nick describes many aspects of security as an engineering problem. As organizations transform and adopt new technologies, security issues arise and evolve. Nick describes that the team’s that are most successful with applying detection as code have chosen to view security as a function that engineering should participate in and help solve.
As an organization’s security program matures, Nick mentions that the most impactful detections will likely be written and created by someone within the organization. For instance, creating a detection that defines which users should have access to sensitive data is likely to be created by a member of the organization with knowledge of team structure.
Towards the end of the episode, Nick shares his wisdom to any practitioner that wants to step into the role of creating detections and providing impact while doing so.
Key Takeaways
0:00 - Welcome Back to the Hacker Valley Studio Podcast!
2:29 - Nick Hakmiller, Senior Engineering Manager at Panther Labs
4:20 - How Nick became interested in technology
6:00 - What is a detection?
7:25 - How detection as code applies to cybersecurity and software engineering
10:11 - Prerequisites to consider before applying detection as code
12:27 - Thinking beyond out of the box solutions and applying detections
15:54 - Categories of detections and which are most impactful
23:45 - Reducing alerts by engineering efforts
27:40 - Is it possible to automate everything for security?
32:56 - Advice on getting started with creating detections
Keep in touch with Nick Hakmiller on LinkedIn
Reach out to Nick on Panther’s Community Slack
Stay up to date with Nick’s work by viewing Panther Analysis
Learn more about Panther Labs
Recent Episodes
The AI Gold Rush in Cybersecurity with Chris Cochran
The new cybersecurity pioneers aren’t chasing alerts, they’re building with AI. But what happens when tools meant to assist begin making decisions for us? And what skills do we lose when ...
The AI That Tried to Escape with Ron Eddings
What happens when AI refuses to be replaced? This episode kicks off with a chilling real-world example of an AI threatening blackmail—and only gets more intense from there. Host Ron Eddings ...
Zero Trust Isn’t a Tool — It’s Everything with George Finney
What if Zero Trust isn’t a framework, but the only viable cybersecurity strategy—more about people than products? In this episode, George Finney, CISO at the University of Texas System and ...
Your Two-Year Edge Starts Now with Marco Figueroa
You won’t be replaced by AI—you’ll be replaced by someone using it better. Returning guest Marco Figueroa is back with a frontline report on the AI agent boom. This isn’t a prediction—it’s a ...
Badge Cloning, Alarm Triggers & Getting Hired to Hack with Greg ...
Most people think red teaming is digital—until someone bypasses your locks, plants a Raspberry Pi in your server room, and walks out with your data. That’s not sci-fi. That’s White Knight Labs. ...
Building Cyber Resilience Through Culture with David Shipley
What if fixing cybersecurity wasn’t about more tools, but about unlocking human potential? In this episode, Ron Eddings welcomes back David Shipley, CEO and Field CSO of Beauceron Security, for ...
Ditch the Spreadsheets: Smarter Crypto Security with Michael ...
Still tracking certificates in a spreadsheet? You’re not alone—and there’s a better way. In this special episode from RSA 2025, Ron sits down with Michael Klieman, Global Vice President of ...
Protecting People, Not Just Perimeters with Andrey Suzdaltsev
AI is reshaping the cybersecurity battlefield, and cyber adversaries are getting smarter. In this episode, Ron Eddings welcomes Andrey Suzdaltsev, Co-Founder and CEO of Brightside AI, for a look ...
Digital Clutter and the Death of Passwords with Collin Sweeney & ...
Passwords are the original digital clutter—messy, overstuffed, and way too easy to forget. Like a junk drawer full of old keys and cables, we keep tossing more into them, hoping they’ll somehow ...
What Most Cybersecurity Advice Misses—And How to Fix It with ...
What if the biggest threat to cybersecurity isn’t attackers—but the defenders themselves? Why are we still building tools for experts in a world where technical skills are fading fast? In this ...
WORK WITH US
PODCASTS + SPEAKING + EVENTS
Are you the best kept secret in cybersecurity? Let's change that by partnering together for podcast ads, social campaigns, and your next event or keynote. Send us your details to get started.
Thank you!
We will be in touch soon and reach out to you at