Watch Now

Show Notes

James Lawler serves as a national security consultant and is the Senior Partner at MDO Group, which provides Human Intelligence training to the Intelligence Community and the commercial sector focused on WMD, CI, technical and cyber issues.  Mr. Lawler is a noted speaker on the Insider Threat in government and industry. Prior to this, Mr. Lawler served for 25 years as a CIA operations officer in various international posts and as Chief of the Counterproliferation Division's Special Activities Unit.  Join Chris, Ron and James for a riveting audio journey through stories and experiences from the inside of the C.I.A.

 

Key Takeaways:

03:07 Bio

04:10 Finding a job after school – the CIA comes to campus

05:40 Clandestine Service

09:55 Can you start in two weeks?

12:40 A sociopath within lanes (laws)

14:00 Betraying company over country

17:37 Intensifying friendship development

19:54 Can you betray your country for $1k?

20:52 Why do people turn down a pitch?

27:53 Receiving overwhelming classified information

36:10 Book

40:05 Take away from Mr. Lawler

 

Links

Hacker Valley Studio: Swag | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Email Ron & Chris | Website 

James Lawler: Book | Linkedin

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon

Join our monthly mastermind group via Patreon

This episode is sponsor by our friends at CrowdStrike. Join the CrowdStrike team here.

Recent Episodes

Feb 28, 2025

The AI Shift You Can’t Ignore with Marco Figueroa

AI isn’t just evolving—it’s sprinting, and cybersecurity needs to keep up.  Ron Eddings is joined again by cybersecurity leader Marco Figueroa, Program Manager for Gen AI at the ODIN Bug Bounty ...

Feb 21, 2025

Superhuman Productivity and AI Mastery with Pedram Amini

What if you could have a conversation with yourself—years into the future? Or leave behind an AI-powered avatar that understands your thoughts, philosophies, and even your voice? In this ...

Feb 13, 2025

Cybersecurity Meets AI: The Good, The Bad & The Janky

There’s no doubt that AI is changing the game in cybersecurity, but not always in the ways we expect. In this episode, Ron Eddings shares his firsthand experience with AI-powered tools that make ...

Feb 4, 2025

A Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity with Edna Conway

What if cybersecurity was more than just tech—what if it was about the people it serves? In this episode, Edna Conway, Founder and CEO of EMC Advisors, shares her incredible journey from law to ...

Jan 28, 2025

Rise of the Machines: Why Your Attack Surface Has More Holes Than ...

Did you know nearly half of your enterprise devices are agentless—leaving your attack surface wide open? In this episode, Ron is joined by Pandian Gnanaprakasam, Co-Founder and Chief Product ...

Jan 22, 2025

How a Game Turned a Watchmaker into a Cybersecurity Pro with ...

What if cybersecurity training could be as engaging as your favorite game? In this episode, Simeon Kakpovi, founder of the KC7 Foundation, shares how his gamified approach is changing lives and ...

Jan 14, 2025

Managing and Mitigating Cyber Risks For Your Assets with Jerich ...

What’s the key to mitigating unseen cyber risks? In this episode, Wes Wright, Chief Healthcare Officer at Ordr and Jerich Beason, CISO at WM uncover the complexities of attack surface management ...

Jan 10, 2025

The Year of the Agent: AI, Bug Bounties, and Cybersecurity ...

How will AI redefine cybersecurity in 2025? According to Marco Figueroa, Program Manager for Gen AI at the ODIN Bug Bounty Program, this year is set to be the "Year of the Agent," where AI ...

Jan 7, 2025

Understanding the Psychology of Cyber Risk with David Shipley

Most people think cybersecurity training is about knowledge, but what if motivation is the real key to success? David Shipley, CEO and Field CISO at Beauceron Security, shares how psychology and ...

Dec 24, 2024

From Landscaping to Cyber Leadership with Cole Lisko

How does a scorching July day in a van with no air conditioning lead to a career at one of the world’s top cybersecurity companies? In this episode, Cole Lisko shares his journey from ...

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.