Watch Now

Show Notes

If want to get into computer security, you're going to learn to love it, you're going to have to be successful, because a lot of computer security isn't just about bits and bytes, it's really about effectively communicating what needs to be done to the right people.

In this episode wet have the incredible John Strand. Organizations need to become more proactive, and see where those weak spots are to protect themselves from something like ransomware. You need to run a pen test because you can have somebody literally launch those attacks, and identify those weaknesses in those vulnerabilities before the bad people do.

What's the gap that we can all learn from? It's passwords. By and large for most users, passphrases are the way to go. And, multi-factor authentication is actually a very sound strategy.

If you look at one key tenant of computer security, complexity is the enemy of computer security. And security is constantly trying to catch up and protect against yesterday's attacks. So, the future is more connected, it's more complicated. And the problem is, we still have people that use weak passwords, we still have people that click on links from strangers. And ultimately, when we're looking at that future, you're going to see the exact same problems that we've always had complicated on a much, much, much, much, much larger scale. As things get more and more pushed to the cloud. There'll be no shelter here, the front line is everywhere. World of computer security. 

 

Key Takeaways:

0:00 Previously on the show 2:02 John introduction 2:44 Episode begins 2:47 What John is doing today 3:45 John’s core tenets 5:51 How pen testing is “Blue” 6:17 Why understanding fundamentals matters 8:55 Ransomware 10:41 Organizations need to be prepared 11:58 Password gap 13:37 Password philosophy 17:07 Multi-factor authentication 21:40 What to do today 24:24 New problems 26:44 Learn your own network 28:26 Where to find John

 

John Strand on Twitter

John Strand on LinkedIn

Black Hills Information Security

Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon

Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter

Follow Ron Eddings on Twitter

Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter

Sponsored by Axonius

Recent Episodes

Oct 15, 2024

How to Become a True Security Leader with Nathan Case

How does one become a true security leader? According to Nathan Case, it’s not about titles—it’s about impact.  In this episode, Nathan Case, VP of Cloud Security at Clarity, shares his journey ...

Oct 8, 2024

AI and the Future of Cyber Defense with John Hubbard

How can AI shape the future of cybersecurity defense? In this episode, we dive into SOC operations, AI integration, and the latest in threat detection with John Hubbard, Cyber Defense Curriculum ...

Oct 1, 2024

How Adversaries Are Living Off The Dark Web with Jason Haddix

Have you ever lost something important, only to find out someone moved it without telling you? The same thing happens with our personal and business data. But what if you could see what the ...

Sep 24, 2024

AT&T Dynamic Defense: Security Before It Reaches Your Company's ...

In this episode, Ron Eddings and Jen Langdon speak with Senthil Ramakrishnan, Assistant Vice President of Cybersecurity Product at AT&T Business. Senthil shares information about how a new ...

Sep 17, 2024

Soft Skills in Technical Sales to Connect and Sell More with ...

Technical skills open doors, but are soft skills sealing the deal? In this episode, Evgeniy Kharam reveals how communication and connection lead to success in technical sales.    From ...

Sep 10, 2024

Recon Like An Adversary: Uncovering Modern Techniques in Attack ...

Ever wondered how the best defenders become unstoppable? They think like the attackers. In this episode with Jason Haddix, we reveal the strategies hackers don’t want you to know about and show ...

Sep 3, 2024

I Failed Over 300 Times Trying To Get Into Security ft. Joe South

Joe South is a testament to resilience, unconventional decisions, and finding success in unexpected places. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a rut or on the verge of giving up, Joe’s experience ...

Aug 27, 2024

Cybersecurity Challenges: AI, Burnout, and Insider Threats with ...

At Black Hat 2024, we sat down with Kayla Williams, Chief Information Security Officer at Devo, to discuss her career journey, the role of AI in cybersecurity, and the pervasive issue of burnout ...

Aug 16, 2024

Offensive Security: Unlocking Hidden ROI with Seemant Sehgal

In this episode, Ron sits down at Black Hat with guest Seemant Sehgal, Founder & CEO of BreachLock, to learn more about how offensive security, such as red teaming and pen testing, fits into ...

Aug 9, 2024

Black Hat 2024 Conference Pre-Game

In this episode, Ron and Jen welcome you to Vegas and discuss a little background on Black Hat and DEF CON and how to make the most of your time professionally. Impactful Moments: 00:00 - ...

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.