Show Notes
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 might be the jolt you need to keep pushing forward.
Joe, Principal Security Engineer and host of the “Security Unfiltered” podcast, shares his journey into cybersecurity and battling depression after being rejected more than 300 times when applying for security roles. Joe shares advice on breaking into cybersecurity, dealing with rejection, the importance of mentorship, and staying persistent.
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Joe South, Principal Security Engineer and Host of the Security Unfiltered podcast
02:34 Early Career Struggles and Breakthrough
03:59 The Turning Point: From Help Desk to Cybersecurity
06:44 Rejection and Finding Success
11:17 Advice for Aspiring Cybersecurity Professionals
16:19 The Importance of Continuous Learning in Cybersecurity
18:10 Join the Hacker Valley Creative Mastermind!
19:10 Securing AI Models: Challenges and Strategies
20:10 The Importance of Communication in Security
21:22 Experience and Career Advancement
21:52 Rethinking Success: The Value of Being Number Two
23:57 Pressure and Rewards of Being a CISO
26:16 The Benefits of Podcasting and Content Creation
32:28 Balancing Personal and Public Information
35:27 Overcoming Adversity and Putting Yourself Out There
38:01 Final Thoughts and Advice for Aspiring Content Creators
Links:
Connect with our guest, Joe South: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-south/
Check out the Security Unfiltered podcast here: https://securityunfiltered.com
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Recent Episodes
The Day AI Stopped Asking for Permission with Marcus J. Carey
AI didn’t quietly evolve, it crossed the line from recommendation to execution. Once agents stopped advising humans and started acting inside real systems, trust replaced experimentation and ...
When AI Ships the Code, Who Owns the Risk with Varun Badhwar and ...
AI isn’t quietly changing software development… it’s rewriting the rules while most security programs are still playing defense. When agents write code at machine speed, the real risk isn’t ...
Think Like a Hacker Before the Hack Happens with John Hammond
What if the most dangerous hackers are the ones who never touch a keyboard? The real threat isn't just about stolen credentials or ransomware; it's about understanding how attackers think before ...
Breaking Into Banks and Bypassing Modern Security with Greg ...
Three banks in four days isn't just a bragging right for penetration testers. It's a wake-up call showing that expensive security tools and alarm systems often fail when tested by skilled ...
Defending Your Cyber Systems and Your Mental Attack Surface with ...
When your firewall forgets to buckle up, the crash doesn’t happen in the network first, it happens in your blindspots. In this episode, Ron is joined by returning guest Chris Hughes, Co-Founder ...
Thriving Beyond Human Labor with Context-Powered AI with Daniel ...
The real disruption isn’t AI replacing humans, it’s the shocking possibility that human labor was the economic bubble all along. In this episode, Ron Eddings sits down with Daniel Miessler, ...
Building EDR for AI: Controlling Autonomous Agents Before They Go ...
AI agents aren't just reacting anymore, they're thinking, learning, and sometimes deleting your entire production database without asking. The real question isn't if your AI agent will be ...
Can AI Run Your SOC Better Than You? with Ahmed Achchak
What if your security team never missed a single alert and actually had time to think strategically? In this episode, Ahmed Achchak, CEO and Co-Founder of Qevlar AI, reveals how autonomous SOCs ...
Making Cybersecurity Marketing Creative (and a Little Sexy) with ...
Who said cybersecurity had to be serious? The future of cyber is creative, human, and even a little sexy.In this special 400th episode, Ron Eddings celebrates six incredible years of Hacker ...
How to See Your Organization Like a Hacker with Chris Dale
To defend like a human, you first have to think like a hacker. In this episode, Ron Eddings sits down with Chris Dale, Co-Founder and Chief Hacking Officer at River Security, to explore the ...
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