From Black Hat to Bug Bounties [Pt. 2] with Thomas DeVoss

This episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast’s Hacker Valley Blue series is a bit unique.  It features Brandon Dixon, the VP of Strategy at RiskIQ, a major sponsor of the podcast.  Brandon co-founded Passive Total in 2014, and it was later purchased by RiskIQ.  He is the quintessential guest, invested in fitness, philosophy, tech, and leadership.  He is an expert in both the practice and business of threat intelligence, and he shares with Ron and Chris about himself, his work, and the field. Much of the conversation focuses on Brandon and his work background.  Brandon explains his journey into the threat intelligence field, from his early interest, through jobs in tech and academia, and to work in espionage research.  Eventually, he and friend Steve McGinty saw a need and tried to solve it; their efforts took shape in the company they co-founded, Passive Total.  Brandon explains to listeners the process by which he and Steve created Passive Total, as well as the way in which they arrived at the deal to sell Passive Total to RiskIQ.  Brandon was heavily involved in the integration of Passive Total into RiskIQ, before eventually settling into a specific role within RiskIQ that capitalizes his love of the business side of the field.  He aims to work in light of his personal philosophy on life and success, which he also details. The conversation touches on many practically relevant details of the threat intelligence field, as well.  Brandon addresses the changes in the field and motivation he draws from these changes, bias and intelligence collection, and lessons that have arisen through his specific experiences.  Other topics covered include intelligence leads and the future of threat intelligence, unhackability, the place of circumstances in life and business, and how intelligence leaders can improve their programs.  As Brandon anticipates that threat intelligence will only become a more pervasive field, listeners will doubtless benefit from his own insights, as well as his recommendations of such resources as Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and RiskIQ workshops. 0:26 - The conversation begins with an introduction to this unique episode, its guest, and his background. 2:43 - The group considers the changing business of threat intelligence and what drives Brandon. 8:24 - The next topics are bias and intelligence collection, as well as what surprises Brandon. 13:00 - Brandon shares the story of Passive Total and its integration into RiskIQ, also addressing the business side of the field and lessons learned through his experience. 24:04 - Brandon addresses intelligence leads and the question of unhackability. 34:44 - What is Brandon’s philosophy on life and success? 39:37 - Brandon explains what threat intelligence leaders need to do to improve their programs.   Links: Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter Follow Brandon on Twitter Learn more about our sponsor RiskIQ Follow RiskIQ on Twitter Connect with RiskIQ on YouTube

1 Syys 202043min

This episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast is the fifth installment in this first season of the Hacker Valley Blue series, and features guest Susan Peediyakkal, an expert in building threat intelligence programs.  Susan is a cyber threat intelligence consultant, the founder of BSides Sacramento, and a member of the advisory boards for several cybersecurity companies.  She joins hosts Ron and Chris to speak to her background, the future of threat intelligence, and much more. Susan first details her background, running through the highlights of her approximately 16 years in cybersecurity, which have focused mostly on threat intelligence.  Susan began her career in the air force, and is still a reservist.  She worked with radar, and eventually decided to cross-train and branch into IT.  The following years saw her in a number of roles with various organizations, and move decisively into the threat intelligence field.  Eventually, Susa noticed that her career trajectory was moving her toward building threat intelligence programs for government entities.  She built programs for such varied clients as the government of Abu Dhabi, USPS, US courts, and industry leaders.  She recently paused her work to pursue further education, but has since returned to work as a threat intelligence practitioner.. As the conversation continues, Ron and Chris ask Susan to share insights on several topics.  The group considers the importance of community and a human element within the threat intelligence field, ways Susan has faced misconceptions when starting threat intelligence programs, the concept of unhackability, and what stakeholders outside the field get wrong about it.  Returning to a topic that has been forefront on Ron and Chris’s minds recently, Susan also shares about bias in her line of work and how threat intelligence analysts go wrong in dealing with it.  Moving into more personal topics, the group discusses Susan’s podcast-worthy voice, clarity, and articulation.  Susan explains how experts in threat intelligence can cultivate a new wave of speakers, and the conversation ends with a look at what the future holds for both Susan and the field of threat intelligence. 1:40 - Listeners are introduced to the episode and today’s guest, Susan Peediyakkal; Susan then shares her background. 5:41 - The group considers the importance of community, misconceptions Susan has noticed about her field, and the artistry and human element of threat intelligence. 16:02 - What kind of bias is Susan running into, and where do analysts go wrong with regard to bias? 21:38 - Susan addresses the term “unhackable.” 24:35 - Susan and her hosts turn to matters of podcasting, voice, and speaking. 31:40 - What do people outside the field get wrong about it? 33:48 - What’s the future look like for Susan, her field, and the workforce?   Links: Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter Follow Susan on Twitter Connect with Susan on LinkedIn Learn more about the episode sponsor, RiskIQ

1 Syys 202040min

This episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast features Jon DiMaggio, a Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst at Symantec.  Jon is a researcher and longtime bad guy chaser, and Ron and Chris fill this installment of Hacker Valley Blue with Jon’s thoughts on ransomware, threat research, attribution, and more! Jon introduces himself to listeners who may not yet know much about him, explaining that he started his career as an engineer and that his work for the government in the early 2000s forced him to focus a lot on defending against nation-state attacks.  He developed into an expert in the field, and transitioned about 13-14 years ago into his current line of work.  He now teaches alongside his work as an analyst, and he moved from a government position to Symantec in 2014.  Jon’s specialty is still nation-state, but he has also ventured into enterprise ransomware.  He shares about these areas of specialization with Ron and Chris, detailing what a nation-state is and how to combat it within the context of threat intelligence, and addressing the economics of ransomware. As the conversation continues, Ron and Chris raise a variety of other topics for Jon to address.  Jon considers the threat of a future major worm attack, and provides listeners with insight on how to become established in his line of work.  There are a lot of available resources that people can use to develop their own skills and increase their visibility.  However, becoming a government hacker, and so having an offensive rather than a defensive role, is much more challenging.  Moving toward the conclusion of the conversation, Jon offers tips on navigating attribution and bias (such as being sure to have evidence before making public claims!), explains how he mentally organizes and recalls information, and speaks to the nature of strong communication.   1:41 - Listeners are introduced to Jon DiMaggio and the episode before Jon explains his background.. 5:04 - The first major topic Jon shares about is that of nation-states, specifically speaking to the work of  combating nation-state attackers. 12:57 - The conversation turns to the economics of ransomware. 18:39 - What are Jon’s thoughts on the possibility of another major worm attack? 20:26 - Jon is asked about how people can enter his field or that of hacking. 24:54 - How should listeners approach attribution and bias, and how has Jon navigated bias in his own life? 31:31 - The group considers Jon’s mental organization, his recall of information, and the topic of communication.   Links: Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter Access the recent work and research on Symantec’s threat intelligence feed Learn more about the episode sponsor, RiskIQ

1 Syys 202040min

In this episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast, hosts Ron and Chris welcome Valentina Palacín for the third episode in the Hacker Valley Blue series.  Valentina is a threat hunter who used to work as a translator, and she is currently a senior cyber threat intelligence analyst.  She joins Ron and Chris to talk about her background in languages, poetry and the impact of words, and much more. As the conversation gets underway, Valentina explains her background to listeners.  She studied translation before starting her career in that field, but transitioned to information technology about two years ago.  In her free time, she researches threat hunting in her home country of Argentina.  It was challenging for Valentina to change her career path, since she had no background in computer science, but she took multiple steps - working in web development, learning to do programming, taking courses, and more - ultimately becoming a threat intel analyst and speaker.  Though the journey was difficult, Valentina feels she was born to work in her current field, and has found her past experience, including knowledge of over 7 languages, to be helpful in her work. The episode also features Valentina’s insights into threat intelligence.  She and her hosts discuss how knowledge of programming can aid a threat intel analyst, Valentina’s philosophy of MITRE, the relationship between intelligence and threat hunting, and how to keep up with changes in the field.  They arrive at the conclusion that, while it is helpful to stay up to date on political and cyber news, analysts must realize that they cannot know everything, and people in general must realize that threat intelligence is not a catch-all.  The group bridges the gap between personal and professional aspects of life by talking about the importance of hobbies outside of work; most notably, the group addresses poetry and its usefulness for threat intelligence.  Finally, the conversation turns to Valentina’s work with BlueSpace Security. 1:38 - Listeners are introduced to Valentina, her background, and her challenging process to enter into the large intel community in Argentina . 5:24 - Did knowledge of language impact Valentina’s threat intelligence work? 7:55 - Valentina shares about her programming experience and details her journey into threat intel. 14:23 - What are Valentina’s thoughts about MITRE and the relation between intelligence and threat hunting? 18:06 - The group considers how to keep up with changes in the field, and acknowledges that threat intelligence will not catch everything. 22:48 - One thing that Valentina is passionate about pursuing is hobbies outside of work. 27:56 - Does poetry help with threat intelligence work? 32:53 - The conversation turns to Valentina’s community, focusing on BlueSpace Security.   Links: Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter Connect with Valentina Palacín on Twitter Connect with Valentina on LinkedIn Learn more about the episode sponsor, RiskIQ

1 Syys 202036min

Fan-favorite Jack Rhysider of the Darknet Diaries podcast joins Hacker Valley Studio hosts Ron and Chris for the second episode of Hacker Valley Blue! Jack joins the show again during an ideal season - one focused on threat intelligence - and this episode will focus on Jack’s past in the field of threat intelligence, as well as on a major issue faced daily by analysts in the field: that of managing bias. As the conversation begins, the group focuses on threat intelligence and Jack’s work in the field.  Jack has been pouring himself into his own podcast, leaning into the fact that threat intelligence is a form of knowing what has happened in the past by his sharing of stories.  Jack explains what has surprised him recently in his work, how he maintains a sharp sense of focus, and what sort of continuity he sees between the news-sharing of his current role and a more formal practitioner role within the field of threat intelligence.  Jack’s podcast work necessitates practical skill in his field, and demands an ability to share complex concepts through simple expression. The work also necessitates strong skills of managing bias, and it is to this topic that the group turns.  Jack makes a practice of putting aside negative personal feelings about a person and looking for areas of agreement with the individual.  This practice, along with his feedback loop and his efforts to listen to actual voices, help Jack to tell both sides of the stories he shares.  In discussing the counteraction of bias, Jack touches on concepts of assumptions, bias toward self, empathy, and humanization.   And as the conversation winds toward a close, listeners will hear about Jack’s use of audio books, balancing fact and listener interest, appealing to different audiences, and navigating questions of personal privacy.  1:40 - Listeners are introduced to Jack and the episode ahead. 4:13 - How is Jack currently thinking about storytelling? 8:40 - The group dives into some topics related to Jack’s work: his focus and need for practical skill. 12:37 - The conversation turns to the subject of bias. 28:28 - What is Jack doing for research today, and how does he navigate technical questions of storytelling? 36:35 - Finally, Jack and his hosts turn to considerations of personal privacy.   Links: Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter Learn more about Jack Rhysider Follow Jack on Twitter Learn more about Darknet Diaries Learn more about the episode sponsor, RiskIQ

1 Syys 202045min

Hosts Ron and Chris welcome you to today’s episode! This episode of Hacker Valley Studio is the start of a new season, Hacker Valley Blue, a series dedicated to threat intelligence, exclusively for listeners. The episode begins with Ron and Chris sharing their backgrounds in threat intelligence and cybersecurity. Chris picked intelligence as his job field in the United States Marine Corps, and eventually went on to The National Security Agency and United States Cyber Command. He focused on the how, who, and what of all the cyber-attacks happening at the time. Chris then went on to create his own company, and do consulting work in threat intelligence for over a decade. Ron has always had an interest in cybersecurity, and at 16 he found a mentor who took him under his wing in the trade. After a couple of years working in offensive attacks, he transitioned to a job building intelligence tools that dealt with threat data. While Chris focused more on the operational side of threat intelligence, Ron’s was more technical, and their experience converged well. Throughout the rest of the episode, you will hear about what threat intelligence can do for businesses. Ron and Chris discuss how analysts can build rapport with the employees and stakeholders using their intelligence, and what questions companies should ask of analysts for the best results. They do this by walking listeners through Chris’ EASY framework. 1:07 - The new season of Hacker Valley Blue is introduced. 3:43 - Chris shares his background in intelligence. 6:15 - Ron shares his background in intelligence 11:43 - What can threat intelligence do for an organization? 17:50 - The EASY Framework 18:41 - Elicit Requirements 21:40 - Asses Collection Plan 26:03 - Strive for Impact 30:24 - Yield the Feedback Links: Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter Learn more about the episode sponsor, RiskIQ

1 Syys 202041min

Hosts Ron and Chris welcome you to today’s episode! This episode of Hacker Valley Studio features Brian Romansky, the Chief Innovation Officer at Owl Cyber Defense. You will hear about his ideas, inventions, and how hardware is helping us in cybersecurity today.   The episode begins with Brian sharing his background, and journey into the cybersecurity space. He always knew he wanted to do something with technology and thought he may go into robotics. The transition into the cyber world was a natural one when he was working on a team that was moving mechanical postage metering to happen electronically. These machines were often trying to be hacked, and the team also began working on e-commerce and shipping platforms. From then, he continued to work on cybersecurity, data, and cryptography.   Today, at Owl Cyber Defense Brian works on cross domain solutions for the US Department of Defense, and other government organizations, as well as commercial customers. It gets him up in the morning because it combines many of the electrical and cryptography space that interests him, with hardware. His hope for the future, is that there is a paradigm shift in cybersecurity, making it less of a cat and mouse game by using hardware enforced mechanisms.   He doesn’t have a lot of free time, but as the episode wraps up, you will also hear about what Brian is interested in, and working on outside of work.   :29 CIO of Owl Cyber Defense, Brian Romansky is introduced to the show. 4:33 Brian shares his journey from electrical engineering to cybersecurity. 6:25 Brian explains the work he does today. 14:16 Brian hypothosizes on the future of cybersecurity 16:58 Brian answers the question “Is there an unhackable system?” 19:55 Advice for organizations relying more on technology during work from home. 27:48 What does Brian do outside of work?   Links: Learn more about Owl Cyber Defense Learn more about Brian Romansky Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter

24 Elo 202030min

Security and Privacy Expert and author, Christopher Budd, is welcomed to the Hacker Valley Studio podcast! You will hear some great communication tips and how to handle people who fear worst case scenarios during a crisis. He explains how to showcase your authority and credibility during a tough situation. He talks about traits that make someone great at handling these situations, the importance of temperament, and improvisation. In this episode, Christopher Budd shares his journey to becoming an expert in crisis communication. He spent ten years with the Microsoft Security Response Center. He has worked with other security and technology companies as a consultant and full-time employee. He says, “...and if I can sum up what it is I do best, I always say, I take awful news and make it just bad.” Christopher gives some examples of his communication approach. 1) He says he is upfront about news being bad news. He recommends getting credibility by leading with the truth. 2) He then explains reasons why it is a bad situation. 3) Finally, he explains reasons why the situation could be better than you think it might be. He explains that you are not only dealing with the situation itself but also peoples’ fears and projections of the situation. Christopher talks about different personality types and how they handle crisis management. He explains the importance of temperament, the ability to compartmentalize, and thinking about action steps. As the episode draws to a close, Christopher shares some of his thoughts on the workplace today and some of the changes in the COVID environment. He elaborates on topics like privacy and communication. He highlights how technology has allowed us to function as well as it has in the past few months. Links: Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter Follow Ronald Eddings on Twitter Follow Chris Cochran on Twitter Follow Christopher Budd on Twitter Learn more about Christopher Budd Check out christopherbudd.com You can reach out to Christopher Budd at unimaginativelychristopher@christopherbudd.com Learn more about the MSRC Christopher Budd is published in Great Thinkers A-Z

18 Elo 202032min