Autonomous IT, Live! True Stories From the Hacker Underworld, E05

In this episode of the Autonomous IT, host Landon Miles dives deep into the world of vulnerabilities, exploits, and the psychology behind cyberattacks. From the story of Log4j and its massive global impact to the difference between hackers and attackers, this episode explores how and why breaches happen—and what can be done to stop them.

Joining Landon is Jason Kikta, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at Automox, Marine Corps veteran, and former leader at U.S. Cyber Command. Together, they break down attacker motivations, how to recognize threat patterns, and why understanding your own network better than your adversaries is the key to effective defense.

Key Takeaways:

• The five stages of a vulnerability: introduction, discovery, disclosure, exploitation, and patching.
• Why Log4j became one of the most devastating vulnerabilities in modern history.
• How to identify attacker types and motivations.
• The mindset and methodology of effective defense.
• Why “good IT starts with good security.”

Whether you're a cybersecurity professional, IT leader, or just curious about how cyberattacks really work, this episode offers practical insights from the front lines of digital defense.