Episode 106 - Stacking the Deck of Success with AJ Yawn

Episode 106 - Stacking the Deck of Success with AJ Yawn

In this episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast, hosts Ron and Chris interview AJ Yawn in an episode that is a mix between a master class and a founder’s journey. AJ is the founder and CEO of ByteCheck, with a personal and company goal to “make compliance suck less.” He is a cloud security expert, and brings to the conversation a wealth of wisdom on cybersecurity, leadership, and personal growth. The episode focuses on topics surrounding a major event in the past week for AJ and ByteChek, addressing AJ’s background, the work surrounding ByteCheck’s genesis, AJ’s thoughts on compliance, and more!

The interview begins with a look at AJ’s background. AJ grew up a military brat, and eventually found himself in the Army for a time. While he did not place much consideration on technology before he entered the Army, it was during his Army career that AJ developed an interest in cybersecurity. He became passionate about cybersecurity and the cloud, and he went all in! After he left the service, he began a job in cybersecurity consulting, and he’s been in the field ever since.

This episode is recorded at another momentous shift in AJ’s career, though, and Ron and Chris invite him to share about the past week, focusing on highs and lows. AJ shares about how he and his friend Jeff just launched ByteChek days ago, choosing as their launch date the significant holiday of Veterans Day! This choice was a way to honor AJ’s family members who served before him, and Ron and Chris also thank AJ for his own service to his country.

In light of this exciting time, AJ explains what the early days of the company have been like and considers some influences that have shaped him. In this stage of his company, AJ has capitalized on LinkedIn. He had previously not been accustomed to using the site or to the more general task of business promotion, but he’s found that networking on LinkedIn is a great way to grow a new business. He also explores ways in which his background in sports and as a middle child among nine siblings have shaped him as a cybersecurity worker and entrepreneur. Such factors of his youth helped him to foster a growth mindset and competitive nature, and also taught him to stand in his power.

Next, AJ talks about the thinking behind the tagline, “make compliance suck less,” which is honest, humorous, and relevant to the problem that drove AJ to start the company. As he navigates issues of business, compliance, and the like, AJ demonstrates remarkable capacities for focus. Ron and Chris wonder how he manages to focus on a single subject and to stay intentional for months or even years at a time, and AJ answers that he focuses on the process. In order to do so, he relies on the 90-91 model (which calls for the first 90 minutes of his day to be centered on a certain thing), as well as an array of goals.

AJ is also deeply committed to an active pursuit of personal growth. One of the clearest demonstrations of this commitment came in the years leading up to the launch of ByteChek. AJ saw the need for such a company years ago and had it in mind to start his own company, knowing that he needed to take a chance to make the impact he wanted to make. However, he also knew that he was not yet ready to start a business, so he created a masterclass for himself to prepare. Since, in first forming the company, he needed to place special focus on learning the business and marketing side of things, his successful navigation of LinkedIn is just one testament to the effectiveness of his intentional training.

Even in the midst of the fear surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic (and many problems for businesses), AJ was confident in betting on himself and launching ByteChek. And he’s confident in the future of the company, as well. He invests himself in making compliance exciting for clients, and among his projections for the future of compliance, he even includes plans for a ByteChek Academy! As the conversation reaches a close, AJ provides listeners with a final nugget of wisdom pertaining to the two most prominent themes of the conversation: betting on oneself and stepping into one’s personal power.

1:35 - This episode features AJ Yawn!

2:53 - AJ and his hosts turn to background info and what AJ is doing today.

4:35 - This past week has been huge for AJ because of his company launch!

6:33 - Did AJ’s interest in cybersecurity start while he was in the Army?

8:49 - The group speaks of AJ’s family background, including the fact that he is one of nine kids!

10:00 - Has being in the middle of a big family and playing sports shaped AJ?

12:52 - AJ and his hosts consider ByteChek’s tagline.

15:21 - How does AJ focus so well?

17:18 - Why did he launch the company now, even in the midst of COVID-19?

21:21 - AJ created a masterclass for himself.

25:38 - How does AJ make compliance exciting?

29:39- AJ is asked about the future of compliance.

33:45 - What’s one nugget of wisdom AJ can offer concerning two main themes of the episode?

Links:

Connect with AJ on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Hacker Valley Studio.

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon.

Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter.

Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Learn more about ByteChek, and mention Hacker Valley Studio to receive a limited time offer!

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Adversarial AI: Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape

Adversarial AI: Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape

In this episode, host Ron Eddings is joined by Sr. Director of Red Team Operations at Coalfire, Pete Deros, to discuss the hottest topic around; adversarial AI. Ron and Pete discuss how AI is used and how the adversary is using AI so everyone can stay one step ahead of them as well. Impactful Moments 00:00 - Welcome 01:35 - Introducing Pete Deros 03:30 - More Easily Phished 05:09 - 11 Labs Video 06:42 - Is this AI or LLM? 9:18 - AI or LLMs: Who has the Speed? 10:36 - Fine Tuning LLMs 14:37 - WormGPT & Hallucinations 17:01 - LLMs Changing Second to Second 18:38 - A Word From Our Sponsor 20:19 - ‘Write me Ransomware!' 23:24 - Working Around AI Roadblocks 28:00 - “Undetectable for A Human” 31:58 - Pete Can Help You Floss! 34:56 - OWASP Top 10 & Resources 37:00 - Check out Coalfire   Links: Connect with our guest Pete Deros: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-deros-94524b9a/ Coalfire’s Website: https://www.coalfire.com/ Coalfire Securialities Report: https://www.coalfire.com/insights/resources/reports/securealities-report-2023-compliance OWASP Top 10 LLM: https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/ Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

7 Nov 202339min

Protecting What You Can’t See with HD Moore

Protecting What You Can’t See with HD Moore

In this episode, host Ron Eddings is joined by Metasploit creator, co-founder and CEO of runZero, HD Moore. HD changed the world with Metasploit and he’s doing it again with runZero. Attack Surface Management can’t happen unless you have visibility into your home or company network and HD shares how he’s able to deliver that and so much more in his journey of creating runZero. Impactful Moments 00:00 - Welcome 00:50 - Introducing guest, HD Moore 01:30 - Fixing the Root Cause 05:00 - runZero 10:54 - A New Kind of CAASM 12:00 - Uncover the Unknown 14:08 - runZero Raving 17:45 - “Trust me, you can scan OT” 20:10 - You Can Scan if You Want To 22:30 - Red to Blue Judo Skills Links: Connect with our guest HD Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hdmoore/ Check out runZero: https://www.runzero.com/ Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleys... Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

31 Okt 202324min

Penetration Testing, Public Speaking, and Content Creation with Phillip Wylie

Penetration Testing, Public Speaking, and Content Creation with Phillip Wylie

In this episode, Ron Eddings is joined by Penetration Tester, Instructor, International Speaker, Best Selling Author, and Podcast Host, Phillip Wylie. Phillip shares how pen testing and the need to educate people helped motivate him to speak at conferences and become a central voice in the cyber community. But more than that, he explains how he’s helped so many people get started on a similar path.   Impactful Moments: 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Introducing Phillip Wylie 02:10 - Penetration testing Started it All 05:10 - Pen testing is a Job?! 08:50 - The Conference Game 12:55 - Cheers to Toastmasters 14:23 - Content Creation & Social Media Marketing 18:30 - Keeping it Simple 20:55 - Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 25:30 - What’s next for Phillip? 26:35 - Getting into Creating   Links: Connect with our guest Phillip Wylie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipwylie/ Phillip’s Book “The Pentester Blueprint”: https://www.amazon.com/Pentester-BluePrint-Your-Guide-Being/dp/1119684307/ref=asc_df_1119684307 Phillip’s Podcasts: https://www.thehackermaker.com/phillip-wylie-show/ Check out our Previous Episode with Phillip: https://www.axonius.com/plus/hacker-valley-on-the-road/on-the-road-at-bh-2022/phillip-wylie Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

24 Okt 202330min

Ruse and Deception: From Hollywood to Corporate Espionage with Robert Kerbeck

Ruse and Deception: From Hollywood to Corporate Espionage with Robert Kerbeck

In this episode, Host Ron Eddings interviews Robert Kerbeck, author of Ruse: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street. Robert shares how his professional acting skills helped his career in corporate spying and espionage.   Impactful Moments 00:00 - Welcome 00:46 - Introducing guest, Robert Kerbeck 00:55 - …And That’s How I Became A Spy 03:00 - Creativity REELY Counts w/ Phishing 10:00 - Robert’s Phishing Training 14:22 - How Corporate Espionage Works 18:36 - “A Fraction of the Spying I Really Did” 20:52 - Hobnobbing with Hollywood 25:06 - Your Way out of a “Ruse”    Links: Connect with our guest Robert Kerbeck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-kerbeck-12aa7a11/ Read “Ruse: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street”: https://www.amazon.com/Ruse-Lying-American-Hollywood-Street/dp/1586423169 Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:  https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com/ Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

17 Okt 202328min

Hacker Culture and ADHD with Kim Crawley

Hacker Culture and ADHD with Kim Crawley

In this episode, host Ron Eddings is joined by cybersecurity researcher and writer, Kim Crawley, to deep dive into one of her greatest passions; computing! From its origins to its newest capabilities in quantum and AI, Kim shares her love of computers as well as her passion for educating others through her writing. Lastly, Kim explains how she wrote her newest release, “Hacker Culture A-Z” while keeping it ADHD-friendly. Impactful Moments 00:00 - Welcome 00:52 - Introducing guest, Kim Crawley 02:20 - Computers; A Forbidden Fruit 04:50 - Parents, PCs & Printers 10:44 - Why Hacker Culture? 14:34 - Join our Mastermind! 15:16 - Quantifying Quantum 21:53 - ”AI is like Fire” 26:45 - Playing with Chat & DALL-E 28:28 - ADHD & Work 33:22 - How to Become an Author Links: Connect with our guest Kim Crawley: https://linkedin.com/in/kimcrawley Pre-order “Hacker Culture A to Z” here: https://www.amazon.com/Hacker-Culture-Fundamentals-Cybersecurity-Hacking/dp/1098145674/ Read “Hacker Culture A to Z” on the O’Reily Learning Platform: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/hacker-culture-a/9781098145668/ Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio  Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

10 Okt 202337min

Starting at the Endpoint with Danny Jenkins

Starting at the Endpoint with Danny Jenkins

In this episode, host Ron Eddings is joined by Co-Founder and CEO of ThreatLocker, Danny Jenkins, to talk about his "Hero’s Journey" from IT to launching ThreatLocker. From spam emails, bots, and ransomware to persuading people to take a new approach -- this story has all of the villains and obstacles any cybersecurity champion will inevitably face and conquer! Sponsor: Get unprecedented visibility and control of your cybersecurity, quickly, easily, and cost-effectively. Check out our friends at ThreatLocker today and let them know Hacker Valley sent you! https://www.threatlocker.com  Impactful Moments 00:00 - Welcome 00:55 - Introducing guest, Danny Jenkins 02:00 - The start of Danny’s journey 04:10 - Moments it changed 06:55 - The worst job in the world 08:36 - Starting with the endpoint 09:18 - An uphill battle 13:25 - Going all in 15:21 - A word about our sponsor! 16:35 - Zero to hero 18:47 - Trust and ringfencing 22:53 - What is zero trust? 25:00 - Zero trust at ThreatLocker 28:25 - Tools to make decisions 29:09 - Productivity tools? Not anymore! 31:10 - Making yourself more secure Links: Connect with our guest Danny Jenkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyjenkinscyber/ Learn more about ThreatLocker: https://www.ThreatLocker.com Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com/ Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

3 Okt 202333min

Having Resilience In Your Cyber Career with Erika Eakins

Having Resilience In Your Cyber Career with Erika Eakins

In this episode, host Chris is joined by Erika Eakins — a cybersecurity sales ninja, podcaster, and co-founder at Teach Kids Tech. Erika opens up about her challenges entering tech and cybersecurity as a woman and her mission to serve the underrepresented. Erika also shares how the strength and resilience she acquired in childhood have helped to carry her through unexpected hardships in the industry like layoffs. Impactful Moments: 0:00-Welcome 00:50-Introducing guest, Erika Eakins 01:22-Erika’s origin story 05:43-Being judged on looks 07:10-”Why are you still in?!” 07:47-Where to find strength 10:40-Who are the Cyber Queens? 13:18-Join our mastermind! 14:02-Aiming to Overcome Obstacles 16:08-Reflection on Resilience 17:54-Teach Kids Tech 20:30-The legacy of Queens 23:23-Power of Positivity & Support Links: Connect with our guest Erika Eakins https://www.linkedin.com/in/eeakins/ Check out The Cyber Queens Podcast https://www.cyberqueenspodcast.com/ Learn more about Teach Kids Tech https://www.teachkidstech.net/ Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com/ Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

26 Sep 202325min

Build vs. Buy: The Classic Technologist Conundrum

Build vs. Buy: The Classic Technologist Conundrum

It’s a classic technologist conundrum: Should I build or buy the solution I need to solve a problem? The “Build vs. Buy” conundrum is faced by technology teams worldwide. To help approach this riddle, Chris Cochran speaks to two industry veterans, Slavik Markovich co-founder & CEO of Descope, and Rob Fry, co-founder of AKA Identity.  Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a CTO, or just tech-curious, this episode offers invaluable insights. Using the identity market as a case study, we’ll explore the multifaceted considerations needed to make the best choice for your team and organization.   Impactful Moments: 0:00 - Build vs. Buy: The Classic Technologist Conundrum 0:37 - Show Intro 0:57 - Introducing Slavik Markovich and Rob Fry 3:25 - Previous build vs. buy project 6:44 - Decision logic for build vs. buy  15:09 - How does tech sway your decision making? 19:44 - How does data impact decision making? 24:31 - How do processes influence decision making? 29:13 - Maintaining custom tech solutions over time 33:28 - Tenants for building a tech company 41:06 - Build authentication and user journey flows with Descope   Links:  Learn more about Descope: https://www.descope.com/ Connect with our guest Slavik Markovich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slavikm/ Connect with our guest Rob Fry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fry-rob-g/ Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/ Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

19 Sep 202343min

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