Cybersecurity isn’t just red or blue anymore... it’s purple, white, and deeply human. Maril Vernon, award-winning ethical hacker and Senior Solutions Architect at NetSPI, returns to the Hacker Valley Studio to discuss purple teaming as the most future-proof career path in cyber. She opens up about mentorship, burnout, compensation realities, and how we’re still failing the fundamentals.

Together, Ron and Maril dig into what purple teaming really is (and isn’t), why soft skills matter more than ever, and how defenders are the frontline signal source for law enforcement. From guiding her mom into IR to co-founding Mind Over Cyber, Maril embodies what it means to show up for the cyber community and demand more from the culture itself.

 

Impactful Moments

00:00 - Introduction
01:01 - Maril’s role at NetSPI
03:00 - Why purple skills are future-proof
05:19 - Salary truths in purple teaming
08:30 - Know your value, negotiate wisely
13:07 - How defenders enable law enforcement
16:22 - The real meaning of purple teaming
18:39 - Common misconceptions debunked
24:45 - People are always the soft spot
26:01 - The two security stack must-haves
29:00 - Mom made it to incident response
30:48 - Maril’s mentorship philosophy
34:09 - Why you need to post anyway
36:35 - What Mind Over Cyber is really about
40:00 - CISOs are burning out silently
41:31 - Closing thoughts




Links:

Connect with our guest, Maril Vernon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilvernon

 

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Purple Teaming Is the New Job Security with Maril Vernon

The new cybersecurity pioneers aren’t chasing alerts, they’re building with AI. But what happens when tools meant to assist begin making decisions for us? And what skills do we lose when machines fill the gaps we used to grow into?

In this episode, Chris Cochran, CEO and Founder of Commandant, returns to Hacker Valley Studio with an insider view on building in the AI boom. He shares why he’s betting on incident response over the “AI SOC,” what it means to use AI with integrity, and how this moment mirrors the early industrial revolutions: chaotic, risky, but ripe with once-in-a-career opportunity.

 

Impactful Moments:

00:00 – Introduction
02:11 – Launch of Commandant AI
03:06 – Early-stage LLM opportunities
05:26 – Built first AI co-pilot in 4 hours
06:00 – AI bot tops HackerOne leaderboard
07:44 – AI used for and against orgs
10:14 – Focus on incident response, not AI SOC
12:34 – Reducing cost of prolonged incidents
14:01 – Cybersecurity changing every 2 months
16:58 – AI causing rapid skill loss
21:59 – AI-assisted job interviews detected
24:49 – AI lacks business context for blocking
27:30 – Daily AI use pays long-term dividends





Links:

Connect with our guest, Chris Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishvm/

 

Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams

Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:

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The AI Gold Rush in Cybersecurity with Chris Cochran

What happens when AI refuses to be replaced? This episode kicks off with a chilling real-world example of an AI threatening blackmail—and only gets more intense from there.

Host Ron Eddings unpacks the terrifyingly innovative ways AI is altering the cybersecurity threat landscape. From deepfakes convincing enough to fool your own family to auto-summarizing email clients acting as unintentional insiders, the stakes have never been higher. Ron also shares insights from his brand-new book Attack Surface Management, co-authored with MJ Kaufman and published by O'Reilly, and breaks down why the simplest social engineering tactics remain the most dangerous—even in the age of advanced AI.

Impactful Moments:

00:00 - Introduction


02:30 - Model Context Protocol explained


05:00 - Google's VEO-3 and fake riot videos


07:00 - Fake Facebook ads pushing malware


09:30 - Social engineering still reigns supreme


13:30 - Using AI to write malicious emails


16:30 - Calendly phishing and credential theft


19:00 - Gemini and the risk of auto-summarization


21:30 - LLM access to your private documents


22:45 - Takeaways and protecting your environment

 

Links:

Connect with Ron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldeddings/

Grab a copy of Ron’s new book, “Attack Surface Management: Strategies and Techniques for Safeguarding Your Digital Assets”: https://a.co/d/1nmPod2

 

Check out the full article on “The Rise of ‘Vibe Hacking’ Is the Next AI Nightmare” here: https://www.wired.com/story/youre-not-ready-for-ai-hacker-agents/






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The AI That Tried to Escape with Ron Eddings

What if Zero Trust isn’t a framework, but the only viable cybersecurity strategy—more about people than products?

In this episode, George Finney, CISO at the University of Texas System and author of Project Zero Trust, reveals the human-first truth behind the Zero Trust movement, and why it’s not something you buy but something you build. George shares stories from hacking a college database to launching a deepfake of himself trained on his own books, all while breaking down how AI and creativity are reshaping security leadership.

 

 

Impactful Moments:

00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Cyber Hall of Fame recognition
07:00 - Hacked his college to solve mail
09:00 - Took startup job without paycheck
14:14 - Zero Trust is a strategy, not tool
17:00 - Tailoring security like a custom suit
23:29 - AI strategy through Zero Trust lens
29:30 - Built a Zero Trust voice clone hotline
36:00 - You don’t need to be a CISO
38:30 - Why weirdos make cybersecurity stronger





Links:

Connect with our guest, George Finney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgefinney/

Check out George’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01MT0C6X3

 

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

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Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

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Zero Trust Isn’t a Tool — It’s Everything with George Finney

You won’t be replaced by AI—you’ll be replaced by someone using it better.

Returning guest Marco Figueroa is back with a frontline report on the AI agent boom. This isn’t a prediction—it’s a tactical update from someone tracking every release, every benchmark battle, and every edge worth chasing.

In this episode, Ron is joined by Marco as he breaks down the rapid evolution of AI agents—from Claude Code to Codex to Google Flow. He explains why general-purpose models are leveling off, how specialized tools are reshaping the landscape, and why creativity is now your most valuable edge. Whether you're in code, ops, or content, your two-year advantage starts right here.

 

Impactful Moments

00:00 - Introduction
01:08 - AI agents are no longer hype
03:45 - Major LLM releases and what's next
05:32 - The Grok delay and pricing drama
07:30 - Why general models are losing steam
10:50 - Benchmark manipulation and model specialization
14:15 - The future belongs to creatives
22:05 - The next AI drops to watch



 

Links:

Connect with our guest, Marco Figueroa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-figueroa-re/

 

Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams

Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:

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Your Two-Year Edge Starts Now with Marco Figueroa

Most people think red teaming is digital—until someone bypasses your locks, plants a Raspberry Pi in your server room, and walks out with your data. That’s not sci-fi. That’s White Knight Labs.

In this episode, Ron talks with Greg Hatcher and John Stigerwalt, co-founders of White Knight Labs, a boutique offensive security firm built on real-world action. They share high-stakes red team operations—like triggering alarms and dodging police during a break-in—and explain why most companies are wide open to physical and insider threats. This isn’t a theory. It’s what’s happening right now, and it’s being executed with precision and purpose.

 

Impactful Moments

00:00 - Introduction


02:13 - Origin story of White Knight Labs


08:56 - Why physical red teaming is broken


12:20 - Breaking into a lottery facility


16:00 - Hiding from police mid-engagement


22:30 - Getting hired to breach from inside


25:45 - Hijacking code from offshore devs


33:29 - Real difference: red team vs pen test


35:00 - Get in touch with WKL


 

Links

Connect with our guests!
Greg Hatcher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryhatcher2/
John Stigerwalt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-stigerwalt-90a9b4110/

Learn more about White Knight Labs: https://www.whiteknightlabs.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

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Badge Cloning, Alarm Triggers & Getting Hired to Hack with Greg Hatcher & John Stigerwalt

What if fixing cybersecurity wasn’t about more tools, but about unlocking human potential? 

In this episode, Ron Eddings welcomes back David Shipley, CEO and Field CSO of Beauceron Security, for a conversation on the real force behind security resilience: people. Together they expose the failure of "reactive" cybersecurity strategies, drawing parallels with preventative healthcare — and explain why culture, psychological safety, and behavior change are the true secret weapons. 

Impactful Moments:

00:00 - Introduction


01:36 - The true meaning of "people in cyber"


03:13 - Cybersecurity’s flawed healthcare analogy


07:31 - Nutrition for cyber: proactive strategies


10:00 - MSPs: why selling tools isn’t enough


16:22 - Measuring culture, not just clicks


19:12 - Why people really click phishing emails


23:59 - Building psychological safety in security


30:30 - Celebrating human wins in security


34:00 - The future: empathy, transparency, trust








Links:

Connect with our guest, David Shipley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbshipley/

Learn more about Beauceron Security here: https://www.breachlock.com/https:///www.beauceronsecurity.com/partner [http://www.beauceronsecurity.com/partner]





Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams

Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:

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Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

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Building Cyber Resilience Through Culture with David Shipley

Still tracking certificates in a spreadsheet? You’re not alone—and there’s a better way.

In this special episode from RSA 2025, Ron sits down with Michael Klieman, Global Vice President of Product Management for Digital Security Solutions at Entrust, to discuss how leading organizations are rethinking cryptographic security. From simplifying certificate management to preparing for a post-quantum future, this conversation covers real-world risks, surprising breach stories, and practical steps for bringing order to crypto chaos—without the stress.

 

Impactful Moments:

00:00 – Introduction
04:00 – Three major problems with crypto today
06:45 – Certificates often missing from inventories
08:30 – Managing EV charging infrastructure with spreadsheets
11:00 – The two biggest certificate-related risks
12:50 – Expired certs can tank brand trust
14:45 – Automation usually comes after spreadsheets
16:30 – Why quantum risk grows every year
18:15 – Start with a cryptographic inventory
20:30 – Nation-state threats and critical infrastructure
22:15 – AI could fast-track quantum breakthroughs
24:45 – Entrust’s new unified crypto security platform
26:35 – One question every CISO must answer in 2025

 

Links:

Connect with our guest, Michael Klieman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mklieman/

Learn more about Entrust at: https://entrust.com/csp

 

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

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Ditch the Spreadsheets: Smarter Crypto Security with Michael Klieman


AI is reshaping the cybersecurity battlefield, and cyber adversaries are getting smarter.

In this episode, Ron Eddings welcomes Andrey Suzdaltsev, Co-Founder and CEO of Brightside AI, for a look into the evolution of social engineering, AI’s role in personalized phishing, and how Brightside is turning the tables with automation and human-centric protection. From offensive AI simulations to family-inclusive cyber safety, Andrey shares how his team secures both professional and personal perimeters before cybercriminals can strike.

 

Impactful Moments

00:00 Cyber criminals get a theatrical glow-up

01:47 AI models + personal data = mass fraud

03:42 Brightside’s 3-part solution explained

07:32 Why security must get personal

11:16 Ron’s reaction to Brightside’s realism

13:16 AI research tools now used by hackers

19:33 Why deepfake detection may fail

15:16 Automating attacks with AI agents

37:34 Protecting families = smarter security

41:56 Brightside’s vision for defending human risk

 

Links

Connect with our guest, Andrey Suzdaltsev: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndrey [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndrey/]

Learn more about Brightside: www.brside.com [https://www.brside.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/

Protecting People, Not Just Perimeters with Andrey Suzdaltsev

Passwords are the original digital clutter—messy, overstuffed, and way too easy to forget. Like a junk drawer full of old keys and cables, we keep tossing more into them, hoping they’ll somehow keep working. But what if it’s time to throw the whole thing out?

In this episode, Ron Eddings is joined by Collin Sweeney of ZKX Solutions and Dr. Chase Cunningham, a.k.a. “Dr. Zero Trust,” for a bold conversation on the future of authentication. From the failures of MFA to the promise of zero-knowledge proofs, the crew breaks down how we got stuck with broken access systems—and what it’ll take to finally fix them. Whether it’s SIM swapping, face IDs, or security keys on the battlefield, this is the real talk on identity security you don’t want to miss.

Impactful Moments:

00:00 – Introduction
03:45 – ZKX’s origin: voice verification breakthrough
06:45 – Collin’s “oh crap” SolarWinds realization
09:15 – Why MFA still fails in practice
13:15 – Zero-knowledge proofs explained with a coin
15:30 – How ZKPs reduce identity attack surfaces
17:45 – Making MFA faster, smarter, more human
20:00 – MFA fatigue and ice skating uphill
24:00 – Why people still cling to passwords
30:54 – Quantum fears vs real-world encryption limits





Links:

Connect with Collin Sweeney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-sweeney-6ab6a5176/

Check out ZKX Solutions new product, Helix:

zkxsolutions.com/helix [https://zkxsolutions.com/helix]

Connect with Chase Cunningham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-chase-cunningham/

Grab a copy of Chase Cunningham's book “vArIable: A Novel in the gAbrIel Series” here: www.amazon.com/vArIable-gAbrIel-Dr-Chase-Cunningham-ebook/dp/B0DVMWCWCD?ref_=ast_author_mp [https://www.amazon.com/vArIable-gAbrIel-Dr-Chase-Cunningham-ebook/dp/B0DVMWCWCD?ref_=ast_author_mpb]

 

 

Check out Hacker Valley’s upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams

Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:

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Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord

B

Digital Clutter and the Death of Passwords with Collin Sweeney & Chase Cunningham

We are Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran from the Hacker Valley Studio podcast. We explore the human condition to inspire peak performance in cybersecurity. Join us on our quest to find inspirational stories and knowledge to elevate ourselves and our communities.

Chris Cochran

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