Pwned: The Information Security Podcast

Jack is back at it this time at the National Association of Counties (NACo) conference in Aurora, Colorado. Justin attempts to remotely highjack the microphone to discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Cybersecurity with the audience. Justin checks in before and after the presentation to discuss talking points, maturity of an organization, and how the presentation went. If you have any questions...

In this special Pwned episode, Justin and Jack discuss Almanna Cyber – their new cybersecurity accelerator fund. Almanna, derived from the Old Norse word for “everyone”, is just that: a cyber accelerator for everyone. The J’s are inviting new cyber startups and individuals with a great ideas to apply for membership in their first cohorts. Sharing over 50 years of experience in the industry, and ha...

US birth rates are the lowest in 40 years, and we may be seeing a spread of that trend into our RightSwipes matchups. With no meaningful Swipes in sight, Jack and Justin are taking a look at the SwipeScene and drawing some conclusions (and predictions) about the Swipeless period we find ourselves in. Is it a return to the bright lights of fundamental analysis showing some of the real faces behind...

In this GOGO (Give One, Get One) episode of Pwned, Justin and Jack discuss two recent breaches. The first, a breach of 23 million compromised accounts from CafePress that was disguised to users as a password policy update; and the other a recipe for a hot tub breach with a side of “hot, stinky soup”. To access the articles we reference in this episode, check out these links below: Judgment against...

An overachieving heart surgeon in Venezuela has turned his hand to ransomware, and it looks like his heart was really in it. Sadly for him, but great for those us losing “patients” with this cottage economy, he was busted by the FBI, and it’s Code Blue for his highly-rated, 5-star reviewed, $10K+/month, custom ransomware platform and SDK. Justin and Jack break it down and talk through the details...

As their portfolio companies (and everyone else) are facing a sea change in market and financing conditions, Sequoia Capital has shared their recommendations for surviving the storm. In this episode of Pwned, Justin and Jack provide a Pwned-style interpretation and application of the insights while taking a regretful victory lap over their earlier predictions that this market reset was also coming...

Applications are the root of so many things we use on a day-to-day basis. In this episode, Justin and Jack discuss a way more pragmatic approach to application security than securing all data at once. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! We’ll catch you next time. Check out NuHarbor Sec...

Justin and Jack are joined by NuHarbor ace recruiter, Olive Robb, for an open discussion of cybersecurity recruiting, the job market, and an employer’s view of resumes that show lots of movement. It’s a candid conversation, as usual, with some recommendations about making the most out of your own positions and time in the cybersecurity market. Olive is happy to connect directly over email or Linke...

In the second half of our CISO recruiting series, Justin and Jack are talking about the pressure, about incident handling, and about the importance of intellectual curiosity in this hire. There are tips for candidates, hiring teams, and even executive management in general, on what to expect, and how to look for it. To view our CISO job description write up, click this link.   If you have any ques...

The first of a two-part series, this episode highlights what qualities make a good Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), along with how to find the perfect candidate and what the right questions are to ensure they meet those capabilities. Make sure you tune in for part 2! If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please...

In this Breach of the Week episode, Justin and Jack share the story of how 600 million USDC was stolen from Axie Infinity, as well as some other crypto catastrophes with the purpose of deciding whether cryptocurrency has the stability and safety to move from its current second-class status to a legitimate, recognized, form of practical currency. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an...

Following the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC), Justin and Jack talk with their director, Dwayne Williams, about the competition, his own history, and some insights on the next generation of security leaders. We even get his well-honed view of the likely future of the cybersecurity space and threats within it. A special thank you Dwayne for taking the time to bring his voice t...

Justin and Jack are digging into the pressures and practical realities of cybersecurity investing, both from investor and company perspectives. From a need to spend to the evanescence of some valuations, the two J’s are taking party hats off of ponies and providing some advice for companies that are currently feeling the pinch of an emerging and more realistic investor appetite. To read the articl...

In this episode of RightSwipes, Justin and Jack take a look at Security Week’s article of 40 cybersecurity company acquisitions that took place just in the month of March of 2022. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! We’ll catch you next time. Check out NuHarbor Security for complete cy...

Following up on our January prognostications, Justin and Jack highlight the emergence of the foreshadowed “mXDR” vendors and the causes of the ongoing devolution of security language. All isn’t lost, though, as the team recognizes the potential for a beneficial new set of demands from Board-level security voices. To listen to the XDR episode, Pwned GigaByte –  The Pit of Despair, click here ! If y...

In a Washington Week series where the team has reviewed both private and public sector cybersecurity memoranda from the President, they’re now looking at an announcement that really matters; cybersecurity guidelines from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Will this be the catalyst of change? Will these requirements make cybersecurity better? Probably not. If you want to read more about the su...

In the second Pwned Washington Week episode, Justin and Jack are interpreting the President’s National Security Memorandum #8 and they’re finding more trees than forest. Add to that a call for a different style of advisor to the President, a metaphorical insertion of Harvey Dent, and it’s a full basket of Pwned insights. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharbors...

In the first episode of Pwned’s Washington Week series, Justin and Jack lay out the details of the Biden Administration’s announcement on protecting national security. Is it too little, too late, too optimistic, or just more political noise? If you’re interested in reading the articles we mentioned in this episode, check the links below! Statement by President Biden on our Nation’s Security FACT S...

Justin and Jack surf on the recent Forrester Wave for Global Cybersecurity and end up hanging ten on some of the criteria, but wiping out on its usefulness. Some links we referenced in this episode can be found here: Bullsh*t Generator Alinea Restaurant Forrester Lead Analyst, Jeff Pollard PWC Link to Forrester Report McDonald’s in Paris Top 10 Accounting Firms in the US If you have any questions...

With no security hookups in sight, Pwned is digging into the investment fever in the cybersecurity meat market, from the reasons behind the massive valuation to the impact of these investments on security vendors and customers. It may not be RightSwipes, but it is definitely part of that process. In this episode, we referenced CrunchBase’s article “Cybersecurity Funding Remains High Even as Ventur...

In this mailbag episode, Justin and Jack are looking at security vendor Zscaler, answering an inbound from Alvin, a listener in Canada. His question and the topic is whether or not Zscaler is a good choice and a good investment, and the answer is clear. If you’re interested in reading the article mentioned in this episode, you can find that here , and the previous episode of Pwned referenced can b...

And we’re live!! On March 18th, Justin and Jack took to the stage at the Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NECCDC), hosted at Champlain College, where they presented an episode of PWNED in front of a live audience. The future of cybersecurity; one where we reduce the complexity and confusion of cybersecurity, starts with this new generation of security minds who will be entering the...

Justin and Jack turn up the heat by throwing a painfully over-used and under-accurate term, “Trusted Advisor”, into the depths of the Pit of Despair. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! We’ll catch you next time. Check out NuHarbor Security for complete cyber security protection for yo...

In this week’s RightSwipes, Justin and Jack talk about SentinelOne’s acquisition. Have they been subject to Attivo’s deceptive ways? Some pieces of media we mentioned in this episode are: SentinelOne’s Q4 Earnings Call Transcript Mandiant’s Announcement of Partnership with SentinelOne 2019 PWNED Episode – The Best Security Technology You Probably Aren’t Using If you have any questions or suggestio...

Finally face-to-face, Justin and Jack discuss 3 ways to power through cybersecurity product technology, uncertainty, and doubt, to get to know a company before joining as an employee, purchasing as a consumer, or investing as an investor. Huge thanks to Robby Dow ( LinkedIn | Instagram | Article ), our own Katy Feifs’ brother, for his stellar recommendation of Old Forrester 1920 Prohibition Style...