Hackers to Founders

From wrestling bears to conquering cybersecurity, Philip Wylie shares his thrilling journey of resilience, self-learning, and mentorship, offering insights into the evolving cybersecurity landscape, podcasting, and building a personal brand.

In this conversation, Philip Wylie shares his journey from wrestling bears and pro wrestling to becoming a prominent figure in cybersecurity, emphasizing self-learning, adaptability, mentorship, community building, and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity careers while reflecting on podcasting, public speaking, and content creation as essential tools for professional growth, networking, and giving back to the community.

Books:

1. The Pentester Blueprint - Co-authored by Phillip Wylie.
2. Hacking Exposed - A book series popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, associated with Foundstone.

People:

1. Phillip Wylie - Cybersecurity professional and pen tester.
2. Chris Magistrado (Chris REal0day) - Host of the podcast.
3. Alyssa Miller - Co-host of "Uncommon Journey" podcast with Phillip Wylie.
4. Chloé Messdaghi - Co-host of "Uncommon Journey" podcast with Phillip Wylie.
5. Don Weber - SANS instructor and ICS OT security professional.
6. Jack Rhysider - Host of the "Darknet Diaries" podcast, known for cybersecurity storytelling.
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WWE wrestler who used to train at the same gym as Phillip.
8. Rick Flair - Wrestling legend associated with WCW.
9. Sting - Wrestler who transitioned from UWF to WCW.
10. Iceman King Parsons - Wrestler who hazed newcomers.
11. Samson the Bear - The wrestling bear Phillip competed against.
12. Vince McMahon - Mentioned regarding the WWF/WWE steroid scandal.
13. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - Referenced in the context of Samoan wrestling heritage.
14. American Gladiators - Referenced as a show Phillip once auditioned for.

Podcasts:

1. Uncommon Journey - Phillip Wylie's first podcast, co-hosted with Alyssa Miller and Chloe Messdaghi.
2. Darknet Diaries - Mentioned as an inspiration for podcast storytelling (hosted by Jack Rhysider).
3. Paul’s Security Weekly - Mentioned for its multi-host format.

Events and Locations:

1. DefCon Group 940 - Created by Phillip Wylie for community building.
2. RSA Conference - Where Phillip met with Bugcrowd leaders.
3. B-Sides San Francisco - Another event linked to Phillip’s early opportunities.

Certifications:

1. CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) - Certification Phillip pursued.
2. CISSP - Certification Phillip earned to strengthen his security credentials.

Cultural References:

1. Tiger King - Mentioned in the context of unusual animal practices and Oklahoma.

Interested in the Darknet and untold stories of the internet??
On this episode of Hackers to Founders, Chris and Jack Rhysider explore the art of podcasting, focusing on Jack’s journey with Darknet Diaries and his evolution as a storyteller. They discuss community building, creating superfans, and the challenges of reaching out to guests, along with the complexities of expanding into new languages. Jack shares insights on integrating AI into creative processes, crafting immersive audio, and the importance of editing and collaboration. The conversation delves into hacking culture, ethical storytelling, and Jack’s transition to full-time podcasting through various revenue models. He reflects on personal growth, networking, community engagement, and aspirations for teaching and writing to inspire others.

Guest:
Jack Rhysider, Host of Darknet Diaries

Darknet Diaries:

• Clothing Shop
• Patreon

People

1. Chris REal0day Magistrado: Hacker and Host of https://HackersToFounders.com
2. Jack Rhysider: Jack Rhysider is the creator and host of Darknet Diaries.
3. Pat Flynn: An entrepreneur, author, and podcaster known for Smart Passive Income.
4. General Nakasone: General Paul M. Nakasone is the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), now on the board of OpenAI.
5. Roman Mars: A radio producer and host of the podcast 99% Invisible.
6. Blind Boy: A podcast host and Irish musician and author.
7. Tim Ferriss: An author, entrepreneur, and public speaker known for "The 4-Hour Workweek."

Podcasts and Media Programs

1. Darknet Diaries: A podcast exploring true stories from the dark side of the internet.
2. Smart Passive Income: A resource for online business and passive income strategies.
3. This American Life: A weekly public radio program and podcast.
4. Radiolab: A radio program and podcast weaving stories and science into sound-rich documentaries.
5. Rabbit Hole: A New York Times podcast exploring the internet's influence on society.

Books and Learning Resources

1. Make Noise: A company specializing in modular synthesizers and other music equipment.
2. Superfans: This term can refer to various platforms or communities.
3. The 4-Hour Workweek: A book by Tim Ferriss on lifestyle design and productivity.
4. Pixar in a Box: An online learning collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy.

Organizations and Events

1. NSA (National Security Agency): A U.S. government agency responsible for signals intelligence and information assurance.
2. NPR (National Public Radio): An American nonprofit media organization.
3. DEF CON: One of the world's largest hacker conventions held annually in Las Vegas.
4. CCC (Chaos Computer Club): Europe's largest association of hackers.
5. Toorcamp: I couldn't find a specific URL for Tor camp.
6. CCCamp: The best hacker gathering in the world, held 1 hour north of Berlin, this features hackers from all over the world, very grassroots.

Technology and Platforms

1. ChatGPT: An AI language model developed by OpenAI.
2. Minecraft: A sa...

In this episode, Chris Real0day interviews Alan Braithwaite, Co-Founder and CTO of RunReveal. They discuss Alan's journey from hacker to entrepreneur, his literary influences, the philosophical foundations of his work in cybersecurity, and the importance of curiosity and learning in the hacker mindset. Alan shares insights from his early experiences with gaming, his education, and his career at Cloudflare and Segment, highlighting the lessons learned along the way. The conversation culminates in a discussion about building RunReveal and understanding customer needs in the cybersecurity landscape. In this conversation, Alan discusses the importance of customer feedback in product development, emphasizing the value of engaging with paying customers. He shares insights on building a user-friendly product, the significance of data management and security, and the introduction of streaming detections. Alan also outlines his vision for a flexible security pipeline and strategies for customer acquisition. The discussion touches on the challenges of on-prem solutions, the journey of founding a startup, and the role of community in innovation. Alan highlights the balance between focusing on the big picture and being present in the moment, concluding with recommendations for books and resources that have influenced his journey.

Visit our website: https://HackersToFounders.com

Who created the CVE system? That's Adam! In this insightful episode of "Hackers to Founders," host Chris REal0day Magistrado welcomes Adam Shostack, a renowned cybersecurity expert and co-creator of the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system. Adam recounts his journey from a curious and geeky childhood, engaging in activities like D&D and building with Legos, to his influential career in cybersecurity. He delves into his early experiences at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where he first encountered the importance of security and privacy in medical systems. Adam shares his entrepreneurial ventures, including his pivotal roles in startups like Net Tech and Zero Knowledge Systems, highlighting the challenges and rewards of building security-focused businesses during the nascent stages of the cybersecurity industry. His passion for threat modeling is evident as he discusses his work at Microsoft, where he developed user-friendly threat modeling tools and authored influential books to make security practices more accessible.

Beyond his technical achievements, Adam emphasizes the significance of education, training, and mentorship in advancing cybersecurity. He explains his transition from product development to focusing on training and creating scalable educational programs, ensuring that essential security skills are widely disseminated. Adam also explores his collaboration with Cyber Green to establish cyber public health, aiming to apply public health methodologies to measure and mitigate cyber impacts effectively. Throughout the conversation, Adam underscores the importance of diversity in fostering innovative solutions and the need for adaptable strategies in an ever-evolving threat landscape. His dedication to making cybersecurity more inclusive and his visionary approach to integrating interdisciplinary techniques position him as a key thought leader committed to enhancing global security practices.

People

• Adam Shostack: Renowned cybersecurity expert, co-creator of the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system, author of several influential books on threat modeling and security design.
• Frank Abagnale: Subject of the book "Catch Me If You Can," which influenced Adam's childhood interest in security and deception techniques.
• Leonardo DiCaprio: Actor who portrayed Frank Abagnale in the movie adaptation of "Catch Me If You Can."
• Mike Howard: Worked alongside Adam on the Secure Development Lifecycle team.
• Steve Lipner: Collaborated with Adam on threat modeling initiatives.
• Rob Kinnaki: Worked with Adam on the cyber public health project, contributing to the development of new cybersecurity disciplines.
• Tara Wheeler: Partnered with Adam in establishing cyber public health methodologies.
• Heidi Trust: Recommended by Adam as a notable figure intersecting usability and security.
• Gene Spafford: Part of Adam's professional network, contributing to cybersecurity discourse.
• Steve Belvin: Known to Adam, part of his network of cybersecurity professionals.
• Bruce Schneier: Part of Adam's extensive network within the cybersecurity community.
• Marcus Ranham: Known to Adam, contributing to his professional relationships.
• Mudge: Met by Adam during his time at BBN, part of his influential network.
• Weld Pond: Met by Adam at BBN, contributing to his professional connections.
• Prerit Garg: Contributor to threat modeling methodologies.
• Lance Cottrell: Influenced Adam's work on anonymized networks at Zero Knowledge Systems.
• Paul Syverson: Co-inventor of onion routing. His work influenced the development of anonymized network systems like Tor and Zero Knowledge Systems.
• Steve Christie: Involved in the development of the CVE system.
• Dave Mann: Collaborated with Adam on creating the CVE system.
• Andre Fresh: Worked with Adam on developing the CVE system.
• Tony Sager: Helped secure funding for the CVE system through collaboration with MITRE.
• Stephen Savage: Involved in ransomware detection research, mentioned in relation to cyber public health.

Organizations

• CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures): A standardized system for identifying and categorizing cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Co-created by Adam Shostack to provide a common reference for vulnerabilities across different platforms and organizations.
• Net Tech
  • Startup focused on developing vulnera...

In this episode, Chris interviews Sid, a prominent figure in the cybersecurity field, discussing his journey from a small town in India to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the UK. Sid shares insights about his early education, the importance of peers in his career, and the transition from corporate life to founding his own company, NotSoSecure. He emphasizes the significance of training in scaling his business and reflects on the acquisition of his company, highlighting the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. In this segment of the conversation, Sid and Chris delve into the intricacies of service businesses in the VC landscape, the evolution of SecOps Group, and the innovative exam models they have developed in the cybersecurity education sector. They discuss the challenges and strategies of building a brand through exam offerings, the importance of understanding the consulting landscape, and how to navigate competition effectively. Sid emphasizes the significance of creating value through affordable and accessible exams, which has led to substantial growth in their business. In this conversation, Chris and Sid explore the intricacies of entrepreneurship, investment, and mentorship. Sid shares his experiences with certifications, the importance of understanding business dynamics, and the value of enjoying the entrepreneurial journey. They discuss the significance of identifying strengths and weaknesses in startups, the role of community in product development, and the future vision for growth in Sid's ventures. The conversation emphasizes the importance of networking, collaboration, and the mindset required for successful entrepreneurship.

Takeaways

• Sid's journey showcases the importance of curiosity and resilience.
• Early exposure to hacking sparked Sid's interest in cybersecurity.
• The role of peers is crucial in personal and professional growth.
• Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship requires courage and preparation.
• Training became a key revenue stream for Sid's business.
• Clear messaging is essential for standing out in a competitive market.
• Sid emphasizes the importance of creating trainers rather than just being a trainer.
• The acquisition of Not So Secure was a strategic decision for growth.
• Entrepreneurship is about building something and knowing when to let go.
• Success in business often requires recognizing one's strengths and weaknesses.
• VCs typically prefer product-based businesses over service-based ones.
• Service businesses can sell for 5x to 7x EBITDA depending on various factors.
• The principles of hacking can be applied to various aspects of life and business.
• SecOps Group aims to provide affordable and accessible cybersecurity exams.
• The exam business has seen rapid growth, with over 50,000 participants in a year.
• Building a brand through innovative exam offerings can lead to increased leads and business opportunities.
• A bottom-up approach in sales can complement traditional top-down strategies.
• The exam model is lean and allows for quick updates and changes.
• Creating value through good quality and reasonably priced exams is key to popularity.
• The exam portfolio has expanded significantly in a short time, indicating market demand.
• Certifications can be controversial; choose wisely.
• Investing is more about mentorship than just money.
• Understanding a business's needs is crucial for investment.
• Failures are part of the entrepreneurial journey.
• Enjoying the process leads to eventual success.
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses is key for startups.
• Community engagement is vital for product success.
• Market fit is essential before launching a product.
• Networking can lead to valuable collaborations.
• Continuous learning and adaptation are necessary for growth.

Guest:
Sumit Siddharth - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumsid/
SecOps Group - https://secops.group/

Visit our website: https://HackersToFounders.com