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Mari Galloway, CEO of the Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu, is a woman whose magnetic presence ignites every room she enters. Her power radiates in an undeniable way through her hair, attire, and unwavering confidence, and the Do We Belong Here team wanted to know - did her light always shine this bright or did she work to cultivate it over time?

In this episode of Do We Belong Here, Tashya Denose and Pam Lindemoen speak with Mari about how she got “stuck” in the cyber world, eventually leading her to working in Vegas with the biggest casinos in the world. As they navigate through her experiences, the trio reflects on the adage that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas, especially in the realm of cybersecurity.

The discussion explores Mari’s evolution of self-confidence as she reflects on the challenges of being a trailblazing black woman in a predominantly male-dominated field. They also dive deep into Mari’s chapter of “Securing Our Future” by the Black Women in Cyber Collective and explore the pivotal role of finding your community in fostering resilience and self-empowerment.

Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu - womenscyberjutsu.org

Connect with Mari on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/themarigalloway/

Find us on social media - @DoWeBelongPod

Learn more about Cyber Florida - cyberflorida.org

Watch the podcast on YouTube: youtube.com/@cybersecurityfl

Summary

Roman Sanikov, is the president of Constellation Cyber and specializes in cyber threat intelligence. In this episode, Roman discusses the importance of collaboration and transparency in the cybersecurity industry, particularly in combating ransomware attacks. He also emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to cybersecurity, involving education and empowerment for both employees and consumers. In this episode, Roman Reinhart shares his experiences as an undercover agent in the cybercrime world. He discusses maintaining a persona, dealing with forum behavior, and memorable arrests. He also emphasizes the importance of redemption and second chances. Roman also talks about his involvement with Helpster USA, an organization dedicated to providing life-saving treatment to young people in developing economies. He shares his hobbies of mushrooming and highlights the satisfying moments at work. Finally, he reflects on the cultural differences he experienced after moving overseas.

Takeaways

• Pig butchering schemes are a significant cause of financial losses globally, and it is important to approach the topic with compassion and nuance.
• Many scammers involved in these schemes are forced into this life against their will, either through human trafficking or being lured into it with false promises.
• Collaboration and transparency are crucial in the cybersecurity industry to effectively combat ransomware attacks and mitigate their secondary and tertiary impacts.
• A holistic approach to cybersecurity, involving education and empowerment for employees and consumers, is necessary to create a more secure environment. Maintaining a persona in the cybercrime world requires careful observation and adaptation.
• Memorable arrests can lead to redemption and second chances for individuals involved in cybercrime.
• Helpster USA provides life-saving treatment to young people in developing economies.
• Mushrooming is a rewarding hobby that allows for outdoor exploration and collection.
• Satisfying moments at work include helping clients have eureka moments and making positive changes.
• Cultural differences, such as politeness, can take time to understand and adapt to.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Pig Butchering Schemes (opening conversation)

02:18 Online Scams and Exploitation

03:41 Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

04:41 Approaching Scams with Compassion

05:39 Guest Introduction: Roman Sanikov

07:01 Roman's Role at Constellation Cyber

08:22 Promoting Transparency in Ransomware Incidents

10:17 Mitigating Secondary and Tertiary Impacts of Ransomware Attacks

11:14 The Ripple Effect of Ransomware Attacks

13:10 The Importance of Collaboration in Cybersecurity

14:58 Roman's Career Path and Background

19:34 Educating and Empowering Employees and Consumers

21:28 Avoiding Victim-Blaming in Cybersecurity

24:16 The Need for Collaboration and Transparency in the Industry

25:10 Balancing Non-Traditional Pursuits with College

26:37 Undercover Work and Building Relationships

33:07 Maintaining a Persona

36:25 Dealing with Forum Behavior

38:18 Memorable Arrests

41:25 Redemption and Second Chances

45:13 Helpster USA

48:16 Eccentricities of NHL Players

50:56 Life's Unexpected Moments

56:19 The Joy of Mushrooming

58:43 Satisfying Moments at Work

01:01:04 Learning Politeness in America

SummaryThe conversation discusses the arrest of Ola Segun Simpson Adagorin, a Nigerian national facing US federal charges for a business email compromise scheme. The collaboration between the FBI and Ghana is highlighted, along with the role of the legal attache job in solving crimes with international impact. The scheme and indictment details are explored, emphasizing the sophistication of the attack. Dr. Diana Burley, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation at American University, shares insights on cybersecurity education and workforce readiness. The importance of understanding human behavior in cybersecurity is discussed, along with strategies for engaging in conversations and addressing the search for cyber unicorns. In this episode, the importance of password security and the various methods to enhance it are discussed. The conversation covers common password mistakes, the use of password managers, multi-factor authentication, biometric authentication, and the future of password security.

Takeaways

• Collaboration between law enforcement agencies is crucial in solving cybercrime cases with international implications.
• Understanding human behavior is essential in addressing cybersecurity challenges and shaping effective policies.
• Digital literacy and foundational cybersecurity skills should be integrated into education across disciplines.
• Creating a culture of cybersecurity requires a balance between rules and creativity, and a focus on psychological safety.
• Engaging in conversations with strangers can be facilitated by finding common interests and making personal connections. Create strong and unique passwords for each online account.
• Avoid common password mistakes such as using personal information or easily guessable patterns.
• Consider using a password manager to securely store and generate passwords.
• Enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible for an added layer of security.
• Biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, can provide convenient and secure access to devices and accounts.
• Passwordless authentication methods, such as biometrics or hardware tokens, may become more prevalent in the future.
• Stay informed about emerging technologies and best practices in password security.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Arrest of Ola Segun Simpson Adagorin

01:24 Collaboration between FBI and Ghana

03:15 Scheme and Indictment Details

04:44 Legal Attache Job and Collaboration

06:10 Deterrence and Sealed Indictments

07:36 Introduction of Dr. Diana Burley

08:31 Dr. Burley's Background and Role at American University

09:23 Interest in Cybersecurity and Technology

10:21 American University's Role in Educating Policymakers

12:15 Engaging with Leaders and Shaping Policy

13:36 Engaging with Students and Future Leaders

14:28 American University's Focus on Policy and Research

15:27 Misconceptions about the Cybersecurity Workforce

16:23 Digital Literacy and Foundational Cybersecurity Skills

18:45 Retaining Skilled Members in the Academic Environment

19:43 Benefits of Engaging as a University Faculty Member

20:37 Understanding Human Behavior in Cybersecurity

22:05 Insights from Research on Human Behavior

23:25 Understanding Employee Behavior in Cybersecurity

24:47 Creating a Culture of Cybersecurity

27:08 Strategies for Initiating Conversations with Strangers

31:50 The Cyber Unicorn Project

35:08 Addressing the Search for Cyber Unicorns

41:45 Lifestyle Polygraph

50:57 Understanding Irrational Behavior and Self-Awareness

53:37 Engaging in Conversations with Strangers

02:30 The Importance of Password Security

10:15 Common Password Mistakes

18:45 Password Managers

27:10 Multi-Factor Authentication

35:40 Biometric Authentication

44:20 Passwordless Authentication

52:30 Future of Password Security

58:21 Conclusion

Summary

The conversation discusses the extradition case of Julian Assange and the role of the US prison system in the decision. It also explores Tanya Janca's role at Semgrep and her passion for affordable cybersecurity education. Additionally, it touches on Tanya's experience in election security and the importance of transparency in the process. Tanya discusses her volunteer work with the Canadian government, where she helps educate students about cybersecurity. She talks about the importance of teaching young people about privacy, protecting digital devices, and understanding cyber threats. Tanya also mentions her involvement in the Cyber Titan competition and her efforts to promote cybersecurity as a career. She shares her experience writing the book 'Alice and Bob Learn Application Security' and her unique approach to making technical concepts accessible through stories and different learning styles. Tanya also talks about the importance of mentoring and how she has benefited from mentors throughout her career.

Keywords

Julian Assange, extradition, US prison system, cybersecurity education, Semgrep, election security, transparency, volunteer work, Canadian government, cybersecurity education, privacy, digital devices, cyber threats, Cyber Titan, promoting cybersecurity, career, Alice and Bob Learn Application Security, technical concepts, stories, learning styles, mentoring

Takeaways

• The extradition case of Julian Assange highlights the differences in prison systems between the US and other Western democracies.
• Tanya Janca's role at Semgrep involves community management and education in the field of cybersecurity.
• Affordable cybersecurity education is crucial for organizations to effectively use security tools and integrate them into their programs.
• Election security requires centralization, knowledge sharing, and transparency to ensure public trust in the process. Volunteer work with the Canadian government focuses on educating students about cybersecurity, including topics like privacy and protecting digital devices.
• Promoting cybersecurity as a career is important, and initiatives like the Cyber Titan competition help engage high school students in learning about cybersecurity.
• Tanya's book 'Alice and Bob Learn Application Security' uses stories and different learning styles to make technical concepts accessible.
• Mentoring is valuable for personal and professional growth, and Tanya has both benefited from mentors and become a mentor herself.

Titles

• The Importance of Transparency in Election Security
• Cybersecurity as a Career: The Cyber Titan Competition
• The Value of Mentoring: Tanya's Experience as a Mentor and Mentee

Sound Bites

• "I am head of community and education, which is a role they made up just for me."
• "They decided, I think in 2017, we need to make a task force to make sure they know cyber."
• "Defenders need to understand attacks or they can't be good at defending, right? Like we're teaching them ethics as we teach them how to hack."
• "Alice and Bob are going to learn secure coding this time."

Chapters

00:00 The Extradition Case of Julian Assange

08:18 Affordable Cybersecurity Education at Semgrep

30:40 Tanya's Volunteer Work with the Canadian Government

31:35 Promoting Cybersecurity as a Career

34:02 Making Technical Concepts Accessible: 'Alice and Bob Learn Application Security'

39:45 The Value of Mentoring