Hacker Valley Studio

Hacker Valley Media

Welcome back to the show! Hacker Valley Studio podcast features Host Ron Eddings, as he explores the world of cybersecurity through the eyes of professionals in the industry. We cover everything from inspirational real-life stories in tech, to highlighting influential cybersecurity companies, and we do so in a fun and enthusiastic way. We’re making cybersecurity accessible, creating a whole new form of entertainment: cybertainment.

  1. 10h ago

    What AI Agents Should Own in Your SOC, And What Happens If You Wait with Tim Leehealey

    What happens when the adversary moves at machine speed, and your SOC is still responding at human speed? Why does nearly every security team say AI should handle L1 work, while 64% of organizations still have zero agents in production? And how long until the "coworker" resolving your ticket in Slack turns out not to be human at all? Tim Leehealey, VP of Strategy and Operations at Strike 48, joins us this week to talk about what it actually takes to get AI agents out of the demo and into production. Tim agenticized his own company's IT, watched it blow up, and came out the other side with lessons from Fortune 100 SOCs running agents at serious scale.  He shares where AI actually belongs in the alert pipeline, the objections holding teams back, and a blunt warning for any leader still waiting on the sidelines in 2027. If AI in the SOC is on your roadmap before the end of this year, start here.   Impactful Moments 00:00 - Introduction 01:55 - Busting a myth: AI will replace analysts 04:45 - Introducing Tim Leehealey  05:30 - The Strike48 survey: 84% say hand L1 to AI 08:00 - Fear the low-and-slow attacker, not the loud one 13:00 - Getting breached without agents in 2027 15:00 - When Tim's own rollout blew up 19:00 - Micro agents inside deterministic workflows 21:25 - Skills advice for L1 analysts 26:00 - The next 18 months of agentic adoption 28:00 - Jim Bob in your Slack is an agent 21:30 - Ron's take: transparency is the trust unlock Links Connect with Tim Leehealey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-leehealey-b8b04321  Learn more about Strike48: https://strike48.com Check out the 2026 State of Agentic Security report here: https://hubs.ly/Q04p49S20 Go deeper on Strike 48's technology: https://labs.strike48.com –  Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams  Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com  Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

  2. Jul 14

    We Shipped a Tool That Acts Like You. Meet Interceptor.

    Think about everything you could accomplish if you don’t have to be the one driving your browser. In this solo episode, Ron Eddings introduces Interceptor, Hacker Valley Media's first piece of software.  Interceptor is an open-source Chrome extension that lets an AI agent drive your real browser, logged-in sessions and all, with no vendor lock-in. Ron shares how it works and describes the use cases that matter most to security practitioners: OSINT and recon, bug bounty operations, prompt-injection testing, and threat-intelligence automation. Ron also puts himself in the hot seat, answering the hardest questions he's gotten about the tool, including why anyone should trust an open-source tool from a podcast company over a polished product from a billion-dollar AI lab. The delegation is coming, and we would rather the security community be the ones who understand it. Impactful Moments:  00:00 - Introduction 02:35 - The Rewind: Same Origin Policy and the Web's Foundation 04:40 - Rapid-fire facts: AI agents got hands, and attacks followed 07:00 - What is Interceptor and why was it built?  10:20 - How Interceptor works: stealth, network visibility, teach and replay 13:10 - Live use-case: dynamic dashboard without writing code 17:05 - Cybersecurity use-cases: OSINT, bug bounty, prompt injection testing 21:50 - Ron answers the hard questions about Interceptor 24:10 - Why trust an open source tool from a podcast company?  25:20 - What a practitioner can do tomorrow  27:30 - Closing reflection: knocking down the vendor lock-in wall   Links  Download Interceptor on GitHub: https://github.com/hackervalleymedia/interceptor Connect with Ron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldeddings/  –  Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

  3. Jul 7

    How to Turn Cybersecurity Customers into Lifelong Advocates with Antu Buck

    What if the same psychology that threat actors use to manipulate their targets is the same psychology that marketers use to earn your trust?  In this episode, Ron sits down with Antu Buck, Senior Director of Customer Marketing & Community at Gigamon, who spent two decades building trust between vendors and the practitioners who use their tools.  Antu walks us through the three pillars she's built her career around, and makes the case that advocacy shouldn't be an afterthought, but the very first marketing move a company invests in. The conversation lands on something the community doesn't talk about enough: customer marketing is hard to put a number on, so it consistently loses the budget fight to demand gen.  Impactful Moments 00:00 - Introduction 02:15 - Myth Buster: "I don't fall for marketing tactics" 04:15 - Meet Antu Buck, Senior Director of Customer Marketing & Community at Gigamon 06:45 - From cold-calling BDR to customer marketing leader 09:40 - Antu’s three pillars: advocacy, community, lifecycle management 13:05 - Why customer advocacy is the most underrated pillar 14:40 - The problem with chasing the CISO 16:40 - From transactional selling to relationship building 17:20 - The cold call that became a lifelong champion 20:20 - Are threat actors borrowing tactics from sales and marketing? 23:00 - Why AI tools are off-limits with customer data 27:50 - Why customer marketing loses the budget fight Links Antu Buck on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antu-buck/ –  Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

  4. Jun 23

    What's Really Stopping AI From Running Your SOC with Aqsa Taylor

    In 2025, out of all 70+ guests we had on our show, not one of them said they’d trust AI to run their SOC. Now in 2026, that mindset is shifting. In this episode, Ron sits down with Aqsa Taylor, Chief Security Evangelist at Exaforce, to find out what changed, and what's still standing in the way of security teams being able to trust AI agents with response.  The conversation covers what's really behind the agentic SOC hype, why "vibe hunting" might be the most fun phrase in cybersecurity right now, and how teams can build enough confidence to hand over the keys to detection, investigation, and response.  Aqsa also gets into the one thing she believes has to come before any of it works: the data. Without the right context feeding your AI you’re just getting confident guesses dressed up as answers. Listen to find out if your team is ready to take the leap into an agentic SOC.  Impactful Moments 00:00 - Introduction  02:05 - Hack the headlines, June top trends in cybersecurity  05:30 - Welcoming Aqsa Taylor from Exaforce 06:15 - Inside Exaforce's $125M raise  08:50 - Redefining what AI SOC should mean  09:30 - The evolution from manual playbooks to AI-driven autonomy  13:40 - Where Exaforce fits in an existing stack  18:10 - What vibe hunting looks like in practice  19:40 - The challenges of securing sensitive data in a world dominated by SaaS platforms 22:00 - How to build your trust ladder for AI in the SOC  24:40 - Best use case to get started with AI SOC  28:50 - Ron's takeaway: the data has to be there first Links Connect with Aqsa Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aqsa-taylor  Learn more about Exaforce: https://www.exaforce.com Join Exaforce’s Force Multiplier Substack community: https://theforcemultiplier.substack.com  –  Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams  Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com  Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

  5. Jun 16

    Feed Your Brain: What Cybersecurity Veterans Are Getting Wrong with Johnny Xmas

    Is AI really coming for your red teaming job? What does it actually take to build a team that thinks like the adversary, and what happens when that team stops caring? And what do you do when you've been in this field long enough that the job that once fired you up has started to feel hollow? In this episode, Ron catches up with Johnny Xmas, Head of Offensive Security at a Fortune 150 Global Food Manufacturer, and one of the most candid voices in offensive security, for a conversation that covers a lot of ground fast.  They go deep on where AI actually fits into offensive security workflows, what Johnny really looks for when building elite teams, and why the career advice everyone gives early practitioners might be setting them up for burnout down the road. The conversation takes a turn that doesn't come up enough in this industry, and it's the part you won't want to miss. If you've ever felt your tank running low, this episode was made for you. Impactful Moments 00:00 - Introduction 02:10 - Busting the myth: AI is not replacing red teamers 04:30 - Guest introduction: Johnny Xmas 06:15 - How the offensive security job has changed with AI  09:35 - The SEC 8-K IoC parser tool Johnny just published 11:40 - Building elite teams: what skills Johnny actually hires for 12:45 - Soft skills over technical gaps, and why the fire has to come with you 15:40 - Why "where do you see yourself in five years?" is a garbage question 17:30 - Has Johnny ever crossed the line when it comes to hacking?  20:20 - What to do when you've stopped caring about the job 26:25 - Outro: The AI myth, revisited Links Johnny Christmas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyxmas/ Johnny's SEC 8-K IoC parser tool: https://github.com/johnnyxmas/its-over-8k  — Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams  Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com  Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

  6. Jun 9

    Fighting Smarter: What Combat Sports Teaches Us About Cyber Defense with Robin Black

    What does a calf kick have to do with vulnerability management? What can a fighter's mindset teach a security practitioner about operating against an adversary they've never faced?  Ron Eddings brings back fan-favorite combat sports analyst and commentator Robin Black for a conversation that was never meant to be about cybersecurity, and ends up being one of the most insightful episodes on the human side of the field. They dig into how underdogs actually win (hint: we're usually wrong about who the underdog is), what it really means to maintain control in a fight, and why the highest level of mastery might actually look like letting go of control entirely.  The conversation closes with a look at how the cybersecurity landscape is mutating alongside AI, and whether an arms race that trains itself is heading somewhere catastrophic, or whether it's simply the next evolution of the fight. The answer, like most things in this episode, is more nuanced than you'd expect.   Impactful Moments 00:00 - Introduction 02:10 - The Rewind: The Calf Kick and the Peroneal Nerve 04:05 - Welcome back, Robin Black 05:30 - Can smaller still beat bigger? 07:00 - Why underdogs don't win (And why we were wrong) 08:25 - Fighting is about exploiting belief systems 09:30 - Maintaining control against an unknown adversary 10:25 - Adapting vs. anticipating: be water 13:00 - Failure is mandatory 17:25 - How Robin’s thoughts have changed about being attacked online 19:00 - AI and the mutating threat landscape 22:15 - Ron's closing thoughts   Links Connect with Robin Black on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-black-31b6bb39/   Check out Robin Black on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/RobinBlack   –  Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams   Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com   Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

  7. Jun 2

    Is Vibe Coding Breaking the Internet? with Tanya Janca

    What happens when AI writes all the code and nobody reads it? What if the security prompt you trusted still produced software designed to leak your secrets? And who exactly is on the hook when an AI-generated application takes down your company? In this episode, Ron sits down with returning guest Tanya Janca, Secure Coding Trainer at SheHacksPurple Consulting, to dig into one of the most underestimated risks in software development today: vibe coding.  Tanya breaks down what vibe coding actually means, why AI trained on the internet's worst repositories is quietly baking the OWASP Top 10 into every app being built, and what her AI-powered secure coding prompt library can do to help. This is a candid, practical, and community-driven episode, the kind that'll make you want to audit your vibe code-a-thon project before it ever touches production. Impactful Moments 00:00 - Introduction 01:40 - The Rewind: Margaret Hamilton and Apollo 11 05:00 - Knight Capital and the $460M software failure 07:00 - Guest introduction: Tanya Janca  08:15 - What vibe coding actually means in 2026 10:00 - Real story: Claude leaked secrets in a live training 11:30 - Securemyvibe.ca and Tanya’s secure coding prompt library 15:00 - OWASP Top 10 vs OWASP Top 10 for LLMs  22:45 - Tanya's petition for the world's first secure coding law 24:55 - Device flow authentication and reducing security friction 28:00 - What the internet would look like in five years without change   Links Connect with our guest, Tanya Janca, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-janca Get Tanya's free secure coding guideline: https://securecodingguideline.com Subscribe to Tanya’s AI Secure Coding Prompt Library: https://securemyvibe.ca Access Tanya's Newsletter & Free Monthly Training: https://newsletter.shehackspurple.ca Connect with Tanya across all social channels: @shehackspurple – Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams  Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com  Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

  8. May 26

    Why Smart People Fall for Deepfakes with Perry Carpenter

    What if the most sophisticated attack has nothing to do with your firewall? In a world where AI can clone voices, re-lip-sync politicians, and spread a fake newscast to 200,000 people in days, the real target has always been your brain. Ron sits down with Perry Carpenter, Chief Deception Strategist at KnowBe4, to unpack why we're still getting fooled in 2026  and what we can actually do about it. Perry gets into the neuroscience behind why our brains are wired the way they are, how attackers exploit that, and what it really takes to build better instincts in a world full of AI-generated content. You'll also want to stick around for the live demos, where Perry breaks down why they worked and how to spot the tells.  Impactful Moments 00:00 - Introduction 02:15 - The myth: smart people don't get fooled 05:20 - Flashback segment: the Ireland deepfake and why it went viral 06:15 - Guest introduction: Perry Carpenter  09:50 - Exploiting cultural bias and tribal instincts 13:45 - Live deepfake demo: face and body replacement in real time 15:30 - Synthetic media vs. deepfake: what's the difference? 20:40 - Breaking down a deepfake: what made it convincing 23:00 - Overproof: why bad deepfakes try too hard 27:15 - System 1 vs. System 2 thinking in cybersecurity 29:45 - The FAIK framework: freeze, analyze, investigate, know 32:40 - Ron's closing reflection Links Connect with our guest, Perry Carpenter, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams  Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com  Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/

See All (432)

4.7
out of 5
61 Ratings

About

Welcome back to the show! Hacker Valley Studio podcast features Host Ron Eddings, as he explores the world of cybersecurity through the eyes of professionals in the industry. We cover everything from inspirational real-life stories in tech, to highlighting influential cybersecurity companies, and we do so in a fun and enthusiastic way. We’re making cybersecurity accessible, creating a whole new form of entertainment: cybertainment.

Information

  • Creator
    Hacker Valley Media
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    432
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Hacker Valley Studio

You Might Also Like