The Wake UP X Podcast - With Efren L. Salazar | Securing Tomorrow, Empowering Today

Efren Salazar
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Careers
  • Monthly

Wake Up X: Securing Tomorrow, Empowering Today with Efren L. Salazar" is your go-to podcast for bridging the gap between cybersecurity, business, and personal empowerment. Hosted by Efren L. Salazar, each episode dives deep into the latest trends in cybersecurity, offers motivational insights, and provides actionable business strategies. Our guests range from upper management to newcomers in the industry, sharing their unique stories of success, struggles, and the lessons learned along the way.

  1. 3d ago

    From Shy Kid With No Network to Building One for Everyone Else | Efren Salazar's Story + 8 Future Cybersecurity Professionals | WakeUpX x ISACA Sacramento

    He used to be the quietest person in the room. No siblings. No close friends. No mentor who could bridge the gap between where he was and where he needed to be. Efren Salazar built his career in IT the hard way — through a computer and cell phone repair business, volunteering for positions before anyone offered them, and networking his way into conversations with executives one interaction at a time. It worked. He landed positions in IT through experience, persistence, and showing up before he felt ready. But he kept thinking — what if someone had handed him those conversations when he was younger? What if there was a platform that connected entry level people directly with the CISOs, CTOs, and hiring managers who are shaping the industry? That thought became WakeUpX. And the X stands for 10X — inspired by Grant Cardone's 10X Rule, a book that hit Efren so hard he got it tattooed on his arm as a daily commitment to never settle for the original goal. At the ISACA Sacramento Appreciation Day, Efren opened up the WakeUpX mic to eight people at different stages of their journey. What came back was some of the most honest, real, and inspiring content the show has ever captured. Irene Shaju left astrophysics for MIS and landed in cybersecurity because of one sharp observation about AI — it's either controlled by the people who understand it, or everyone else. She chose to understand it. Harmanjot Singh came to the US during COVID, earned the Cyber Corps Scholarship for Service, holds a Security+ and ISC2, and had a US Department of Justice interview for a digital investigation analyst role the same week this was recorded. Jared Holloway grew up as a former foster youth, interned at Golden 1 headquarters, and is finishing his MIS degree while building a career that bridges cybersecurity and project management through sheer resilience. Zankar Vaishnav transferred from Sierra College, joined ISACA his very first semester at Sac State, and is working toward his CompTIA Security+ after being pulled into the defensive side of security by managers who let him shadow their work. Kevin Bali is the student chapter president of ISACA at Sacramento State and president of the MIS Association. He is studying MIS, business analytics, AI management, and minoring in criminal justice — all in pursuit of digital forensics and bringing justice to families through technology. He said something in this conversation that stopped everything. "The job can be really great. The duties can be really great. But if it's not the people you work with that you enjoy — then it's for nothing." Solomon Lee moved from Chicago to Sacramento six years ago. He chased the CS dream, got rejected by big tech over and over, pivoted to cybersecurity, and never stopped grinding. He is building a SIEM lab on Azure, preparing for his CCNA, working a completely unrelated job, and studying and labbing every single day. Jesse Telles came from software engineering and found his direction in cybersecurity through his love of system architecture and design. His focus is supply chain security — the vulnerabilities that AI bakes into systems at scale and the knock-on effects that ripple across everything connected. Companies like Stryker are finding out in real time how costly those gaps can be. Eight stories. Eight paths. One community that made all of it possible. This episode is for anyone who ever felt too late, too far behind, or too different to belong in this industry. These people are proof that there is no single path. There is just the decision to start — and the drive to keep going. ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1axM1mSsAWo🌐 Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com 🎥 Videographer: Alvin Jue🙏 Special thanks: ISACA Sacramento Follow the guests on LinkedIn:Kevin Bali • Solomon Lee • Irene Shaju • Zankar Vaishnav • Jarred Holloway • Harmanjot Singh • Ethan Ng • Jesse Telles

  2. Oct 31

    Rejected by Big Tech & Finding Supply Chain Security | Solomon Lee + Jesse Telles on Resilience, AI Risk & the Future of Cyber | Wake Up X

    Big tech said no. Over and over and over again. Solomon Lee kept going anyway. He's building his experience from a smaller starting point — grinding every day, studying every day, and getting ready for the next level. Because that's what the drive looks like when the doors keep closing. Then Jesse Telles walked in. Jesse's background is software engineering — but what he loved most about it was never the code itself. It was the architecture. The design. The way large systems interact with each other. That curiosity pulled him naturally into cybersecurity, where understanding who has access to what and how systems stay secure becomes the entire job. And when it comes to where cybersecurity is heading, Jesse has a clear focus: supply chain security. When AI is used to automate the creation of supply chains, vulnerabilities get baked in at scale. Those vulnerabilities don't stay contained — they ripple outward with knock-on effects across every connected system. Recent attacks on companies like Stryker are proof this is no longer a theoretical risk. It is happening right now. Two different stories. One shared truth — you have to keep going even when the doors keep closing. We cover:🚫 Solomon's big tech rejection journey and the mindset that kept him moving💡 Jesse's path from software engineering to cybersecurity🏗️ Why system architecture and least privilege matter in cyber🔗 Supply chain security and why it's the most underrated threat right now🤖 What happens when AI automates supply chain creation at scale⚠️ Real world supply chain attacks including Stryker ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1axM1mSsAWo🌐 Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com Topics: supply chain security, AI cybersecurity risk, software engineering to cybersecurity, big tech rejection, resilience, ISACA Sacramento, Jesse Telles, Solomon Lee, WakeUpX podcast, system architecture, least privilege

  3. Oct 24

    From Business Honors to Digital Forensics — Kevin Bali on Cyber Corps, Community Safety & Finding Your Niche in Cybersecurity | Wake Up X Podcast

    Kevin Bali didn't just pick a major. He built a mission. The student chapter president of ISACA at Sacramento State and president of the MIS Association, Kevin is studying business administration with concentrations in MIS, business analytics, and AI management — while minoring in criminal justice. Not because it was easy. Because he made a deliberate decision to combine technology and law to fight crime and make communities safer. In this episode of WakeUpX recorded at the ISACA Sacramento Appreciation Day, Kevin walks through every step of his journey — from discovering MIS through his brother and cousin, to leading the Business Honors Society, to the Cyber Corps Scholarship for Service email that changed everything. And how through all of it he found the niche that felt like a calling: digital forensics. His goal when he graduates is to find a digital forensics position where he can bring justice to families and help protect communities. That's not a career plan — that's a purpose. We cover:🎯 Why Kevin combined cybersecurity, business, AI and criminal justice🏆 His leadership path from Business Honors Society to leading two student organizations💡 How MIS became the perfect bridge between business and technology📬 The Cyber Corps Scholarship for Service and why it felt too good to be true🔍 Finding his niche in digital forensics🌍 His mission to fight crime and protect communities through technology ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1axM1mSsAWo🌐 Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com Topics: digital forensics, cybersecurity career, ISACA Sacramento, Cyber Corps scholarship, MIS, student leader, criminal justice technology, AI management, community safety, WakeUpX podcast, Sac State

  4. Oct 17

    From Astrophysics to Cybersecurity - Irene Shaji on AI, the 10X Mindset & Choosing to Be the One Who Controls It | Wake Up X

    What happens when you 10X your goal until it feels almost unrealistic? You end up sitting across from people like Irene Shaji. WakeUpX host Efren Salazar was at ISACA Sacramento sharing the philosophy behind the podcast — Grant Cardone's 10X Rule — and why he took it so seriously he got it tattooed on his arm. The X in WakeUpX stands for 10X. Every goal, every episode, every conversation — multiplied. Then Irene sat down. An international student at Sacramento State, Irene started in astrophysics before pivoting to MIS and business analytics. She found her way into cybersecurity through a sharp, clear observation about where AI is heading — that the future belongs to the people who understand and control it, not the ones who simply survive it. Cybersecurity gave her a field that is secure, creative, and never stops evolving. She's following it to see where it leads — and with that kind of clarity and openness, it's going to lead somewhere great. We cover:🔥 The 10X Rule and what it actually means in practice💪 Why Efren built WakeUpX around this philosophy and got it tattooed🎓 Irene's path from astrophysics to cybersecurity at Sac State🤖 Why AI makes cybersecurity one of the most important fields right now✅ The mindset of choosing to control technology rather than be controlled by it ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1axM1mSsAWo🌐 Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com 📖 Book mentioned: The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone Topics: 10X Rule, Grant Cardone, cybersecurity mindset, AI security, student stories, ISACA Sacramento, WakeUpX podcast, career growth, personal development, Sac State, international students, astrophysics, MIS

  5. Oct 10

    From 15-Year-Old IRC Hacker to AI Security Pioneer | Aaron Portnoy on 25 Years of Offensive Security

    Aaron Portnoy started hacking at 15. There was no career path, no industry to join, and no rulebook to follow. Cybersecurity wasn't even a well-defined discipline yet — it had a black arts reputation and was associated more with shadowy figures than legitimate careers. Twenty-five years later, Aaron has worked across government and private sector, hacked everything from software to hardware to AI systems, co-founded Exodus Intelligence, built Randori's R&D program (acquired by IBM), and now leads research and innovation at Mindgard. In this episode of WakeUpX, Aaron reflects on where cybersecurity came from, how it grew up around him, and why AI is simply the next thing to add to a very long tool belt. We cover: How he got started on IRC at the turn of the millennium What cybersecurity looked like before it was a recognized field The shift from "black art" to critical global infrastructure Why the world's dependence on cybersecurity today was unimaginable 25 years ago How staying obsessively curious for two decades leads to a career like his Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com Aaron's site: aaronportnoy.com Mindgard: mindgard.ai Topics: cybersecurity history, offensive security, hacker culture, IRC, career journey, AI security, Mindgard, Aaron Portnoy, WakeUpX podcast

  6. Oct 3

    AI security breach 2025, AI guardrail bypass, Aaron Portnoy, Mindgard, healthcare AI security, clinical AI

    Aaron Portnoy's team at Mindgard has tested AI systems across every major industry. Their track record: 100% vulnerability rate. Every system. Every guardrail bypassed. In this episode of WakeUpX, Aaron makes a bold prediction — a major, high-profile AI application will be publicly breached this year. The industry hasn't had its wake-up call yet. But it's coming. He also breaks down why healthcare is the sector most vulnerable to real human-level harm from AI security failures. His team has already uncovered vulnerabilities in clinical AI tools, including an application authorized to prescribe medications in the state of Utah. We cover: The 100% AI vulnerability rate his team has found across all tested systems Why no guardrail has held up under testing His breach prediction for 2025 Why healthcare AI carries a completely different level of risk Real-world clinical AI vulnerabilities already discovered by Mindgard Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com Mindgard research: mindgard.ai Aaron's site: aaronportnoy.com Topics: AI security, healthcare AI, AI breach, guardrail bypass, offensive security, Mindgard, Aaron Portnoy, clinical AI, patient safety, WakeUpX podcast

  7. Sep 26

    Breaking Into Cybersecurity for Free | Aaron Portnoy on CTFs, IRC & Learning Without a Degree

    Aaron Portnoy learned to hack from anonymous strangers on IRC — not in a classroom. Now he's a Hacker Fellow at Dartmouth and one of the world's leading offensive security researchers. In this episode of WakeUpX, Aaron breaks down the free, practical roadmap he'd give anyone trying to break into cybersecurity today: - Why Capture the Flag contests are the single best starting point - How to build real skills without a home lab or college tuition - The role of conference talks (published free on YouTube) in self-education - Why curiosity beats credentials every time Whether you're a student, a career switcher, or just security-curious — this episode is your entry point. Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com Aaron's site: aaronportnoy.com Mindgard: mindgard.ai Topics: cybersecurity career, CTF, capture the flag, offensive security, free learning, hacking, infosec, Aaron Portnoy, Mindgard, Wake Up X podcast

  8. Sep 19

    AI Security Is Back in the 90s | Aaron Portnoy on Hacking AI, Zero Days & Breaking Into Cybersecurity

    What if the AI powering your company is about as hackable as a 1999 web server? That's the uncomfortable reality Aaron Portnoy — offensive security legend, co-founder of Exodus Intelligence, and Head of Research & Innovation at Mindgard — lays out in this episode of WakeUpX. We cover: - Why AI security mirrors the early internet era - The "hamster wheel" of repeating security trends - The state of AI guardrails (and why they're not enough yet) - How to break into cybersecurity with no degree or certifications - Why curiosity is the most dangerous skill in offensive security Aaron has spent 20+ years at the frontier of vulnerability research — from running the Zero Day Initiative to architecting the Pwn2Own competition, building Randori's R&D (acquired by IBM), and serving as the inaugural Hacker Fellow at Dartmouth College. He's now applying that offensive lens to AI systems at Mindgard. Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com Connect with Aaron: aaronportnoy.com | mindgard.ai/authors/aaron-portnoy Topics: AI security, cybersecurity career, offensive security, zero day research, AI red team, hacking, prompt injection, Pwn2Own, Mindgard, WakeUpX

See All (50)

About

Wake Up X: Securing Tomorrow, Empowering Today with Efren L. Salazar" is your go-to podcast for bridging the gap between cybersecurity, business, and personal empowerment. Hosted by Efren L. Salazar, each episode dives deep into the latest trends in cybersecurity, offers motivational insights, and provides actionable business strategies. Our guests range from upper management to newcomers in the industry, sharing their unique stories of success, struggles, and the lessons learned along the way.

Information