Scinary Information Nexus

Scinary Cybersecurity
  • 5.0 (5)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Scinary Cybersecurity is here to "Serve and defend those who serve and defend others". To help us "serve and defend" we pull from many different sources - experts, colleagues, industry standards, etc... We hit every subject from all angles making it easy to understand while also letting us go in depth. Making this podcast perfect for cybersecurity beginners and experts alike. Come join us on our journey to constantly educate ourselves and explore the amazing things that are happening in our industry.

  1. FEB 6

    Episode 34: Texas Bans Chinese Tech & The Reality of Cybersecurity Burnout

    Welcome back to the Scinary Information Nexus! It's a breakfast stout kind of morning as Richard, Brazos, Mario, and Joseph sit down to tackle the latest news coming out of the Texas Governor's office and a heavy topic that plagues our industry. First up, we discuss the expanded list of prohibited technologies for Texas state agencies. From TP-Link routers to shopping apps like Temu and Shein, the state is cracking down on Chinese-affiliated tech. But is this actually securing our data, or is it just "privacy theater" while data brokers still sell our info to the highest bidder? Then, we get real about Burnout. The team shares personal, unfiltered stories about the toll this industry takes-including the infamous "Air Conditioner Incident," the feeling of "Hot Brain," and why so many IT professionals fantasize about quitting to become restaurant managers. We discuss the difference between "Burnout of Love" (obsession) vs. emotional exhaustion, and how to survive through rest, delegation, and disconnecting. In this episode, we discuss: Texas Executive Order: Banning TP-Link, Temu, and Chinese AI. Why banning TikTok doesn't necessarily solve the data privacy problem. The financial burden of "Rip and Replace" for underfunded schools and local governments. Defining Burnout: When you'd rather end up in the hospital than go to work. The "Air Conditioner Incident": A lesson in leadership and stress. "Hot Brain" and Data Fatigue during internal assessments. How to survive: The importance of hobbies that have nothing to do with screens. Why Richard believes what we do truly matters. Are you feeling the IT burnout? Let us know in the comments how you cope. Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/ cybersecurity #burnout #mentalhealth #privacy #infosec #podcast

    1h 13m

  2. JAN 30

    Episode 33: Turn a Failed Cybersecurity Audit into a Budget Increase

    This week, Richard, Brazos, Mario, and Joe tear apart the red tape of NIST 800-53, CIS Controls, and state-mandated audits. We discuss the disconnect between legislators in the capital and the reality of a one-person IT department in a small school district. We also address the "Tech Support Brain" vs. "Auditor Brain" phenomenon and answer the burning question: Should you fudge your numbers to avoid looking bad on a state report? (Spoiler: No, and here is why). Plus, we reveal the "Malicious Compliance" strategy - how to use a low compliance score to force your board to finally sign that check for the tools you need. In this episode, we discuss: The absurdity of "one-size-fits-all" government mandates. Why NIST and CIS controls often fail small organizations. The temptation to lie on self-assessments (and why you shouldn't). "Auditor Brain": Dealing with compliance officers who don't understand tech. Strategic Failure: How to use a bad score to get more budget. The Scinary "10 Commandments" of controls. Also... do golden toilets actually have better Wi-Fi? If you are drowning in paperwork and compliance checklists, this episode is for you. Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/

    55 min

  3. JAN 24

    Episode 32: Untitled Episode

    From Amazon to Apple, Big Tech is pouring trillions into infrastructure, but who is actually paying the price? The team breaks down how these massive facilities are straining limits on the Texas power grid and consuming alarming amounts of local water - all while residential energy costs skyrocket by 73%. We also discuss why PC gamers and tech enthusiasts are about to suffer as GPU and RAM prices surge due to AI demand. Then, Brazos and Joseph put their investigator hats on. They perform a deep-dive OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) look into "Infrakey" - a company buying up land in Lacy Lakeview, Texas. They uncover a web of shell companies, law firms, and questionable filings that suggest there's more to these land deals than meets the eye. In this episode, we discuss: The "ET STAY HOME" Review: Is it beer or juice? The Trillion Dollar Bet: Why Big Tech is panicked about AI infrastructure. The Utility Crisis: How data centers drain local water aquifers and spike electric bills. Hardware Inflation: Why 32GB of RAM costs 5x what it did last year. Local Corruption?: The controversy of the Lacy Lakeview city council vote. Investigation: Who is behind "Infrakey" and where is the money coming from? The "Lawnmower in the Living Room": Noise pollution and imminent domain fears. Are data centers a boom for the economy or a drain on the community? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/

    59 min

  4. JAN 16

    Episode 31: 2026 Predictions: AI Bubble Burst, Infrastructure Attacks & The End of Insurance

    Happy New Year! We made it to 2026 (barely). The Scinary team invites you to the first episode of the year. After recovering from the annual management dinner, Richard, Brazos, Joseph, and Mario crack open some Czech beers and the "Quadfather" to lay out their boldest predictions for the cybersecurity landscape in 2026. We move past the hype to discuss what keeps us up at night: From the inevitable "Log4j" moment for Artificial Intelligence to the crumbling state of cybersecurity insurance. Is the industry about to stop writing policies altogether? We also dive into the economics of tech. Brazos breaks down why the AI market looks suspiciously like the Dot-com bubble (with some Enron vibes thrown in) and why it might finally burst this year. In this episode, we discuss: The "AI Log4j" Prediction: Will a prompt injection attack backdoor everything? Why Microsoft is forcing Copilot on you whether you want it or not. The End of Insurance: Why carriers might stop writing cyber policies in 2026. Ransomware Theory: Did insurance companies actually cause the spike in ransom demands? Critical Infrastructure: Why Richard predicts a major water plant or grid attack this year. "Pig Butchering" Scams: It’s not what you think it is. The AI Economic Bubble: Round-tripping revenue, Nvidia, and the looming market correction. Privacy in 2026: Why smart TVs and appliances are making privacy a thing of the past. Are our predictions too cynical, or are we right on the money? Let us know in the comments! Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/ Cybersecurity #2026Predictions #AIBubble #TechNews #Infosec #Ransomware #CyberInsurance #Nvidia #ScinaryNexus #Podcast

    1h 3m

  5. 12/12/2025

    Episode 30: Mead, Deer Crashes & XDR: The 2025 Cybersecurity Wrap-Up

    We start by roasting ourselves with a look back at the best (and worst) podcast moments of the year, from the "Wayne's East Texas Hog Farming" bit to the time Richard almost died drinking Jalapeno Mead on air. We also share the behind-the-scenes chaos of our travel vlog to Illinois and the team's unfortunate luck with deer collisions in Waco. Then, we get down to business. The team discusses the evolution of Scinary's tech stack this year, specifically the launch of Scinary Connect (XDR) and why the rollout was a "beta within a beta." Pierre breaks down the switch to "Firewall Health Checks" and the common misconfigurations he's finding in Fortigate setups across the state. Finally, we look ahead to 2026: New integrations with SonicWall and Palo Alto, the Central Texas Cyber Hub initiative for K-12 students, and Richard’s crusade to build the perfect Backup & Recovery solution. In this episode, we discuss: The "Jalapeno Mead" Incident: Reliving our favorite podcast clips. Travel Nightmares: The Illinois Vlog and hitting deer in Texas. The evolution of Scinary Connect: Bringing XDR and FortiGate logs together. Why we launched "Block-as-a-Service" for firewalls. Firewall Health Checks: Why "Default Accept" rules are still haunting us. The Central Texas Cyber Hub: Giving rural K-12 students a shot at a cyber career. 2026 Roadmap: Why Backup & Recovery is our next big target. A final security tip: If you don't need the network this holiday, UNPLUG IT. Check out our upcoming webinar "Default to Hacked" on Dec 17th! https://webinar.zoho.com/meeting/register?sessionId=1034168403 Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/ Cybersecurity #YearInReview

    1h 1m

  6. 11/14/2025

    Episode 29: MIT & Safe Security's "AI Slop" Research

    Welcome back to the Scinary Information Nexus! After Richard lost all his wisdom (literally, from a wisdom tooth removal) and with Joseph Hamilton out celebrating the birth of his new baby boy, the team is back to tackle corruption and controversy in the cybersecurity industry. First, the guys break down the shocking federal indictment of cybersecurity insiders—including ransomware negotiators and incident response managers from major firms—for allegedly colluding with the Black Cat (ALPHV) ransomware group. Is this an anomaly, or a sign of a much deeper problem within the cyber insurance and incident response world? We discuss the fraud triangle and the troubling incentives at play. Then, we dive headfirst into the main event: "AI Slop." Richard, Mario, Pierre, and Brazos pull apart the now-deleted research paper from MIT and vendor Safe Security that falsely claims "80% of ransomware attacks are AI-driven." Citing research from Kevin Beaumont and Marcus Hutchins, they expose how this marketing piece, disguised as academic research, uses defunct malware groups and nonsensical data to create a problem that only the vendor can solve. In this episode, we discuss: The Black Cat Indictment: When your ransomware negotiators are in on the scam. How the "Fraud Triangle" (Motive, Opportunity, Rationale) explains insider threats. Deconstructing the MIT & Safe Security "AI Slop" research paper. Why the "80% AI-driven ransomware" claim is pure nonsense. How defunct malware like Emotet ended up in a 2025 AI study. The danger of prestigious institutions lending their credibility to marketing stunts. Thoughts on a dentist who is also a certified "Whiskey Master" (thanks to our sponsor, Greg Babbitt!). Has the AI hype bubble reached the point where our most trusted institutions are selling snake oil? Let's get into it. A huge thank you to Greg Babbitt for sponsoring this week's episode with a fantastic bottle of Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit! Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/ Cybersecurity #Ransomware #InsiderThreat #BlackCat #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MIT #CyberScam #InfoSec #CybersecurityPodcast

    1h 11m

  7. 10/31/2025

    Episode 28: Nightmare on AWS Street: Halloween Special

    Welcome back to a very spooky Scinary Information Nexus! Richard, Joseph, Tye, and Hunter are in full costume for this Halloween special to discuss a truly terrifying event: the day the internet broke. This week, the team tackles the massive AWS outage that took down services from Microsoft to your smart home devices. We break down the technical jargon to explain the "race condition" that caused a critical DNS failure and explore the cascade effect that left companies scrambling. Why were multi-billion dollar firms operating without a failover plan? We also share some of the hilarious real-world consequences, like smart beds trapping their owners in a heated, upright position. Then, we revisit the massive Salesforce data breach with a frightening new update: the threat group "Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters" has leaked data belonging to personnel from the Department of Defense, DHS, ICE, and other critical US government agencies. This leads to a larger discussion on the fragility of our digital world. In this episode, we discuss: The technical cause of the AWS outage: What is a DNS "race condition"? Why competitors like Microsoft were also taken offline. The critical debate: Are we prioritizing efficiency over resiliency? Hilarious IoT failures: When your smart bed turns against you. Update on the Salesforce Breach: US Government data now exposed. The danger of monopolies: How AWS, Google, and AT&T create single points of failure. The importance of having an analog (pen and paper) backup plan. Is our critical infrastructure built on a house of cards? Let's discuss. Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/

    54 min

  8. 10/24/2025

    Episode 27: The New Rules of War: Cyber & Disinformation

    This week on the Scinary Information Nexus, we are honored to welcome a very special guest: Lieutenant Colonel Steven Beseda, United States Army (Retired). With a deep background in both armored forces and Information Operations, Colonel Beseda joins Richard, Brazos, and John to pull back the curtain on the modern battlefield. Forget everything you think you know about traditional warfare. We break down the crucial difference between misinformation and disinformation, exploring how state actors like Russia use it to shape narratives at home and abroad. Using fascinating historical examples-from General Schwarzkopf's classic deception operation in Desert Storm to the unprecedented OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) coming out of the Ukraine war-we reveal how information has become a primary weapon. The conversation then focuses on one of the world's most critical flashpoints: Taiwan. How is China using information warfare to prep the battlespace and undermine Taiwanese and U.S. resolve? And how does the global reliance on Taiwan's semiconductor industry play into this new era of conflict? In this episode, we discuss: Misinformation vs. Disinformation: A military definition you need to know. Deception Operations: How the U.S. military fooled Saddam Hussein. The Russia-Ukraine War as a live-fire information warfare laboratory. The strategic use of OSINT and platforms like Telegram in modern conflicts. China's doctrine to win without fighting by targeting Taiwan's cognitive space. The shift from Nuclear MAD to a new "Cyber MAD" (Mutually Assured Destruction). The vulnerability of U.S. critical infrastructure to Chinese technology. Soft Power & Economic Warfare: China's "Belt and Road" initiative. Is the next world war one that will be fought not with soldiers and tanks, but with keyboards and data streams? Let's get into it. Connect with Scinary Cybersecurity: https://www.scinary.com https://x.com/scinarycyber https://www.linkedin.com/company/scinarycyber/ CyberWarfare #Disinformation #InformationWarfare #MilitaryStrategy #China #Taiwan #USArmy #Cybersecurity #OSINT #Geopolitics

    1h 3m
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About

Scinary Cybersecurity is here to "Serve and defend those who serve and defend others". To help us "serve and defend" we pull from many different sources - experts, colleagues, industry standards, etc... We hit every subject from all angles making it easy to understand while also letting us go in depth. Making this podcast perfect for cybersecurity beginners and experts alike. Come join us on our journey to constantly educate ourselves and explore the amazing things that are happening in our industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Scinary Cybersecurity
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Scinary Cybersecurity
  • Show Website
    Scinary Information Nexus