First Watch Podcast

Today, my guest is Nick Mullen, Information Security Governance Manager at Mutual of Omaha. Nick and I met over LinkedIn and a mutual affiliation with the lessons of mental resilience offered by Stoic philosophy. I wanted to talk to Nick about how his unconventional path into cyber, coupled with 2000 year old philosophy, has equipped him for a career in infosec.Follow Nick on LinkedIn.

This is First Watch from SafeGuard Cyber. Today, my guest is Tasha Holloway, a self-described cybersecurity nerd on a quest to take over the world. And indeed, she seems set to conquer this year’s conference circuit, by setting a goal of attending one security event every month. I spoke with Tasha at RSA, to learn more about her journey, and get more details on her conference tour playbook, including steps for newcomers looking to travel and connect for the first time.Follow Tasha on LinkedIn.

Some Spotlight guests are right out of school, and some are entering from a different career path altogether. Our goal is to show there’s no singular path into the industry, and hopefully highlight some ways more people can enter the field.Today's guest is Exton Howard, Security Analyst / Penetration Tester at Dara Security. Exton went from a career directing TV to a new career in cybersecurity. I wanted to dig into how he made the decision and managed the transition to his new career. We talk about his approach to transferable skills, which education resources he took, and his newfound passion for information security.Follow Exton on LinkedIn.

How are the businesses and entrepreneurs building around web3 coping with increased regulatory scrutiny and pressure? And with cryptocurrency being such a target for cybercriminals, how do these relatively small businesses ensure security is in place without impeding business?Today, my guest is David Lopez-Kurtz, founder and CEO of BSL Group, a firm supporting web3 businesses with organization, legal, and compliance services. I wanted to talk to him about where the crypto and web3 business landscape stands after “crypto winter,” and where he sees it heading tomorrow.Follow David on LinkedIn, and on Substack

A lifelong hacker, Katie Moussouris's reputation is legion in cybersecurity. She was the pioneering creator of Microsoft’s bug bounty program, as chronicled in Nicole Perloth’s bestseller, This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyber Weapons Arm Race. She helped the Department of Defense create its first bug bounty program, and previously served as Chief Policy Officer at HackerOne. In this episode, this powerhouse duo touch on:Origins of bug bounty programsTaking a hacker mindset to your careerThe pay equity gapIncreasing reliance on technology that we’re having trouble securingFollow Katie Hanahan on LinkedInFollow Katie Moussouris on Twitter, LinkedIn