In this episode of the Frontmatter podcast, Len Epp interviews Pete Zerger, a cybersecurity strategist and Chief Information Security Officer, and author of the LeanPub book, CISSP: The Last Mile. Pete shares his career journey from IT into cybersecurity, discussing the turning points that led him into cloud security, and ultimately, cybersecurity strategy.

Pete explains that his book, CISSP: The Last Mile, is designed for those pursuing the CISSP certification, a highly-regarded credential for cybersecurity professionals. Pete emphasizes the significance of the CISSP exam for career advancement in security roles, as it is one of the most in-demand certifications globally. His book is structured to help readers prepare efficiently by focusing on core exam topics and offering practical learning strategies. Pete’s approach draws from his own rapid-study methods, which allowed him to pass the CISSP exam on his first try after only two weeks of preparation.

During the interview, Pete discusses cybersecurity topics covered in his book, like endpoint and identity security, hybrid cloud environments, and the zero-trust model, where all users and devices must be verified regardless of location. He also explains advanced topics like post-quantum cryptography, which anticipates the impact of quantum computing on encryption. Pete describes how threat modeling and threat hunting are critical for assessing and managing potential vulnerabilities in an organization, highlighting how cybersecurity strategies must continually adapt to new risks.

Pete also shares insights into his content creation journey, from speaking at conferences to building a popular YouTube channel for cybersecurity professionals. His channel now reaches thousands of viewers daily, far exceeding the audience he could connect with through in-person events. He reflects on how platforms like Leanpub have allowed him to reach readers directly, offering flexible formats and a high royalty rate, which enables him to price his book affordably for learners while receiving fair compensation.

Watch the full episode here.

This interview was recorded on November 7, 2024.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM305-Pete-Zerger-2024-11-07.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.