Episodes

In this last episode of PWNED Season 3, Justin and Jack are paying off the year’s debts from infractions against the Pit of Despair, while analyzing a BlackHat announcement by a leader in the market. There are debts to be paid, and there’s a striking new example of the old security tendency to obscure, over-the-top messaging. The season is going out with a bang, and it looks like Season 4 will start with a blank slate but a full list of issues to watch for. As mentioned in this episode, check o...

After much work and a little fanfare, the 2022 SLED Cybersecurity Priorities Report has been publicly released. Justin and Jack are giving a quick overview of the findings, along with their usual, and unavoidable, take on some of the results. For those of you who have participated in the research or have been following the lead-up to this day, you’ll be glad to hear that the result does not disappoint. Here’s the announcement: SLED Leaders Find Roadmap for 2023 Success in Groundbreaking Report ...

In this episode of PWNED, Justin springs an unexpected topic, based on his deep affection for social media. Seeing a post from a security leader who feels he has been unfairly held accountable by his company, he’s bringing it to the podcast. We’ve got victimhood, CISO expectation setting, transparency, and disappointment, all in one episode as Jack and Justin take this common feeling apart. As referenced in this episode, you can find the book, “Can’t Hurt Me”, by David Goggins here: Can’t Hurt ...

Following the news that Twitter, now owned by Elon Musk, is charging users for a “blue check” next to their name — an icon that once signaled a verified and authentic user, Justin and Jack discuss the cybersecurity implications behind this new phenomenon, and clear away the confusion and chaos that comes with it. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! We’ll catch you on the next one. ...

In this RightSwipes episode of Pwned, Justin and Jack start with an analysis of the recent CrowdStrike acquisition of Reposify, and while they may not agree on the love match, it starts an interesting new debate on “Best-in-Breed” versus “Combined Value” players in cybersecurity. It’s an important point of inflexion for companies, and maybe for the cybersecurity market, so listen in. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our conte...

In this final episode with Justin and Jack speaking to a group of state security leaders, the PWNED team is talking about a series of topics from new, more successful awareness campaigns to the challenges of avoiding being a target in the first place. This entire session is driven by audience questions, and you may hear one that you’d have asked were you there. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share,...

In their second episode in front of a group of public sector tech execs, Justin and Jack are talking about the challenge and risks of application security, including the cascading exposure from supply chain vulnerabilities like log4j. They also spend some time talking about the attack trend towards automation and the ubiquitous threats that indiscriminately target organizations regardless of size or specialty. It’s another episode driven by listener questions and current events, with a focus on ...

In this first installment of a three-part series, Justin and Jack are speaking with public sector leaders about the unique challenges and successes of securing platforms and systems within the State, Local, and higher Ed (SLED) community. They’ve got plenty of experience and plenty to say as they answer questions about current threats, new approaches, and the patterns of success that NuHarbor has seen over the past few years. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@n...

Following another school system breach and some pretty dire reporting, Justin and Jack are reviewing current events and talking about the current environment of risk and impact to K-12. There is plenty to discuss, but the result is a much more balanced view and some thoughts on applying a reasonableness filter to the stories we’re hearing. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! We’ll ...

In a new two-for-one Breach of the Week, Justin and Jack discuss a couple of controversial events from the news this week. First, the recent disclosures by Twitter’s Pieter (Mudge) Zatko and a follow-on article by long-time security icon Edward Amoroso, have our hosts sharing two different points of view on what the story means. Second, we get back to a harmonious Pwned cast as Justin and Jack discuss the recent LastPass source code breach, which was handled quickly and effectively by the LastPa...

Justin and Jack join John Egan, founder of Mad River Distillers, for a chat about his thoughts on cybersecurity acquisitions, and his own experience as a lawyer in the technology field. Special thank you to John, Mad River Distillers President Mimi Buttenheim, and General Manager/Head Distiller Alex Hilton for welcoming the team and giving their time. To view the Mad River crew, click here. Justin and Jack took the time to write out reviews of some of the beverages from Mad River. Those can be ...

We’ve got more mail! Thank you to Mike for sending in this intriguing question about how to decide what cybersecurity college program to attend to get the most for your future. Justin and Jack have an answer for you, and it’s a little more complicated than you would think; take a look at a program’s past and present successes to determine what you want your future to be. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please li...

With the release of the new Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) report, by Jon Oltsik, in late July, Justin and Jack sit down and discuss their thoughts on the research and the importance of consolidating industry-wide terminology and technology. Will they deem the report to be spot-on, or are there just too many unrealistic expectations? Tune in to find out! If you would like to read through the ESG report, please click here. For information on the AWS conference, please click here. If you have ...

Jack is back at it this time at the National Association of Counties (NACo) conference in Aurora, Colorado. Justin attempts to remotely highjack the microphone to discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Cybersecurity with the audience. Justin checks in before and after the presentation to discuss talking points, maturity of an organization, and how the presentation went. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please li...

In this special Pwned episode, Justin and Jack discuss Almanna Cyber – their new cybersecurity accelerator fund. Almanna, derived from the Old Norse word for “everyone”, is just that: a cyber accelerator for everyone. The J’s are inviting new cyber startups and individuals with a great ideas to apply for membership in their first cohorts. Sharing over 50 years of experience in the industry, and having built multiple successful cybersecurity businesses, Justin and Jack will help cohort members to...

US birth rates are the lowest in 40 years, and we may be seeing a spread of that trend into our RightSwipes matchups. With no meaningful Swipes in sight, Jack and Justin are taking a look at the SwipeScene and drawing some conclusions (and predictions) about the Swipeless period we find ourselves in. Is it a return to the bright lights of fundamental analysis showing some of the real faces behind the carefully crafted cosmetics, or is everyone taking a “wait & see” attitude towards the end of th...

In this GOGO (Give One, Get One) episode of Pwned, Justin and Jack discuss two recent breaches. The first, a breach of 23 million compromised accounts from CafePress that was disguised to users as a password policy update; and the other a recipe for a hot tub breach with a side of “hot, stinky soup”. To access the articles we reference in this episode, check out these links below: Judgment against CafePress CafePress Fined $500,000 After Massive Data Breach CafePress Slammed After Major Breach...

An overachieving heart surgeon in Venezuela has turned his hand to ransomware, and it looks like his heart was really in it. Sadly for him, but great for those us losing “patients” with this cottage economy, he was busted by the FBI, and it’s Code Blue for his highly-rated, 5-star reviewed, $10K+/month, custom ransomware platform and SDK. Justin and Jack break it down and talk through the details and the factors that are making this type of malpractice possible. For more information on this top...

As their portfolio companies (and everyone else) are facing a sea change in market and financing conditions, Sequoia Capital has shared their recommendations for surviving the storm. In this episode of Pwned, Justin and Jack provide a Pwned-style interpretation and application of the insights while taking a regretful victory lap over their earlier predictions that this market reset was also coming for cybersecurity. For more information on references we make in this episode, check out the links...

Applications are the root of so many things we use on a day-to-day basis. In this episode, Justin and Jack discuss a way more pragmatic approach to application security than securing all data at once. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! We’ll catch you next time. Check out NuHarbor Security for complete cyber security protection for your business and a security partner you can tru...

Justin and Jack are joined by NuHarbor ace recruiter, Olive Robb, for an open discussion of cybersecurity recruiting, the job market, and an employer’s view of resumes that show lots of movement. It’s a candid conversation, as usual, with some recommendations about making the most out of your own positions and time in the cybersecurity market. Olive is happy to connect directly over email or LinkedIn regarding opportunities here at NuHarbor. Looking for future opportunities or don’t see somethi...

In the second half of our CISO recruiting series, Justin and Jack are talking about the pressure, about incident handling, and about the importance of intellectual curiosity in this hire. There are tips for candidates, hiring teams, and even executive management in general, on what to expect, and how to look for it. To view our CISO job description write up, click this link. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, pleas...

The first of a two-part series, this episode highlights what qualities make a good Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), along with how to find the perfect candidate and what the right questions are to ensure they meet those capabilities. Make sure you tune in for part 2! If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! We’ll catch you next time. Check out NuHarbor Security for complete c...

In this Breach of the Week episode, Justin and Jack share the story of how 600 million USDC was stolen from Axie Infinity, as well as some other crypto catastrophes with the purpose of deciding whether cryptocurrency has the stability and safety to move from its current second-class status to a legitimate, recognized, form of practical currency. If you have any questions or suggestions, send us an email at pwned@nuharborsecurity.com. If you like our content, please like, share, and subscribe! ...