An introduction to cybersecurity - from physical breaches to digital intrusions

Coding Chats episode 49 - John Crickett and Kev Milne delve into the critical realm of cybersecurity, exploring its various facets from social engineering to the importance of penetration testing. They discuss the evolution of attacks, the role of AI, and the significance of mainframes in modern security. The conversation also highlights the career paths in cybersecurity and the necessity for continuous investment in security measures to protect digital assets.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Cybersecurity

03:38 The Evolution of Attacks: Physical vs. Digital

06:18 Social Engineering: The Art of Deception

09:15 The Importance of Penetration Testing

12:02 Career Paths in Cybersecurity

14:49 The Diverse Landscape of Cybersecurity

17:56 The Necessity of Ongoing Security Measures

20:34 The Cost of Neglecting Cybersecurity

25:48 The Evolution of Wi-Fi Security

27:04 Mainframes: The Misunderstood Giants

28:15 Mainframe Security: Myths and Realities

30:02 The Challenge of Legacy Code

32:20 Balancing Security and Functionality

34:12 Defense in Depth: A Security Strategy

35:35 AI's Role in Cybersecurity

37:50 The Threat Landscape: Script Kiddies and Beyond

38:34 Training the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Experts

41:36 The Importance of Conferences in Cybersecurity

Kev's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmilne/

Website where folks can obtain the Mainframe Offensive Security Tester course, download the Gibson Mainframe Simulator or purchase the Cyber Coach labs: https://offensivesec.org

Try out some free labs Kev has created: https://cyber-coach-labs-bd010da0.base44.app/FreeLabs

John's Links:

John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/

John’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johncrickett

John's Twitter: https://x.com/johncrickett

John's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johncrickett.bsky.social

Check out John's software engineering related newsletters:

Coding Challenges: https://codingchallenges.substack.com/ which shares real-world project ideas that you can use to level up your coding skills.

Developing Skills: https://read.developingskills.fyi/ covering everything from system design to soft skills, helping them progress their career from junior to staff+ or for those that want onto a management track.

Takeaways

Cybersecurity is essential for protecting digital assets.

Social engineering remains a significant threat today.

Red teaming involves advanced penetration testing techniques.

Understanding networking is crucial for aspiring penetration testers.

Mainframes are still vital for processing transactions.

AI can both aid and complicate cybersecurity efforts.

Continuous investment in cybersecurity is necessary for businesses.

Penetration testing should be a standard practice for all companies.

Security requires a layered defense approach.

Conferences are valuable for staying updated in cybersecurity.