Three Buddy Problem

This is the republication of an interview first conducted in March 2013 with then-VUPEN chief executive Chauki Bekrar. The audio file was lost in several podcast platform transfers and I'm glad to be able to retain this interview for historical purposes. The recording was conducted in the hallways of the CanSecWest Pwn2Own hacking contest in 2013 where Bekrar's team of hackers demo'd a zero-day attack against Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8, an exploit that bypassed all mitigations including the browser sandbox. We chat about the controversies surrounding the sale of zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits, his company’s business dealings and the work that goes into winning the CanSecWest Pwn2Own hacker contest. (Please excuse the audio quality and background chatter, this was recorded with a small handheld device in a noisy room).

Journalist-turned-intel analyst Selena Larson joins the podcast to discuss the nuances of cybersecurity journalism, making the shift to analyzing intelligence and writing for a private audience, the ransomware epidemic, and the state of critical infrastructure security.Links:Selena Larson PresentationsFollow Selena on TwitterSelena Larson on Bringing New & Diverse People into the ICS Security CommunityICS OSINT: An Attacker’s PerspectiveSelena Larson profile

Gusto chief security officer Fredrick 'Flee' Lee talks about his passion for democratizing security, solving problems for small businesses, the responsibilities of being a black security leader, and the people and experiences that influenced him along the way.Links:Gusto Appoints Fredrick Lee Chief Security OfficerSecret CSO: Fredrick "Flee" Lee, GustoCISO to CISO Webcast with Fredrick "Flee" Lee

TechCrunch security writer Zack Whittaker stumbled into journalism while in college and has carved a successful career covering cybersecurity the last decade. He joins the podcast to talk about landing at ZDNet out of university and some lucky breaks along the way. Zack also talks about the trials of living and working with Tourette syndrome.

Netflix security leader Jason Chan talks about the connections between ultra-marathons and running a robust security program, his view of the defender's top priorities, the talent shortage in cybersecurity, and the shifting patterns that drive secure code delivery.Links:Jason's ultra-marathon photosKeynote: Keeping Developers and Security Teams HappyDeveloper Empathy with Jason Chan of Netflix (Podcast)Hacktivity 2014: Jason Chan -- Building a Glass HouseI Want Your Job: Jason Chan, Netflix

After a career in government that included physical security work for the U.S. State Department, Matt Honea transitioned to Silicon Valley and turned his attention to the cyber-insurance space. He joins the podcast for a frank discussion on cyber-insurance, ransomware payments and trends, and his opinions on innovation in security.Links:Matt Honea blog postsSafe Harbor Programs: Ensuring the Bounty Isn't on ...

Cybersecurity journalist and author Andy Greenberg joins the podcast to talk about his career as a journalist, the ins-and-outs of negotiating a big story with sources, the intricacies of writing a good book, and some of his biggest stories to date.Links:Follow Andy Greenberg on TwitterAndy Greenberg's Wired bioSandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers

After a career in diplomacy at the U.S. State Department, Uber's Brooke Pearson headed to Silicon Valley to find a new path in cybersecurity. We chat about her early interest in Russia and international relations, a life-changing chance encounter during an airport layover, using non-traditional skills to find success in tech, and her passion for helping minorities find meaningful careers in security.

[ DISCLAIMER: These are the personal opinions of Tim MalcomVetter and do not construe an official endorsement or business relationship of his employer with any product or service. ] Walmart Red Team lead Tim MalcomVetter joins the podcast to talk about red-team/blue team dynamics, the adversarial relationship between the two sides, the mentality of a determined attacker, and why everyone in cybersecurity should give jiu-jitsu a try.Links:TIm's Articles on MediumFollow Tim MalcomVetter on TwitterLinkedIn Profile

Hacker-turned-entrepreneur Matt Suiche reminisces about the hacking scene in France, his introduction to memory forensics and how his research led to presenting at Microsoft's Blue Hat, the grind of building and selling a company, and his passion for supporting young security researchers in developing countries. Links:OPCDE OnlineComae TechnologiesFollow Matt Suiche on Twitter