Michael and Sam chat with HOU.SEC.CON 2025 speakers Sean Jones and Kaloyan Ivanov! In this episode, they explore how pathways into the cybersecurity industry have evolved across generations, what it takes to go undercover in cybercriminal communities, and why accountability is crucial when engaging in such high-risk work.

Things Mentioned:

• DarkForums Rushes to Hide after Hacker Exposes User IPs - https://cybernews.com/cybercrime/...

In this episode Michael and Sam sit down with Emily Crose - cybersecurity professional, speaker, and author of “Hack to the Future”. Emily shares her journey into the field, the project that sparked the idea for her debut novel, and her candid thoughts on hacker culture. 

Emily will be a featured speaker and author at HOU.SEC.CON. 2025, so be sure to grab your ticket for a chance to receive a free signed copy of her book!

Things Ment...

We’re chatting with another fantastic HOU.SEC.CON. author and speaker, Doug Landoll! In this episode Michael and Sam talk to Doug about his book “Security Risk Assessment Handbook”, how he transitioned from traditional IT to cybersecurity, and why others should consider a similar path before moving into a GRC role. 

Things Mentioned:

·      HSC User Group on July 31, 2025 – https://www.hscusergroup.com

·      Get your HOU.SEC.CON. Tic...

We’re back with another keynote speaker, Robert “RSnake” Hansen! He chats with Michael and Sam about his new book, AI’s Best Friend (and how to get a free copy!), how he started hacking, and his upcoming HOU.SEC.CON. presentation around his research on the CVSS framework. 

Things Mentioned:

·      HSC User Group on June 26, 2025 – https://www.hscusergroup.com

·      Get your HOU.SEC.CON. Ticket before they go up on July 1, 2025 -  htt...

Michael and Sam are back with another HOU.SEC.CON. keynote speaker – Dmitri Alperovitch! In this episode they talk about his new book, what he’s been up to since CrowdStrike, and what will be covered in his opening keynote. 

Things Mentioned:

• HSC User Group on June 26, 2025 – https://www.hscusergroup.com
• TAB Cyber Foundation Scholarship Closing July 1, 2025 - https://www.tabcyberfoundation.org
• Get your HOU.SEC.CON. Ticket before th...

HOU.SEC.CON.'s first keynote speaker is returning for our 15-year anniversary! This week Michael and Sam are talking to cybersecurity legend Jeremiah Grossman about his start in cyber at just 19 years old, what we can learn from cybersecurity insurance companies, and what to expect at HOU.SEC.CON. 2025!

Things Mentioned:

·      What Works in Cybersecurity: Perimeter Security Appliances - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-works...

Michael and Sam are catching up with Principal Consultant and Co-Founder at Cavalry Solutions, Sean Curry! Sean talks about his transition from the military to the private sector, the importance of standards like IEC 62443 for OT security, and the best way to align IT and OT teams.

Things Mentioned:

·      New study reveals 92% of industrial sites at risk from unsecured remote access - https://www.securityinfowatch.com/critical-infra...

In this episode Michael and Sam are talking to malware researcher Dr. Marcus Botacin. Dr. Botacin discusses his journey from early work in sandboxing to advanced malware detection through machine learning, his recent efforts combining LLMs with GANs to create an iterative malware generation system that enhances evasion capabilities, and the importance of scaling defensive technologies to match the generative power of AI in offensiv...

Today’s episode looks a little different as Michael and Sam are talking to the entire YOUTH.SEC.CON. team! Arthi Vasudevan, Reynaldo Gonzalez, and Mary DiFiore-Smith joined the podcast to discuss all aspects of our first event focused on 9th – 12th grade students. Listen now to learn about the talks and activities, eligibility, registration, safety, and more! 

Things Mentioned:

·      Arthi’s episode - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2215...

Sam and Michael are joined by Offensive Security Advisor, Darin Fredde! They discuss the need to move beyond compliance checkboxes, the importance of continuous pen testing, and the disconnect between marketing claims and real-world security implementations. 

Things Mentioned:

• Having trouble with your OT.SEC.CON. or EXEC.SEC.CON. ticket? Reach out to us at info@houstonseccon.com
• Expired Domains Allowed Control Over 4,000 Backdoors...

Michael and Sam are joined by Field CTO, Steven Schmidt! They discuss the early days of application security, the evolution of AppSec tools and processes, and challenges in balancing developer speed with security requirements.

Thank you to Snyk for sponsoring this episode! Learn more about building secure applications at https://snyk.io and chat with their team at EXEC.SEC.CON. on April 22nd!

Things Mentioned:

• Learn more about Sny...

In today’s episode Michael and Sam are catching up with Security Consulting Manager, ICS/OT at Accenture, Stuart Bailey! Stuart shares his journey from a career in social work to cybersecurity, the challenges of working on OT environments, and the importance of network monitoring for critical infrastructure. 

Things Mentioned:

·      Romanian energy supplier Electrica hit by ransomware attack - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/s...

This week Michael and Sam are catching up with Bugcrowd CISO, Trey Ford. They chat about his evolution from consulting to the C-Suite, how to know if the CISO role is right for you, and what alignment between security leadership and the board should look like.

Things Mentioned:

·      Key strategies to Enhance Cyber Resilience - https://www.csoonline.com/article/3618501/key-strategies-to-enhance-cyber-resilience.html

·      Antifragil...

Michael and Sam are gearing up for OT.SEC.CON. with keynote speaker, Marco Ayala! Marco is an ISA Fellow, and President of InfraGard Houston with over 30 years of experience in industrial automation controls and OT/IT security. They chat about some exciting OT Cybersecurity initiatives in Texas, the incident that led him to cybersecurity, and what to expect at his talk in April. 

Things Mentioned:

·      Governor Abbott Announces Tex...

Hosts Michael and Sam are covering another HOU.SEC.CON. 2024 presentation, this time with Security Architect Stephen Alexander! They discuss how audits, while annoying, can provide significant value by offering insights for organizational improvement, help ensure compliance, and educate companies on how to strengthen their security operations. 

Things Mentioned:

·      US govt says Cisco gear often targeted in China's Salt Typho...

We’re kicking off season 3 with our good friend Len Noe! Len wears many hats, including whitehat hacker, technical evangelist, international speaker, podcast host, and most recently, author. In this episode, Michael and Sam chat with him about his new book, transhumanism, and his upcoming projects.

Things Mentioned:

·      Google's AI-Powered OSS-Fuzz Tool Finds 26 Vulnerabilities in Open-Source Projects -https://thehackerne...

Michael and Sam are on their own for our last episode of the year. They chat about all of the growth HOU.SEC.CON. saw over 2024, highlight the countless sponsors, volunteers, and speakers that make all of our initiatives happen, and discuss what to expect in 2025!

Things Mentioned:

·     Submit an abstract for our monthly user group: https://www.hscusergroup.com/call-for-speakers

·      Cidercade Holiday Party: https://www.linkedin.co...

On our latest episode Michael and Sam are talking to the Security Fairy Godmother herself, Dawn Cappelli! They discuss her transition from programming to security, her passion helping SMB’s, and how that passion pulled her out of retirement to create free resources for the OT community. 

Things Mentioned:

·      OT Cert Link - https://www.dragos.com/community/ot-cert/

·      Dragos Community Defense Program - https://www.dragos.com/co...

In this episode, Jason Haddix, CEO & Hacker & Trainer at Arcanum Information Security, joins the podcast to discuss his HOU.SEC.CON. 2024 talk, “Tales from the Breach.” In his conversation with Michael and Sam, Jason shares his unconventional introduction to hacking, his journey from CISO to Founder, and how companies can apply what he learned from his organization’s LAPSUS$ attack. 

Things Mentioned:

·      Jason’s Talk: htt...