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Dr. Melissa Dark is the Founder of DARK Enterprises, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and supporting cybersecurity education at the secondary level. Before that, Dr. Dark worked in graduate and college cybersecurity education for over 20 years, as a professor at Purdue University. In this episode, Dr. Dark joins the No Password Required team to discuss her career in “training the trainers,” the early days of cybersecurity education as an academic subject, and how to encourage cybersecurity awareness among today’s students. Ernie and Jack discuss the Pinellas Park, Florida, cybersecurity analyst alleged to have stolen almost $600,000 in cryptocurrency and how he supposedly did it.

Larry Whiteside Jr. is the President and Director of Cyversity, an organization whose mission is to achieve consistent representation of women and underrepresented minorities in the cyber industry through programs designed to diversify, educate, and empower. As someone who has experienced the value of mentorship firsthand throughout his life, both as a child and an adult, Larry is passionate about creating a space in the cyber field where everyone is valued and heard. In this episode, Larry joins the No Password Required team to discuss the mentors who helped turn his life around as a teen, the coolest motorcycle-riding character of all time, and the value of honoring every person’s individual perspective in life. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo discuss the potential cyber consequences of the Ukraine conflict. In the Technologue segment, Pablo breaks down the Cloud and its benefits.

Thomas Vaughn is the current Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the City of Tallahassee and the former CISO of Florida. A kindhearted introvert who began his career in the Army and then the U.S. Coast Guard, Thomas thrives on helping other people however he can, whether it’s with cybersecurity practices or serving as a volunteer fireman in his spare time. In this episode, Thomas joins the No Password Required team to talk about his journey from the military to cybersecurity, the top-tier candy that he can’t live without, and the philosophical lessons that he carries with him throughout his life. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo discuss the UCF student who created an algorithm to track Elon Musk’s private jet. In the Technologue segment, Pablo explains web tracking and what it means for the everyday internet user.

Chase Fopiano is the Founder of CyberTech Analytics, a cybersecurity provider that combines the worlds of both law enforcement and information security. Chase began his career as a police officer before diving headfirst into the cybersecurity world, and has since carried the lessons he learned during that time into both his life and his career. In this episode, Chase joins the No Password Required team to talk about the moment he decided to make the change to cybersecurity, his passion for learning and how it has helped him succeed, and why Yoda is the character he most relates to in life. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo discuss the cybercrime gang FIN7 and their recent attacks using malicious USB sticks designed to deliver ransomware. In the new Technologue segment, Pablo discusses the Voldemort of cyber-vulnerabilities, Log4j.

Debbie Janeczek is the Cyber Threat Management Leader and Technology Executive at Wells Fargo. At her core, Debbie is an outdoorswoman who is passionate about conquering the mountains of Colorado and beyond with her sidekick, her dog, Jack. In this episode, Debbie joins the No Password Required team to talk about her journey from becoming a Naval Intelligence officer where she hated all things cybersecurity to becoming a leader in the industry thanks to inspiration from the great leaders surrounding her (lucky for us!) Debbie is passionate about practicing mindfulness and embracing nature to maintain a healthy work-life balance and stay grounded in the chaos of the ever-changing cybersecurity world. Ernie and Jack (co-host Jack, not dog Jack) discuss the relaunching of the darknet market AlphaBay by one of the previous founders who escaped the bust in 2017, DeSnake, and the long-standing debate of how exactly to pronounce his name.

Asim Fareeduddin is the Vice President of IT Security & Regulatory Controls Assurance at the RELX Group. In addition to his impressive professional resume, Asim is a guy who is never afraid to take a chance – from stand-up comedy to teaching masters-level students at Georgia State University; he’s done it all. In this episode, Asim joins the No Password Required team to talk about how he went from an accountant to Vice President of a global company, how becoming a dad has changed him, and his most cherished accomplishment – high-fiving Busta Rhymes at the 2006 B.E.T. Awards. Ernie and Jack talk about why fist bumps have officially surpassed handshakes as the coolest greeting. More importantly, they discuss cyber workforce development and why right now may be the best time for new workers to join the industry.

Winn Schwartau is a security, privacy, infowar, and cyber-terrorism expert who has been paving the way in cybersecurity since 1983. He is often referred to as the “Civilian Architect of Information Warfare” and is known for his straight-shooting, no-BS originality. In this episode, Winn joins the No Password Required team to talk about how he went from the world of rock-and-roll to cybersecurity, times when he pissed off the CIA, and why Louis Armstrong wasn’t the best teacher he ever had (you read that right!) Ernie, Clabby, and Pablo talk about the reality of cybersecurity policies and employee training. In the Positively Cyber segment, Pablo introduces Snoop Dogg as the Dark Net Intelligence Analyst of our fictitious organization.

Charity Wright is a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at Recorded Future who specializes in Chinese threats and disinformation. Charity is a Super Mario-loving extrovert who utilizes her research and inferencing skills in both of her full-time jobs; threat analyst and mom. Charity is a Chinese Linguist who often spends her workdays scrolling through social media searching for trolls and Chinese disinformation/propaganda. In this episode, Charity joins the No Password Required team to talk about how she came to be a linguist in the U.S. military, possibilities of where China will go in the future, and why curiosity has been one of the most essential aspects of her career. Ernie, Clabby, and Pablo talk about Clabby’s “Yahoo! news rule” and the channels they use to stay informed in the ever-changing cyber industry. In the Positively Cyber segment, Pablo introduces the sophisticated, yet mysterious, Jay Gatsby as the Chief Financial Officer of our fictitious cybersecurity organization.

Dr. Greg Hall is a Research Scientist at the Institute for Human-Machine Cognition and the University of West Florida. Dr. Hall is a Corvette-driving car lover who considers ALF to be one of the classics and has great taste in hats. He also does research in full-spectrum cyber operations and contributes to the Florida Cyber Range, a digital platform that provides training and testing solutions for academic, government, military, and industry. In this episode, Dr. Hall joins the No Password Required team to discuss his research in full-spectrum cyber operations, why the sit-and-spin has made a place in history as the best (and possibly most dangerous) childhood toy, and more. Ernie, Clabby, and Pablo discuss the government’s Rewards for Justice Program and the new $10 million reward for information. In the “Positively Cyber” segment, Pablo challenges Clabby by welcoming Harvey Specter to our fictitious cybersecurity organization as a Privacy and Cybersecurity Lawyer.

Dan Burke is the Cyber Practice Leader at Woodruff Sawyer, one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US. Dan is a natural optimist and family man who believes every day is going to be the best day and the next shot will always be his greatest golf shot. In this episode, Dan joins the No Password Required team to talk about his personal connection to Colby-jack cheese, the most misunderstood things about cyber risk and insurance, and his bucket-list golfing spots. Ernie, Clabby, and Pablo discuss the recent Colonial Pipeline/Bitdefender controversy and the pros and cons of publicizing intelligence that could help ransomware victims. In the “Positively Cyber” segment, Pablo introduces the iconic Winston Wolfe to our fictitious cybersecurity organization as a Data Loss Prevention freelancer.