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Serge Jorgensen is a founding partner and CTO at Sylint Group, where he provides response and remediation guidance on international espionage incidents, cyber-security attacks, and counter cyber-warfare. An engineer by training, he has a bias for action over theory. In this episode, Serge joins the No Password Required team to talk about his time in the industry, his experience coaching sailing at the Paralympic Games, and his favorite childhood toy. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo discuss the cybercriminals that are posing as Twitter employees and journalists to breach academic and Middle East policy data. In the Technologue segment, Pablo teaches the team the history of the world’s largest hacking competition, DEF CON.

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.

In this episode of No Password Required, cybersecurity executive Larry Whiteside Jr. joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation on the shifting landscape of cyber threats, the rise of hacktivism, and the real-world impact of the Ukraine conflict on global cybersecurity. Larry shares his personal journey into the field and discusses his work with Cyversity, an organization focused on strengthening the cybersecurity workforce through education and professional development.

The discussion explores how cyber insurance is helping businesses manage growing risks, how modern cyber warfare is reshaping global defense strategies, and why mentorship and communication skills are more important than ever in today’s fast-moving tech environment. Larry also opens up about the importance of balancing work and life, defining success beyond the job title, and building a career with long-term impact.

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.