No Password Required

Kayley Melton is the Vice President of Security Awareness Company Courseware and Labs at KnowBe4. Although she can’t share too much about what the “labs” portion of her job entails, let’s face it, the secrecy makes her even cooler. Kayley joins the No Password Required team to tell us about her journey from an Appalachian farm to fine arts major at a self-described “bougie” college, and from there to VP at a leading security awareness company and the challenges that she overcame to get there. Kayley also shares the story of how a Craigslist ad changed her life, who the Chewbacca is to her Han Solo, and the lessons she’s had to learn as a woman in this industry. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo discuss something likely to shock 90s babies; the cybercriminal “TarTarX” has stolen the data of 69 million Neopets users.

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.

Tashya Denose is a Senior Manager of Cybersecurity Analysis at Capital One and the Director of Brand & Marketing at Black Girls in Cyber. In this episode, Tashya joins the No Password Required team to discuss her passion for making everyone feel welcome in the cybersecurity world, the state of the cybersecurity pipeline and what needs to be done, and a LOT of other rad stuff (including her feelings about the word “rad” making a comeback!) Ernie, Jack, and Pablo discuss the rogue freelancers that were taking advantage of remote work opportunities to hide their true identities and earn money for North Korea. Pablo presents the new Technologue game show where the team attempts to answer questions about the first-ever computer worm.

Vice Admiral Mike McConnell is the former director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the current Executive Director of Cyber Florida. In this two-part episode, VADM McConnell stuns the No Password Required team to silence with stories of his life, which just so happens to resemble a riveting Grisham novel. A few highlights include the reason he refuses to drink cheap beer (or formaldehyde), some iconic moments during his time at the NSA, and more. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo break down the Strengthening Cybersecurity Act and the biggest commitment one can make: cowboy boots. In the Technologue segment, Pablo discusses the importance of cloud vulnerability evolution.

Vice Admiral Mike McConnell is the former director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the current Executive Director of Cyber Florida. In this two-part episode, VADM McConnell stuns the No Password Required team to silence with stories of his life, which just so happens to resemble a riveting Grisham novel. A few highlights include the reason he refuses to drink cheap beer (or formaldehyde), some iconic moments during his time at the NSA, and more. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo break down the Strengthening Cybersecurity Act and the biggest commitment one can make: cowboy boots. In the Technologue segment, Pablo discusses the importance of cloud vulnerability evolution.

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.