The Job Security Cybersecurity Podcast
The Job Security Cybersecurity Podcast, brought to you by Expel Security, explores the unique perspectives and stories of the people who make the cybersecurity industry what it is—whether they realize it or not. Hosts Dave Johnson and Tyler Zito recognize that we're living in an enlightenment period of cybersecurity, where the industry has stabilized with established education systems, compliance frameworks, and documented methodologies. But it took a lot to get here.
This podcast looks inward at our community and culture, sharing the stories of how we built this industry through DIY traditions, mythologies, and countless people figuring it out as they went. We explore not just the technical aspects of security, but the human elements—from current students and interns to seasoned professionals, and even those outside cybersecurity who offer valuable perspectives on risk, strategy, and innovation.
Expect conversations about where we've been, where we are now, and where we're headed next. We'll talk to adjunct professors, threat hunters, entertainers at hacker conventions, and professionals from adjacent industries who can teach us something new. This isn't another podcast about threats and threat actors—it's about the people doing the work and the lessons we can learn by looking in slightly different directions.
Join us for a mix of education, entertainment, and optimism as we celebrate how far cybersecurity has come while inspiring curiosity and innovation for the future. Whether you're taking a lunch break or winding down after incident response, we're here to help you relax with good stories and interesting discoveries.
The Job Security Cybersecurity Podcast
Episode 7: Red Team Village: Break stuff, make friends
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Host Dave Johnson sits down with Mike Lisi, President of Red Team Village, and Wes Thurner, Advisor at Red Team Village, to explore offensive security training and community building. Mike and Wes share how Red Team Village creates a collaborative environment where practitioners at all levels can develop skills, share knowledge, and push boundaries—without the gatekeeping that often plagues the industry.
Key topics & timestamps
AI's role in red team operations (0:00 - 1:26)
- Tools help with vulnerability discovery but can't replace human creativity
- The real threat: being replaced by someone who uses AI better than you
What is Red Team Village? (2:26 - 4:16)
- Collaborative space for offensive security professionals to share skills and knowledge
- Covering the full spectrum from beginners to experts
- Hands-on learning through workshops, tactics sessions, and demonstrations
Red team vs. penetration testing (4:19 - 6:20)
- Red teaming focuses on adversary simulation and testing detection/response
- Pen testing is about finding vulnerabilities with defined scope
- Similar technical skills but different objectives and approaches
The tactics format: learning in small chunks (3:20 - 4:16)
- Digestible sessions on topics like buffer overflows or API security
- Less formal than workshops—participants can engage or observe
- Creates round-table discussions with 20-30 people collaborating
Red Team Village beyond DEF CON (26:20 - 27:02)
- Expanding presence at BSides conferences (NYC, Philly)
- Making offensive security training accessible year-round
Reading recommendations (26:43 - 28:01)
- "Redefining Hacking" co-authored by Omar Santos, Savannah Lazar, and Wes Thurner
- Covers quantum computing, AI integration, and modern offensive security approaches
Looking ahead to 2026 (28:01 - 30:00)
- Expanding the tactics format and improving platform support
- Check redteamvillage.io for updates
Key quotes
"The focus here is that we're here to share our skills, share our knowledge with folks that are interested in offensive security. It's not necessarily just the advanced folks that are trying to transition into red team roles, though that is a big part of it. But we really try and cover across the spectrum of offensive security." - Mike Lisi
"What we saw was just this roundtable with somebody that was knowledgeable at a topic, and then 20 or 30 people just all huddled together talking about it was like a very communal sort of thing. It was way less formal than sitting in the audience and just watching one person speak." - Mike Lisi
Helpful links
- Red Team Village
- (Book) Redefining Hacking by Omar Santos, Savannah Lazar, and Wes Thurner
- DEF CON
Production credits
- Host: Dave Johnson
- Producer: Ben Baker
- Sponsor: Expel Inc.
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