This episode walks through the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification in clear, practical terms for early-career defenders. You will hear what CySA+ actually is, who it is built for, and how it turns scattered experience with alerts and logs into a more deliberate analyst mindset. We dig into the exam’s real focus on threat detection, vulnerability management, and incident response, drawing on the same structure as my Monday “Certified” feature in Bare Metal Cyber Magazine so the ideas build step by step without jargon getting in the way.
You will also hear how CySA+ fits into a broader career path, whether you are coming from Security+, general IT, or a help desk role that is drifting toward security operations. Along the way, the narration highlights how hiring managers tend to read CySA+ on a resume, common misconceptions about the exam, and simple strategies for building confidence with scenarios and performance-based questions. If you want to go deeper, you can expand this overview with the full audio course for CySA+ inside the Bare Metal Cyber Audio Academy.
In this episode, we break down the reality of the SOC Pager Olympics—the endless cycle of 3 a.m. wake-ups triggered by false alarms. You’ll hear how misconfigured thresholds, duplication storms, and phantom anomalies turn vigilance into chaos. We’ll explore the human cost of sleep disruption, from cognitive fog to burnout, and reveal why culture and leadership are just as critical as detection rules. Along the way, you’ll learn how to separate signals from noise, define what truly deserves a page, and restore trust in the systems meant to protect.
By listening, you’ll sharpen your ability to design sustainable on-call practices, strengthen detection engineering skills, and build empathy-driven leadership that respects human limits. You’ll also gain practical tools for measuring alert quality, enriching notifications with context, and fostering psychological safety in SOC teams. This is more than an exploration of alert fatigue—it’s a roadmap to building stronger, healthier defenders.
Produced by BareMetalCyber.com.
When your network still feels like one big open floor plan, a single compromised device can turn into a building-wide fire. In this audio companion to my Tuesday “Insights” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, we walk through network segmentation in clear, practical language. You’ll hear what network segmentation really is, where it fits in modern hybrid environments, and how it changes the way traffic moves between users, servers, and sensitive systems. The goal is not theory for its own sake, but a working mental model you can carry into your next design review, incident call, or architecture conversation.
We also explore how segmentation patterns show up in everyday environments, from simple user-versus-server separations to tighter zones around high-value applications and data. Along the way, we look at the benefits and trade-offs, including the design effort, operational overhead, and hard limits segmentation cannot solve on its own. You’ll hear common failure modes like “any-to-any” rules and rule sprawl, as well as healthy signals that your segmentation is actually slowing attackers down. If you work in security, IT, or cloud operations, this walkthrough gives you a straight-talking guide to making flat networks more defensible.
This episode walks you through the PCI Professional (PCIP) certification in clear, everyday language. We start with what PCIP is designed to prove, why it matters for anyone working around payment card data, and how it fits into the wider world of PCI DSS. From there, we talk about who this certification is really for across security, IT, audit, and payments roles, and what it means to be able to “speak PCI” in meetings, projects, and assessments. The narration is based on my Monday “Certified” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, adapted for audio so you can follow along without needing the article in front of you.
You will also get a guided tour of what the PCIP exam actually tests, the kinds of scenarios you can expect, and how the certification fits into a longer-term career path that might include other security, audit, or compliance credentials. We connect domains, scope, controls, and evidence in a way that makes sense if you are early in your journey but already working with real systems and teams. If you want to go further, you can dive into the full PCI Professional (PCIP) audio course inside the Bare Metal Cyber Audio Academy for deeper, structured exam prep.
In this episode, we strip away the noise surrounding Software Bills of Materials and reframe them through a fresh lens: allergens. Instead of drowning in endless dependency lists, you’ll learn how to identify the handful of components that can actually break your security posture—known exploited vulnerabilities, crypto and authentication stacks, choke-point libraries, abandoned projects, legal traps, and poisoned registries. We explore how VEX, exploit likelihood, and reachability shrink the noise, and we break down the concept of the minimal-viable SBOM, a leaner approach designed to deliver clarity instead of compliance fatigue.
By listening, you’ll sharpen your ability to prioritize real risks over theoretical ones, master how to integrate context like VEX into security workflows, and recognize legal and build-system obligations before they cause damage. You’ll walk away with practical skills for producing SBOMs people will actually use, crafting reports tailored to different audiences, and focusing on trust-building clarity rather than overwhelming volume. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com.
In this narrated Insight, we unpack cyber asset inventory as the quiet backbone of a modern security program. You will hear what cyber asset inventory really means in today’s mix of on-prem, cloud, and SaaS, and where it fits among your existing tools and processes. We walk through why “you can’t secure what you can’t see” is not just a slogan, but a practical reality for vulnerability management, access reviews, and incident response. The narration is based on my Tuesday “Insights” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, adapted into clear, spoken explanations for busy security and IT professionals.
We also explore how a living asset map actually comes together, from discovery sources and central stores to ownership tags and enrichment rules. You will hear everyday use cases that range from quick wins, like building a simple view of internet-facing assets, to more strategic moves like mapping assets to business services. Along the way, we call out the real benefits, trade-offs, and limits of cyber asset inventory, plus the failure modes that cause inventories to decay and the healthy signals that show the discipline is working in real life.
The Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) exam is built for security leaders who are ready to move from running tools to running a program, and this narrated episode walks through what that shift really means. You will hear a clear breakdown of what CCISO is, who it is designed for, and how it differs from more technical certifications you may know. The episode is based on my Monday “Certified” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, so the story is structured for early-career professionals and rising managers who want a grounded view of executive-level security leadership.
From there, the episode explores what the CCISO exam actually tests, how its domains reflect real-world responsibilities, and where it fits in a broader security career path. You will get a plain-language explanation of exam domains, study focus areas, and the kind of thinking CCISO rewards, along with guidance on when this certification makes sense in a long-term plan. If you decide to go further, you can deepen your preparation with the full audio course for CCISO inside the Bare Metal Cyber Audio Academy, designed to fit around commutes, workouts, and everything else in your schedule.
In my conversation with Detective Richard Wistocki (Ret.), we talked candidly about a reality that many school leaders and law enforcement professionals already feel in their bones: online threats are constant, confusing, and often paralyzing. This Cyber Talk, developed by BareMetalCyber.com, focuses on what it really takes to track school swatters and potential shooters through “leakage” in social media and online platforms, and then turn that information into timely, lawful action. If you are looking at the video above, this article is here to frame the big ideas and give you a reason to hit play.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to transform a traditional, forgettable tabletop exercise into something unforgettable: a telenovela. We explore how to recast roles as characters with motives, build dramatic arcs with twists and cliffhangers, and use realistic props to make your IR plan come alive. Instead of walking through checklists, you’ll hear how to stage a story your team will actually remember when a real breach occurs.
You’ll also discover the skills that improve when training shifts from paperwork to drama. From sharper communication under pressure, to quicker decision-making, to cross-functional empathy, the tabletop telenovela strengthens instincts that no binder can teach. It turns compliance drills into lived experiences, building resilience through memory and story.
Produced by BareMetalCyber.com.
Patch and update management rarely makes headlines, but it quietly determines how exposed your environment really is. In this audio Insight, we walk through the foundations of a solid patch and update management practice, from intake of vendor advisories and scan results through testing, change windows, rollout, and verification. You will hear how this discipline sits between security, operations, and the business, and why predictable patch rhythms do more for real-world risk reduction than one-off fire drills or heroic weekend upgrades.
You will also explore everyday patterns that teams use to keep systems current, from quick-win cycles in smaller environments to more risk-driven, strategic approaches in larger estates. Along the way, we unpack the trade-offs around downtime, tooling, skills, legacy systems, and culture, and highlight the warning signs of shallow adoption versus the healthy signals of a mature practice. This narration is developed by Bare Metal Cyber and based on the Tuesday “Insights” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine.
This episode takes you inside the world of the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), a certification that helps professionals grow from hands-on security work into roles that shape programs, policies, and risk decisions. In clear, beginner-friendly language, the narration explains what CISM is, who it is really for, and how it changes the way you think about governance, risk management, and incident response. The story is developed from my Monday “Certified” feature in Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, so you get a structured walkthrough rather than a loose collection of tips.
You will hear how the CISM exam actually tests your judgment through real-world style scenarios, what kinds of responsibilities it supports in the workplace, and where it fits in a long-term security career path. The episode also helps you understand whether a management-focused certification is the right move for your current stage, or a goal to aim for later. If you want to go deeper and turn this overview into a full study plan, you can pair the episode with the dedicated CISM audio course inside the Bare Metal Cyber Audio Academy.
In my Cyber Talks conversation with Craig Taylor the co-founder and CEO of CyberHoot, we dive into a problem that is evolving faster than most organizations can keep up: phishing in the age of agentic AI. Cyber Talks, developed by BareMetalCyber.com, is all about learning from practitioners who are pushing the field forward, and Craig has spent three decades on the front lines of security, risk, and cyber literacy. If you lead security, IT, or risk, the video above is worth a careful watch—because the phishing problem you think you have is not the one you’re actually facing today.
In this episode, we explore why email is both the oldest and most dangerous application in your enterprise. You’ll learn how protocols built in the 1970s still carry modern business logic, why attackers thrive on its openness, and how Business Email Compromise has evolved into one of the most profitable cybercrimes in history. The discussion traces the history of email’s insecure DNA, the patchwork of fixes that never quite solve it, and the cultural and regulatory anchors that make it impossible to abandon.
Listeners will come away with sharper skills in evaluating email risk, recognizing the tactics adversaries use to exploit trust, and applying pragmatic controls that actually reduce exposure. You’ll understand how to treat email like a critical application, design workflows that resist fraud, and build governance that prevents small compromises from becoming catastrophic losses. This is not just theory—it’s a roadmap for defending the unpatchable app every organization depends on.
Produced by BareMetalCyber.com.
Understanding vulnerability data can feel like learning a new language, especially when every report is packed with identifiers and scores. In this narrated Insight, we walk through the relationship between software vulnerabilities, Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE), and the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). You will hear how vulnerabilities move from discovery to public CVE records, how CVSS scores are calculated, and why those numbers show up in dashboards, tickets, and board reports. The narration is based on the Tuesday “Insights” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine and is designed for working security and IT professionals who want clear, vendor-neutral explanations.
We then shift to everyday practice: how teams actually use CVE and CVSS in vulnerability management, where these tools genuinely help, and where they can mislead if treated as the whole story. You will hear practical examples of quick-win prioritization for smaller teams, as well as more advanced ways to combine scores with asset criticality and threat activity. We also explore common failure modes, such as chasing scores instead of real risk, and highlight healthier signals that show your vulnerability data is driving better decisions. By the end, you will have a grounded mental model for reading those lists of IDs and scores with more confidence.
This episode walks through the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification in clear, beginner-friendly language, focusing on what it really means to think like an IT auditor. You will hear how CISA frames technology in terms of controls, evidence, and risk, and why that perspective matters if you want to move closer to audit, governance, or technology risk roles. The narration is based on my Monday “Certified” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, so you get the same structured breakdown in an audio format that fits into a busy day.
We will cover who CISA is really for, what the exam emphasizes, and how it fits into a broader career and certification path for early-career cyber and IT professionals. You will also hear practical ideas on preparing for the exam, from understanding the domains and question style to building a simple, sustainable study plan that fits around work and life. If you want to go deeper, you can continue your journey with the full audio course for this certification inside the Bare Metal Cyber Audio Academy.
This is your weekly cyber news roll-up for the week ending December 5th, 2025. Holiday shopping dominates the threat landscape, with industrial scale fake Christmas and Cyber Monday stores siphoning card data while a massive breach at Korean retail giant Coupang exposes tens of millions of shoppers. At the same time, attackers are burrowing into the software factory, from exposed secrets in cloud code repositories and malicious developer packages to tainted browser extensions that quietly spy on everyday work in customer relationship, finance, and human resources tools. Law enforcement’s takedown of a major crypto mixer shows real pressure on ransomware cash washing, even as mobile devices and airport Wi Fi remind leaders how fragile everyday access can be.
Across the episode, you will hear how attackers exploit hurry, convenience, and shared platforms in very different settings, from North Korean software supply chain campaigns and steganography tools built for espionage, to vendor breaches at financial data providers and cross tenant flaws in cloud services. We explore how weak artificial intelligence governance and powerful low code workflows can be twisted into ransomware launchers, how fake ChatGPT style browsers steal passwords at scale, and why critical bugs in React based web stacks demand rapid attention from builders. Executives, security teams, engineers, and students all get practical context on where trust is eroding and which signals to watch in logs, workflows, and vendor relationships. This weekly roll-up is designed to help you decide what to act on first, and it is available at DailyCyber.news.
Excel is great for many things — but it is not a governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform. In this Cyber Talk developed by BareMetalCyber.com, Dr. Jason Edwards sits down with Dean Charlton, Managing Director of DC CyberTech, to unpack why even the most well-intentioned GRC programs stall out when they live in spreadsheets.
Dean walks through the real-world pain points of “Excel-driven” GRC, from version chaos and manual updates to audit gaps and poor visibility for leadership. He then shows how automated, AI-driven GRC solutions can support organizations of all sizes, giving you cleaner data, clearer accountability, and a living view of risk instead of static files.
If you’re still managing controls, risks, and audits in Excel — or you’re afraid a full-blown platform is “too big” for your team — this session will give you practical ways to think differently about tooling, scalability, and where AI can actually help.
In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Shadow SaaS—the hidden world of unsanctioned apps quietly multiplying across the enterprise. You’ll learn how a single “Sign in with Google” click can spawn a durable, invisible connection, why OAuth tokens never seem to die, and how browser extensions and plug-ins form entire shadow ecosystems. We trace the blast radius from data leaks to compliance failures, and show how discovery pipelines, technical guardrails, and smart workflows can expose the sprawl without slowing innovation.
By listening, you’ll sharpen your ability to spot the signs of Shadow SaaS in your own environment, build stronger instincts around risk-based discovery, and gain practical strategies for token management, data protection, and cultural alignment. You’ll walk away with skills to govern SaaS without becoming the “department of no,” turning hidden risk into managed resilience. This episode equips you to secure speed and innovation hand in hand.
Produced by BareMetalCyber.com.
This narrated Insight walks through the Cyber Kill Chain (CKC) and broader cyber attack lifecycle models as practical tools for real-world defenders. You’ll hear how CKC breaks an intrusion into recognizable stages, from reconnaissance to actions on objectives, and how that gives analysts and engineers a common storyline for messy, real-world incidents. The audio stays vendor-neutral and plain-language, focusing on how to connect alerts, logs, and behaviors to a clear sense of “where in the attacker’s journey are we right now?”
You’ll also explore everyday use cases, from tuning detections and building playbooks to running more realistic tabletops and making smarter architecture and budget decisions. Along the way, the episode examines benefits, trade-offs, and common failure modes, like treating the Cyber Kill Chain as a slideware checkbox instead of an operational lens. This narration is developed from the Tuesday “Insights” feature in Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, giving you a concise, audio-first way to absorb the full breakdown.
Step into the world of CompTIA Security+ (Security+) with this narrated guide designed for early-career technologists and career-changers. This episode explains what Security+ actually covers, who it is really for, and why so many entry-level security and IT roles call it out by name. You will hear how the exam objectives translate into real skills around threats, defenses, secure design, and day-to-day operations, all in clear, plain English. The narration is based on my Monday “Certified” feature from Bare Metal Cyber Magazine, adapted for audio so you can follow along without needing the article in front of you.
We also explore where Security+ fits in a broader certification and career path, from help desk and junior admin roles through security analyst and SOC positions. You will learn how the exam rewards applied understanding over flashcard memorization, what common misconceptions trip up candidates, and how to think about your next steps once you pass. If you are ready to go deeper and follow a structured, step-by-step study plan, you can continue with the full audio course for Security+ inside the Bare Metal Cyber Audio Academy.