Empowering the Vulnerable

In cybersecurity, we need to understand the mindset of hacking,
which is not ethics. We also need to realize that even if we have
cybersecurity experts get hacked, there is no reason to feel
embarrassed or ashamed when it happens to us. In today’s show
we’re going deep into the world of cybersecurity with one of the
industry’s most seasoned experts, Sam Curry. With over 30 years
of experience in information security, Sam has been defending
against cyber threats, shaping security strategies and mentoring
the next generation of cyber professionals. 


Currently the Global VP and CISO-in-Residence at Zscaler, Sam has
also held leadership roles at companies like RSA, McAfee and
Arbor Networks where he helped pioneer innovations in VPN
technology and personal firewalls. But cybersecurity isn’t just
about firewalls and encryption—it’s about mindset. Sam joins us
to talk about the hacker mentality, zero-trust security and why
even the best security professionals get hacked. 


From his early days in cryptography to mitigating major cyber
breaches Sam shares his insights on how businesses and
individuals can defend themselves in a digital world. If you’ve
ever wondered how cybercriminals think, how AI is changing the
security landscape or what you can do to stay one step ahead then
this episode is for you. 
Show Notes:

[00:55] Sam is Global VP and CISO-in-Residence at Zscaler.
For the last 32 years, he's been involved in every part of
security at some point.

[01:23] He teaches cyber and used to run RSA Labs at MIT. He
currently teaches at Wentworth Institute of Technology, and he
also sits on a few boards.

[02:41] We learn how Sam ended up working in cyber security.
He has patents in VPN technology, and was one of the co-inventors
of the personal fire law which was sold to McAfee.

[04:14] There were security principles before 1996.

[07:38] Sam feels a need and a mission to protect people.
It's very personal to him.

[08:40] He was there for the breach that RSA had. He's also
been spearfished.

[12:47] The shepherd tone is an audio illusion that makes
sound that can make people sick because it sounds like it's
always increasing.

[16:31] Scams are way under reported because people are too
embarrassed to report them.

[19:31] Challenges of keeping security up. In peacetime we
have to remember to build resilience and be antifragile.

[22:10] Zero trust is a strategy and architecture for
minimizing functionality.

[28:14] There are immediate benefits from a security
perspective to start creating zero trust.

[30:17] Problems need to be defined correctly.

[33:03] Even people who've done incredible research on
hacking techniques have gotten hacked. There's no shame in it.

[34:02] We need the hacker mindset. It's an important part of
the human community.

[36:44] The importance of making things easier to understand.

[38:18] Advice for people wanting to get into cybersecurity
is being just this side of ready and tackling things that are a
little too big and a little too scary. Also find allies and a
network.



Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to
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Sam Curry on Zscaler

On The Hook: An InfoSec Podcast

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