Failed a Cybersecurity Exam? Here’s What Happened Next
The video chronicles a professional’s journey through the SANS cybersecurity certification track, a master‑level program that expects participants to earn three credentials within roughly twelve months. After breezing through the first two exams, the speaker fell short on the third by one or two points, describing the experience as crushing. Key insights include the program’s rigorous timeline, the emotional impact of narrowly missing a pass mark, and the pivotal role of mentorship. SANS emphasizes that candidates need not arrive with deep technical backgrounds; instead, they value persistence and a willingness to learn. With guidance from mentors and a few extra months of study, the speaker retook the exam and achieved a high score. Notable remarks such as “they’re not expecting you to come from a super technical background” and “we’re all behind you” illustrate the supportive culture. The speaker credits the network of peers and mentors for turning a setback into a career catalyst, ultimately enabling a transition into a more advanced cybersecurity role. The story underscores how resilience, structured support, and recognized certifications can reshape career trajectories in a talent‑starved field. It also signals a commitment to “pay it forward,” as the speaker now seeks to mentor the next generation of cybersecurity talent.
Breaking Into Cybersecurity After 30
The video chronicles a man in his late thirties who left two full‑time jobs to enroll in a cybersecurity workforce academy, seeking a career pivot that would give him more time with his family. He describes the grind of working 7 a.m....
How Secure by Design and Public Partnerships Drive Deterrence: A Conversation with Jen Easterly
The podcast features a deep‑dive conversation with Jen Easterly, former Army lieutenant colonel and current chief executive of the RSA Conference, about how secure‑by‑design engineering and public‑private partnerships shape U.S. cyber deterrence. Easterly recounts her early immersion in cyber while deployed...
SANS Share Your Story: How SEC401 Builds Your Security Foundation with Genie-Rose Luluquisin
The video, part of SANS “Share Your Story” series, features Genie Rose Luluquisin, a security operations manager, recounting how the SEC401 Fundamentals of Information Security course reshaped her career. She describes entering a male‑dominated SOC environment, feeling the need for...
Two Generations. One Powerful Learning Journey.
The video “Two generations. One powerful learning journey” showcases a father‑daughter duo—Sunel Wari and Mariam Barki—who trace their paths from early tech roles to advanced cybersecurity careers, emphasizing the pivotal role of SANS training. Sunel, after five years in technology, pivoted...
Data Security in the Age of AI: Proactive Strategies to Protect Your Most Valuable Assets
The webcast, led by Peter Sleven, senior information‑security manager at Bank of Ireland, examined how enterprises can safeguard data as AI adoption accelerates. Sleven framed data security as a prerequisite for successful AI projects and outlined a roadmap that spans...
Cybersecurity Standards Scorecard (2025 Edition)
The webcast, hosted by veteran SANS instructor James Troll, introduces the 2025 edition of the Cybersecurity Standards Scorecard – an annual research effort that catalogues and evaluates the growing universe of cyber‑security frameworks. Troll notes that the SANS database now...
Blue Team | Intelligence-Driven Defense for the Real World
The video outlines an intelligence‑driven approach to blue‑team operations, arguing that modern cyber‑threat intelligence (CTI) must evolve from static reports into an operational pipeline that turns external threat feeds and internal telemetry into concrete defensive actions. The speaker, who credits...
Red Team | Weaponizing LLM Fine-Tuning for Stealthy C2
Researchers from Palo Alto Networks' Cortex team demonstrated how attackers can weaponize fine-tuning of large language models to build stealthy command-and-control channels that live inside popular AI models. They show attackers already using LLMs for reconnaissance, social engineering and coding,...
Blue Team | From Exploit to Risk: Scaling Purple Team Insights
Anthony Switzer argues for “first-principle purple teaming,” a methodology that converts red-team and pentest findings into actionable business risk and mission impact. He stresses translating technical detections (e.g., Active Directory exploits, MITRE mappings) into language executives and auditors understand, and...
Blue Team | Hunting Cloud Persistence Without Malware
The talk explains how modern attackers achieve long-term cloud persistence without malware by abusing legitimate cloud-native features—OAuth app consent, stolen or replayed tokens, mismanaged service principal credentials, long-lived API keys, mailbox rules and automated connectors. These malicious activities blend into...
