236: Protecting Businesses by Becoming the Hacker with J. Foster Davis of BreachBits

Summary

Welcome to another episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast!

In this episode, Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Matthew Ward talk with J. Foster Davis.  Foster spent 13 years in the Navy before co-founding the cybersecurity firm BreachBits where he now serves as the COO.  The guys talk about the importance of cybersecurity, different strategies for auditing security systems, and how BreachBits is revolutionizing the industry.  You don’t want to miss this episode!

 

Shownotes

(1:36) Introducing Foster Davis

(12:31) What is BreachBits?

(16:40) BreachBits background

(20:20) Red teaming vs blue teaming

(29:43) Cybersecurity tips

(37:15) Advice for the younger self

(39:39) Wrap up

 

Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Matthew Ward

1. Foster Davis

BreachBits 

Tiny Capital 

 

Quotes

“BreachBits is the idea that the best way to catch a thief is to hire a thief.  The best way to find out if you are going to be hacked by a hacker is to actually hire hackers to do it.”  (12:31)

 

“I love red teaming because it’s not just about us taking the tools that a hacker uses, the tools that the offensive, the adversary uses.  It’s about becoming them.  It’s about immersing ourselves in the way that they think.  And so, in many ways what you want to actually do is have a very deep separation between your blue team and your red team.”  (21:48)

 

“I have a lot of experience in risk management, and I am a big believer that cyber risk is just like any other risk.  Cyber security is really not that mysterious.  If you’re a business owner or responsible for a line of business, you should be asking your security people the same thing you’re asking your finance people or your logistics people or your storeroom people.  What is the bad thing that can happen?  How likely is it that it will happen?  And if it were to happen, how bad would it be?”  (26:03)

 

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