Hack Dissection

Episode 0x13: The Needle

In this episode of Hack Dissection, Mike Lisi sits down with Wayne Koback from NRECA to talk about the cybersecurity challenges facing electric cooperatives and rural utilities across the country. Wayne shares what makes the co-op utility space so unique, from massive organizations with nuclear assets to small-town teams where one person may be handling IT, utility operations, and town management all at once. Mike and Wayne dig into the realities of protecting critical infrastructure with limited resources, the importance of practical cyber goals, and why collaboration across co-ops matters when facing threats to the grid. They also explore how data center growth is impacting rural utilities, why vendor security needs more accountability, and how SCADA knowledge can open doors for cybersecurity professionals in industries far beyond electric power. For anyone interested in cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, rural utilities, or building a stable and meaningful career in tech, this episode offers a grounded look at where cyber work has real-world consequences.

Episode 0x12: Try Harder

In Episode 12 of Hack Dissection, Mike Lisi sits down with longtime friend and respected security educator Phillip Wylie — Chief Security Evangelist and Senior Consultant at Suzu Labs, and host of the Simply Offensive and The Phillip Wylie Show podcasts. Together, they look back on their early days pursuing the OSCP, discuss how offensive security has evolved over the last decade, and break down the changing realities of penetration testing in today’s environment. Phillip shares stories from the field, including a memorable web app penetration test involving SQL injection, weak credential practices, and the all-too-common misuse of risk acceptance. The conversation also explores the growing importance of web app testing, IoT attack paths, continuous remediation, and why foundational skills like networking, operating systems, and scripting still matter for anyone serious about building a career in cybersecurity. They also dig into mentorship, community involvement, conference speaking, and the future of the industry — from AI as a force multiplier to the value of staying adaptable in a field that never stops changing. Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or just breaking into offensive security, this episode is packed with practical insight, career wisdom, and real-world perspective from one of the community’s most generous voices.

Episode 0x11: Signal Loss

In Episode 11 of Hack Dissection, Mike Lisi and Graham O’Donnell reunite in person after a brutal Q4 to break down what they’re seeing across penetration testing, external assessments, web apps, and internal networks heading into 2026. The conversation dives into why Q4 is always chaos in cybersecurity, how compliance deadlines shape client behavior, and why traditional external pen tests may be giving way to continuous monitoring and more practical security validation. Mike and Graham also unpack the real-world tradeoffs of scoping engagements, why collaboration with clients leads to better results, and the common misconceptions organizations still have about realism, downtime, and what offensive testing is actually meant to prove. Along the way, they share stories from the field — including strange external exposures, recurring misconfigurations, creative attack paths, and a wild case where a locked-down browser-based remote desktop environment led to full command-line access. It’s a candid, technical, and funny conversation about where offensive security is headed, what still works, and what organizations should really be testing.

Episode 0x10: Breaking In Without Breaking Down

In this episode of Hack Dissection, Mike Lisi sits down with Josh Cutting, a young software engineer who did what many cybersecurity students struggle to do — land a job immediately after graduating. Josh shares his journey from learning to code as a kid and studying at SUNY Poly to completing multiple internships, earning his master’s degree, and transitioning seamlessly into the workforce. Together, Mike and Josh unpack what actually matters when trying to break into cybersecurity today — and what doesn’t. This conversation dives deep into: * Why internships matter more than credentials alone * The mindset shift students need to succeed in cybersecurity * Learning outside the classroom through labs, CTFs, hackathons, and home labs * How employers really evaluate candidates during interviews * Why passion, curiosity, and adaptability beat “checking boxes” * The importance of mentorship, networking, and soft skills in technical careers Whether you’re a student trying to land your first role, a career-changer navigating cybersecurity, or a hiring manager looking for motivated talent, this episode offers practical insights from someone who’s been through the process recently — and successfully. If you’ve ever asked, “What does it really take to get hired in cybersecurity?” — this episode breaks it down.

Episode 0x9

In Episode 0x9 of Hack Dissection, host Mike Lisi flips the perspective from offense to defense with guest Cody Spooner, Principal Sales Engineer at Corelight. While Mike spends his days breaking into networks, Cody helps organizations defend them. Together they unpack how visibility, monitoring, and mindset intersect in modern cybersecurity — from the SOC Triad (SIEM, EDR, NDR) to the realities of MDR services, threat hunting, and alert fatigue. They dig into: * Why companies think they’re protected but still miss every alert * How to turn red-team findings into real defensive improvements * What threat hunting actually means (and why it’s not just a buzzword) * Lessons from ransomware incidents and tabletop exercises * How small businesses can build effective defenses without enterprise budgets If you’ve ever wondered what happens after the pen testers pack up, this conversation connects the offensive and defensive sides of the same fight — and shows how better collaboration can close the gap.