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1 Shuai Wang’s Journey from China to Charleston 38:30
Zero Trust Isn’t a Tool — It’s Everything with George Finney
Manage episode 487001707 series 2675076
What if Zero Trust isn’t a framework, but the only viable cybersecurity strategy—more about people than products?
In this episode, George Finney, CISO at the University of Texas System and author of Project Zero Trust, reveals the human-first truth behind the Zero Trust movement, and why it’s not something you buy but something you build. George shares stories from hacking a college database to launching a deepfake of himself trained on his own books, all while breaking down how AI and creativity are reshaping security leadership.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Cyber Hall of Fame recognition
07:00 - Hacked his college to solve mail
09:00 - Took startup job without paycheck
14:14 - Zero Trust is a strategy, not tool
17:00 - Tailoring security like a custom suit
23:29 - AI strategy through Zero Trust lens
29:30 - Built a Zero Trust voice clone hotline
36:00 - You don’t need to be a CISO
38:30 - Why weirdos make cybersecurity stronger
Links:
Connect with our guest, George Finney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgefinney/
Check out George’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01MT0C6X3
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
385 episodes
Manage episode 487001707 series 2675076
What if Zero Trust isn’t a framework, but the only viable cybersecurity strategy—more about people than products?
In this episode, George Finney, CISO at the University of Texas System and author of Project Zero Trust, reveals the human-first truth behind the Zero Trust movement, and why it’s not something you buy but something you build. George shares stories from hacking a college database to launching a deepfake of himself trained on his own books, all while breaking down how AI and creativity are reshaping security leadership.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Cyber Hall of Fame recognition
07:00 - Hacked his college to solve mail
09:00 - Took startup job without paycheck
14:14 - Zero Trust is a strategy, not tool
17:00 - Tailoring security like a custom suit
23:29 - AI strategy through Zero Trust lens
29:30 - Built a Zero Trust voice clone hotline
36:00 - You don’t need to be a CISO
38:30 - Why weirdos make cybersecurity stronger
Links:
Connect with our guest, George Finney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgefinney/
Check out George’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01MT0C6X3
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
385 episodes
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1 The Year of the Agent: AI, Bug Bounties, and Cybersecurity Insights with Marco Figueroa 41:39

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1 Hacking Trust with AI and Deepfakes featuring Iain Jackson 25:04
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