Why train when you can just hire?” In this episode, BlueVoyant Senior Vulnerability & Risk Analyst James Gustafson explains why that mindset—and the myth that AI can replace fundamentals—is putting orgs at risk. From Army “combat cable guy” to enterprise VM leader, James breaks down how to move from scan → prioritize → fix, how to develop junior talent without gatekeeping, and where AI actually helps (and where it absolutely doesn’t).
🎧 Audio listeners can subscribe on any platform (Spotify, Apple, etc.) or here: https://legitimatecybersecurity.podbean.com/
💼 Media & interview requests: admin@legitimatecybersecurity.com
You’ll learn
Why scan ≠ secure and how to make risk registers stick
The hiring shift: junior roles, budgets, and AI misconceptions
Packets vs. button-ology—what juniors lose when tools do too much
How to communicate VM risk at 10k+ asset scale
AI’s “sweet spot” for practitioners (and the painful edges)
Chapter Breaks
00:00 Cold Open — “Misconceptions about what AI can replace”
00:17 Intro — Who is James Gustafson (BlueVoyant)
01:14 Origin Story — Movies, IRC, and early curiosity
03:13 Army to IT — “Combat cable guy” and real-world networking
04:31 Breaking In — 2009 job market, degrees & certs
05:48 Obsession & Passion — How to pivot from IT to cyber
06:39 Where Did Juniors Go? — Budgets + AI hype
08:20 AI Reality Check — Risk shifts, phishing, unknowns
10:02 History Rhymes — From mainframes to printing press to AI
14:05 VM at Scale — Actionable comms, policy, and ownership
15:18 Why Orgs Scan but Don’t Fix — The uncomfortable truth
17:06 Priorities vs. Patching — Firefights and thin teams
18:05 SOC Then vs. Now — Packets, Snort, SIEM & automation
19:54 Button-ology vs Fundamentals — Hiring for platforms
22:10 Teaching Without Gatekeeping — Recreating “packet” intuition
28:07 Training the Next Gen — Translating deep knowledge
30:26 Parenting & Passion — “Be excellent at something”
34:27 What’s Going Right — Industry sobers up on AI
36:33 Thought Experiment — If we “laid down arms” in cyber…
38:08 Wrap — Why fundamentals still win
#cybersecurity #vulnerabilitymanagement #bluevoyant #ai #riskmanagement #soc #infosec #careerincybersecurity #cve #CISAKnownExploited #wireshark #Qualys #tenable #crowdstrike #microsoftdefender
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