Ep. 10 - From Wrestling Bears to Cybersecurity: Philip Wylie, Offensive Security Expert at Horizon3.ai and Host of Phillip Wylie Show

From wrestling bears to conquering cybersecurity, Philip Wylie shares his thrilling journey of resilience, self-learning, and mentorship, offering insights into the evolving cybersecurity landscape, podcasting, and building a personal brand.

In this conversation, Philip Wylie shares his journey from wrestling bears and pro wrestling to becoming a prominent figure in cybersecurity, emphasizing self-learning, adaptability, mentorship, community building, and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity careers while reflecting on podcasting, public speaking, and content creation as essential tools for professional growth, networking, and giving back to the community.

Books:

1. The Pentester Blueprint - Co-authored by Phillip Wylie.
2. Hacking Exposed - A book series popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, associated with Foundstone.

People:

1. Phillip Wylie - Cybersecurity professional and pen tester.
2. Chris Magistrado (Chris REal0day) - Host of the podcast.
3. Alyssa Miller - Co-host of "Uncommon Journey" podcast with Phillip Wylie.
4. Chloé Messdaghi - Co-host of "Uncommon Journey" podcast with Phillip Wylie.
5. Don Weber - SANS instructor and ICS OT security professional.
6. Jack Rhysider - Host of the "Darknet Diaries" podcast, known for cybersecurity storytelling.
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WWE wrestler who used to train at the same gym as Phillip.
8. Rick Flair - Wrestling legend associated with WCW.
9. Sting - Wrestler who transitioned from UWF to WCW.
10. Iceman King Parsons - Wrestler who hazed newcomers.
11. Samson the Bear - The wrestling bear Phillip competed against.
12. Vince McMahon - Mentioned regarding the WWF/WWE steroid scandal.
13. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - Referenced in the context of Samoan wrestling heritage.
14. American Gladiators - Referenced as a show Phillip once auditioned for.

Podcasts:

1. Uncommon Journey - Phillip Wylie's first podcast, co-hosted with Alyssa Miller and Chloe Messdaghi.
2. Darknet Diaries - Mentioned as an inspiration for podcast storytelling (hosted by Jack Rhysider).
3. Paul’s Security Weekly - Mentioned for its multi-host format.

Events and Locations:

1. DefCon Group 940 - Created by Phillip Wylie for community building.
2. RSA Conference - Where Phillip met with Bugcrowd leaders.
3. B-Sides San Francisco - Another event linked to Phillip’s early opportunities.

Certifications:

1. CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) - Certification Phillip pursued.
2. CISSP - Certification Phillip earned to strengthen his security credentials.

Cultural References:

1. Tiger King - Mentioned in the context of unusual animal practices and Oklahoma.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I really changed my focus
because my wife has been a big inspiration for me
so my wife used to teach an ESL class
so she got to help a lot of people that were undocumented
citizens here in the US that they
and they trusted her
and just the way she impacted to help those people's lives
I thought you know
if I look at my legacy right now
I've got my daughter very proud of my family

(00:21):
my career my certifications
and so I took a page from her book
got inspired and started teaching at college
and that's what I really turned my focus towards
mentoring and helping others
I've always been a competitive person
always goal oriented and one of the things I say about pen testing

(00:41):
I'll never claim I was ever the best pentester
close to it you know
I did a good job but
you know I always put so much focus into my career in this
and so then I just kind of decided i wanted to help others
I decided
you know I figured
you know was just thinking
pondering this idea that you know
the world needs more coaches and mentors and teachers
it's not enough to be remembered over...
but...who's gonna remember me when I'm gone