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The PWN: Issue 004

The PWN: Issue 004

The Phillip Wylie Newsletter

Phillip Wylie
July 14, 2025

Welcome to this edition of The PWN! Thanks to everyone who subscribed!

July Podcast Episodes

The July episodes of The Phillip Wylie Show feature Matt Toussain, Matt Brown, and Jessica Hoffman.

Jessica Hoffman was my guest during a live episode recorded at Boardwalk Bytes last Friday in Atlantic City, NJ. Jessica is the Deputy CISO for the City of Philadelphia, PA. She shares career advice for aspiring and new security professionals, as well as seasoned professionals.

If you missed the first two episodes of July, this is what you missed:

From JAG Aspirations to Cybersecurity: Matt Toussain's Journey Toussain
Former aspiring Air Force lawyer Matt Toussain shares his pivot into offensive security and the critical importance of hands-on experience in cybersecurity. Learn about his open-source project SeriousScan, a vulnerability scanner explicitly built for mid-sized businesses that need robust security without enterprise-level budgets. We explore how AI is transforming cybersecurity workflows and discuss practical ways to create offensive security skills.

Matt Brown: Hardware Hacking & Content Creation
Cybersecurity professional and YouTube creator Matt Brown (100k+ subscribers) discusses his journey from a junior high electronics class to becoming a hardware hacking expert. Discover how to get started in IoT and hardware security without expensive equipment, essential tools for the trade, and why unedited technical content resonates with audiences. Matt shares career insights, including the growing demand for hardware security professionals, and emphasizes the importance of strong communication skills for achieving cybersecurity success.

Thank you to Relix Security for sponsoring this edition of the newsletter. Relix Security founder and CEO Corey LeBleu was featured in an episode of the Phillip Wylie Show. Check out this episode on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.

You can find the episode on your favorite platform, which can be found here: https://episodes.fm/1685564407

Upcoming Events

I always love connecting with people in my network and my podcast listeners.

On July 25 and 26, I am participating in a CISO panel at BSides AQB. Tickets and event details can be found at https://bsidesabq.org/.

Last week, I recorded a live episode of The Phillip Wylie Show at the Boardwalk Bytes Information Security Conference in Atlantic City. You can find the episode featuring Jessica Hoffman here.

Simply Offensive

Last week’s episode featured Amélie Koran. She shares her insights on AI red teaming, the evolution of traditional red teaming practices, and the key differences between federal and corporate security approaches. We explore balancing human expertise with AI capabilities and discuss when organizations should reassess their security tools and practices. Simply Offensive can be found on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Cybersecurity Tools

My security tool pick for the week is Sirius Scan. Sirius Scan is an open-source, general-purpose vulnerability scanning tool that helps you identify and manage security risks in your network infrastructure. Sirius Scan was created by Phillip Wylie Show July guest Matt Toussain. Sirius Scan can be found here: https://sirius.publickey.io/.

Phillip Wylie Show Episode Spotlight

In this episode, I interviewed Ben Sadeghipour, also known as NahamSec, about his journey to becoming a leading figure in the bug bounty community. We explore his transition from part-time to full-time bug bounty hunting, the power of personal branding and content creation in cybersecurity, and how automation and AI are reshaping the industry. Ben shares practical advice for newcomers, emphasizing why creativity, curiosity, and continuous learning are essential for achieving success in hacking.