Dr. Dustin Brewer just passed his dissertation defense (👑 incoming), so we celebrated the only way we know how: by tackling Reddit’s most controversial cybersecurity questions—no fluff, real talk.

In this episode, Frank Downs and (now) Dr. Dustin break down:

How to brief a non-technical board so they actually fund security (tie risk to $$, ops impact, and avoid doom-mongering).

What should already be automated (network topology & asset management… why isn’t this solved yet?).

Should you take a pay cut to break into cyber? The honest “it depends” with finance, family, and sanity in mind.

Unpopular opinions: degrees vs certs, do you need to code, and why humility beats fake expertise.

“Cybersecurity sucks”—when it does, why it does, and how to know if it’s time to pivot.

Where the next gen of cyber talent will come from (CS, bootcamps, liberal arts, law… and maybe alien overlords 👽).

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👇 Chapters below for quick jumping.

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Chapter Breaks

00:00 – Frank crowns Dr. Dustin Brewer (graduation, hoods, and coronation jokes)

01:42 – How do you explain risk to a non-technical board?

03:16 – From vuln counts to business dollars ($500k vs $23M losses)

05:26 – Avoiding “boy who cried wolf” cyber doom-scenarios

09:37 – What should already be automated in cybersecurity?

10:25 – Network topology & asset management: the automation failures

15:25 – Frank’s asset management horror story (Vista laptop box fail)

15:51 – Should you take a pay cut to get into cybersecurity?

19:20 – Frank’s unsolicited marriage advice for career-changers

22:19 – You are not your job: cyber ≠ your identity

23:22 – Unpopular opinions: degrees vs certs, no coding required

29:30 – Why you still need a risk register

29:51 – “There are no experts in cybersecurity”… or are there?

35:33 – Does cybersecurity suck? When it does, and why

37:37 – Frank’s dentist “tongue suction” horror story → career clarity

42:26 – Where the next generation of cyber talent will come from

47:48 – Final thoughts & wrap-up

#cybersecurity #ciso #riskmanagement #cybercareers #automation #infosec #cyberjobs #reddit #legitimatecybersecurity