From Car Culture to Cybersecurity: Building Community and Skills with Christian Pinkston

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Johnny Xmas shares the grassroots story and philosophy behind BurbSec, a unique InfoSec meetup network focused on genuine community and consistent in-person engagement. He dives into the evolution from IRC to Discord, detailing how digital platforms have helped expand and sustain their hyperlocal connections. Johnny also discusses the broader social impacts of tech culture, the value of assuming breach in security strategy, and the dangers of oversimplified advice like "just patch your stuff."https://burbsec.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyxmas/Johnny Xmas, a prominent figure in the Information Security community since 2002, has been a dedicated contributor to public forums, sharing his extensive research and knowledge. Most notably recognized for being the showrunner of the BurbSec Infosec Meetup Network, his pivotal role in exposing the American TSA Master Key leaks (2014-2018), uncovering Venmo stalking vulnerabilities (2018), and being an overall nuisance. Currently, he is the Global Head of Offensive Security for a Fortune 200 food manufacturing company. Before that, he spent many years in the field as a penetration tester, security engineer for a global Fortune 500 corporation, and Mainframe auditor and Systems Engineer for several IT asset recovery firms.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we meet Christian Pinkston, a cybersecurity student and car culture enthusiast who's become a recognizable figure in the hacker community. Christian shares his unique journey into cybersecurity—from early experiments with hacking tools to volunteering at major conferences and running mesh networks with Meshtastic and LoRa. He also offers insightful advice on how to get involved in security through local meetups, hands-on projects, and staying curious.https://www.meetup.com/oc2600/https://www.irvineunderground.org/https://www.nuccinc.org/Christian Pinkston aka “Itz.Ghriz” is a niche internet personality blending cybersecurity, car culture, and humor across platforms like Instagram, Threads, and YouTube.a self-described "Local Hacking Legend and General Sex Icon." His profile indicates he's a cybersecurity student and car enthusiast, with a flair for humor and a strong online persona.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we sit down with Matt Glaman, a veteran developer in the Drupal community, to explore the role of static code analysis in maintaining secure, performant, and upgrade-ready PHP applications. We dive into tools like PHPStan and DrupalCheck, and how they help identify deprecations and prevent security risks. Matt also shares insights on mentoring in open source, the impact of AI on contributions, and lessons from surviving Drupalgeddon.https://mglaman.dev/https://bsky.app/profile/mglaman.bsky.socialhttps://www.drupal.org/node/3343181Matt Glaman is an experienced software engineer and a prominent member of the Drupal community. With over a decade of experience in web development, he has gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field. He is the author of several books, including "Drupal 8 Development Cookbook" and "Drupal 10 Development Cookbook," which provide a comprehensive guide to building and customizing Drupal sites.As an active member of the Drupal community, Matt is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others. He regularly contributes to Drupal projects and is passionate about helping others develop their skills and become more proficient in Drupal development.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Manoj Viswanathan shares his unconventional journey into cybersecurity, from a personal phishing incident to mastering Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions and interning at Toshiba. The conversation dives deep into the community-driven value of groups like BurbSec, the practical benefits of hands-on experience over certifications, and the evolving path from student to professional. Manoj also offers candid reflections on the importance of mentorship, curiosity, and perseverance for those entering the field.https://www.linkedin.com/in/manojvisw/https://burbsec.com/https://chibrrcon.com/Manoj is a recent cybersecurity graduate from Illinois Institute of Technology, where he gained hands-on experience as a Product Security Intern at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.Passionate about staying ahead in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, Manoj is an avid attendee of security conferences, finding them an excellent resource for keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we dive deep into the evolving role of DevSecOps with Nivathan Athiganoor Somasundharam, a technical account manager at Teleport. He shares his journey from cloud engineering to becoming a DevSecOps practitioner, emphasizing proactive security, the elimination of secrets, and the future of identity-based infrastructure access. We also explore how AI can enhance DevSecOps practices and the cultural shift needed to embed security across development and operations.https://www.linkedin.com/in/nivathan/https://goteleport.com/Nivathan Athiganoor Somasundharam is a technical account manager at Gravitational Inc. DBA Teleport. He specializes in Zero-Trust implementation, identity security, and DevSecOps. He has a unique blend of experience in the cloud, working on Hyperscalers like AWS, GCP, Azure, and Security for them, which makes him an actual DevSecOps Practitioner.  An active contributor to the cybersecurity community, Somasundharam shares his expertise through blogs, webinars, and conferences focused on cloud infrastructure security. He is also a key contributor to the open-source VMware Carbon Black Harbor Adapter project. Beyond that, Nivathan enjoys cooking and snowboarding on the slopes.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Andy Dennis, VP at Modus Create, joins Dwayne McDaniel to unpack what "shifting left" really means for security and engineering teams. They explore the impact of hands-on security training at B-Sides events, the concept of developer toil, and the role AI tools like GitHub Copilot AutoFix are starting to play in secure coding workflows. Andy also shares candid advice for aspiring security engineers and insights on measuring the true value of AI in developer environments.https://docs.horusec.io/docs/overview/moduscreate.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-d-b43a17b/Andy Dennis is VP of the Platform and Cloud Practice at Modus Create, a Digital Transformation consulting agency. He is responsible for overseeing engineering teams across Cybersecurity, Cloud/DevOps, Build Systems, Functional Programming and Tooling.Andy has 22+ years experience in the technology industry and has worked in the UK, Canada and US. He’s had 5 books published on a variety of topics including IoT and the Raspberry Pi and spoken at multiple events around the country. Previously Andy tutored undergraduates at Goldsmith’s College, University of London’s online degree program and is currently studying with HEC in Paris.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we sit down with Rebekah Skeete, COO of BlackGirlsHack, to explore how her organization is increasing diversity and accessibility in cybersecurity through hands-on training, mentorship, and inclusive community building. Rebekah shares the origin story of BlackGirlsHack, their evolving programs including SquadCon and Friday Night Labs, and the core values driving their mission. https://www.blackgirlshack.org/https://squadcon.me/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-skeete-01270192/Rebekah Skeete is a dynamic and accomplished leader in the technology and cybersecurity space, bringing a wealth of expertise and passion to her multifaceted career. As the Chief Operating Officer at BlackGirlsHack, Rebekah plays a pivotal role in empowering underrepresented groups in cybersecurity by fostering education, mentorship, and career development opportunities. Her dedication to diversity and inclusion has made her a trailblazer and a mentor to aspiring tech professionals worldwide.In addition to her COO role, Rebekah served as a Senior Security Engineer, leveraging her deep technical knowledge to design, implement, and manage robust security solutions that protect organizations from ever-evolving cyber threats. Her technical prowess is matched by her ability to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences, which has positioned her as a sought-after speaker and podcaster. She shares insights on topics ranging from cybersecurity trends to personal growth, inspiring others to excel in their careers.Rebekah's creative talents also extend to the arts as a voice-over artist, where her engaging and versatile voice brings stories and brands to life. Her ability to connect with audiences in a variety of formats reflects her broad skill set and unique perspective.A recipient of the prestigious 2024 Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40 award, Rebekah has been recognized for her exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact within her industry and community. Her commitment to excellence and advocacy for diversity make her a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of leaders in technology and beyond.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Thomas Jost shares his journey from software development to becoming a Senior Application Security Engineer, offering insights into the value of diverse tech backgrounds in AppSec. He discusses the real-world friction between security practices and developer workflows, especially around static analysis and CI/CD slowdowns. Thomas also emphasizes the importance of soft skills, mentorship, and community networking for success in the cybersecurity space.Passionate about breaking things and helping teams fix those things. After a solid career in software development, Thomas Jost is now fully devoted to application security and DevSecOps as a Sr. Applications Security Engineer.https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmtjost/

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Dwayne McDaniel sits down with Yash Shahani, a seasoned AppSec engineer and vulnerability hunter, to dive into the nuances of manual code review and the limitations of automated security tools. They explore the evolving role of AI in AppSec, its promise and pitfalls, and why human intuition still plays a vital role in catching complex logic flaws. Yash also shares practical tips for exploring unfamiliar codebases and emphasizes the importance of treating security as a shared responsibility across teams.Yash Shahani is a security researcher and AppSec engineer with a background in building and breaking applications. He holds a Master’s in Information Security from Carnegie Mellon and focuses on finding the vulnerabilities that tools miss. Yash is an active member of the security community and an organizer for BSides San Francisco. He’s passionate about making security easier to adopt - something teams naturally build into software development, not bolt on later.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Maria Khodak explores how graph theory and data visualization can be used to uncover machine learning vulnerabilities like data poisoning. She explains how her work as a penetration tester intersects with research on threat detection and the importance of making abstract security concepts more human-readable. The conversation also covers her journey into cybersecurity, the value of visualization tools like Gephi, and her call to make the field more inclusive and curious-driven.Maria Khodak is a security engineer and penetration tester at a large company focusing on web application, API, and network testing. She also researches machine learning vulnerabilities, threat detection, and graph theory in her free time. https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-khodak-10b26a192/https://gephi.org/