How to Grow your Career in Cybersecurity with Grant McCracken

On this episode of the TestGuild DevOps Toolchain, host Joe Colantonio is joined by Maurice McCabe, a seasoned AI engineer from AIA Systems whose expertise spans over two decades and the rise of agentic AI. Together, they dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of DevOps, AI-driven development, and modern product testing. Maurice shares his experiences from the early days of machine learning to today's generative AI revolution, uncovering how tools like Replit and smart browsers are transforming the way products are built, tested, and deployed. Whether you're a developer looking to keep your edge in a changing landscape, a DevOps pro curious about AI-infused workflows, or someone exploring automated voice and unstructured data solutions, this episode is packed with practical insight. The conversation covers the blurring lines between AI and ML, how subject matter experts can leverage new tools, the growing importance of testing in an AI-powered future, and what DevOps professionals need to know to stay ahead. Additionally, Maurice provides an insider's look at testing voice-enabled AI, monitoring KPIs for drift and hallucination, and the role of human expertise in the era of automation. Tune in to get inspired and equipped for the future of AI and DevOps with actionable advice and a look at where the industry might be headed next. ry out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required.

In today's episode, we discuss cybersecurity with Grant McCracken, a seasoned expert with over 13 years of experience in ethical hacking and executive-level cybersecurity roles. As the founder of Dark Horse Security, Grant shares his journey into the field, practical advice for aspiring ethical hackers, and actionable tips for organizations navigating the challenges of security in the AI era. From hands-on learning resources like Hack the Box and bug bounty programs to the real risks and rewards of using AI-generated code, Grant demystifies the realities of modern security threats. He also offers a peek into the social engineering tactics at events like DEFCON, explains why having a vulnerability disclosure program is crucial, and reveals how even small companies can build stronger defenses. Whether you're just dipping your toes into cybersecurity, managing DevOps security at your company, or curious about how AI is reshaping the security landscape, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Tune in to hear why effective communication may be the most powerful security skill of all—and get tips you can put to work right away in your DevOps journey. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required.

Welcome back to the DevOps Toolchain podcast! In this episode, host Joe Colantonio is joined by Temil Sanchez, a Product Manager at SmartBear, for a deep dive into how quality truly becomes a team effort—especially when aligning development, QA, and product teams within agile API environments. Together, they explore the evolution and surge in API adoption, the unique challenges of collaborating on APIs in agile settings, and the importance of closing feedback loops to deliver reliable software faster. Temil shares his journey from QA engineering to product management, offers insights on bridging the gaps between technical and non-technical roles, and provides details on how SmartBear’s new API Hub aims to unify teams across the API lifecycle. Additionally, discover the latest platform innovations, including contract testing, collaboration features, and AI-powered design tools that make API quality accessible to everyone—developers, testers, and even product managers. If you’ve ever struggled with fragmented processes or siloed teams in your API projects, this episode is packed with practical tips and tools to level up your DevOps practice. Listen up! Head over to https://testguild.me/apihub to learn more and get started.

Today, we’re talking all about mobile testing in DevOps with special guest Todd McNeal, co-founder of Reflect—a cutting-edge AI-powered test automation tool now part of the SmartBear family. Todd breaks down the dynamic shifts happening in mobile testing, from the challenges of manual processes to the game-changing adoption of low-code, no-code, and pure AI-driven automation. We explore how Reflect’s AI approach is making mobile app testing more resilient, maintainable, and accessible across both iOS and Android, even for highly visual and complex interfaces, such as Flutter apps. Additionally, the conversation explores the integration of performance, UX, and exploratory testing into your pipeline, as well as what the future may hold for AI and automation in mobile DevOps. If you’re looking for practical insights to supercharge your DevOps mobile test automation strategy—and maybe a sneak peek at what’s on the horizon—this episode is packed with expert advice and firsthand experiences. Tune in and discover new ways to bring more speed, reliability, and efficiency to your mobile DevOps toolchain! Try it out at  https://testguild.me/mobiledevops

In this episode, hosts Joe Colantonio and Mark Koelsch explore AI-driven business intelligence and its impact on today’s industries. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required. Tune in as they unpack how AI, once a niche discipline, has exploded into mainstream business conversations since the emergence of tools like ChatGPT. They cut through the buzz and fear around AI, discussing real-world applications, compliance challenges, and common misconceptions. Whether you’re looking to leverage AI in business intelligence, concerned about data privacy regulations like HIPAA, or curious about how your DevOps team should use these evolving technologies, this episode is packed with actionable advice and industry insights. Get ready for candid takes, practical tips, and plenty of stories from the frontline of AI-powered innovation—brought to you by leaders who have seen the landscape evolve over decades.

In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, Joe Colantonio sits down with Jacob Leverich, cofounder and Chief Product Officer at Observe, to explore how AI and cutting-edge data strategies are transforming the world of observability. With a career spanning heavyweight roles from Splunk to Google and Kuro Labs, Jacob shares his journey from banging out Perl scripts as a Linux sysadmin to building scalable, data-driven solutions that address the complex realities of today’s digital infrastructure. Tune in as Joe and Jacob explore why traditional monitoring approaches are struggling with massive data volumes, how knowledge graphs and data lakes are breaking down tool silos, and what engineering leaders often get wrong when scaling visibility across teams. Whether you’re a tester, developer, SRE, or team lead, get ready to discover actionable insights on maximizing the value of your data, the true role of AI in troubleshooting, and practical tips for leading your organization into the future of DevOps observability. Don’t miss it! Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required.

In this episode, host Joe Colantonio dives deep into the future of AI in DevOps with Bridges Smith, the VP of Product Management for AI at SmartBear. With over 25 years of experience leading innovations in product development, machine learning, and AI, Bridges brings a wealth of firsthand insights on how AI is rapidly evolving and shaping how developers and testers work. Together, Joe and Bridges explore the shift from basic generative AI to the rise of agentic AI. These AI systems can make decisions and automate more complex tasks within DevOps and testing pipelines. They discuss the importance of keeping humans in the loop, how AI is tackling mundane and repetitive tasks to free up creativity, practical strategies for successfully integrating AI tools, and what metrics you should track to measure real gains. You’ll also hear about SmartBear’s unique approach to embedding AI directly into workflows—accelerating testing, documentation, and observability—plus real-world use cases where these advancements are already making a difference. Whether you’re optimistic or skeptical about AI’s impact on the software industry, this episode is packed with actionable insights on future-proof your skills and embrace what’s next in DevOps and AI. Tune in, learn what’s hype and what’s real, and get ready to take your DevOps toolchain to the next level! Visit their AI hub to see how AI is shaping the future of software testing: https://testguild.me/aihubs  

Today, special guest Fitz Nowlan, VP of AI and Architecture at SmartBear, dives deep into the ever-evolving world of AI in software testing. Get resource: What is OpenTelemetry Guide: https://testguild.me/TelemetryGuide This episode is packed with insights from Fitz, who shares his front-row perspective on what’s genuinely innovative versus what’s just hype in today’s AI-powered DevOps landscape. Fitz also tackles hot topics like MCP servers, agentic AI, and the game-changing impact of AI-driven self-healing in test automation. He explores how leading tools like Playwright and Selenium integrate MCP servers, discusses the challenge of identifying meaningful AI features, and highlights practical strategies for evaluating new tech without getting lost in industry buzzwords. Fitz also offers a behind-the-scenes look at SmartBear’s approach to customer-driven innovation, the evolution of visual and intent-based testing, and how agentic AI might soon revolutionize the role of QA teams. Whether you’re curious about the pitfalls of flaky tests, the future of test data generation, or simply how to keep up with today’s breakneck pace of change, this episode promises actionable insights you won’t want to miss.

In this awesome installment, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Mark Meier and Tom Miseur from Grafana Labs to dive deep into the world of performance testing and how their brand new open source Grafana k6 Studio is making these powerful practices accessible for everyone on your team—from developers to QA and SREs. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required. Listen in as they discuss the evolution of k6 from a developer-first tool to one built for seamless collaboration across teams, the challenges of performance testing in modern DevOps pipelines, and practical advice for avoiding common pitfalls like the dreaded million virtual user myth. You’ll also get an insider’s look at how k6 Studio simplifies recording, scripting, and correlating test scenarios and how it compares to longtime industry players like JMeter. Discover the team’s vision for the future, including enhanced browser testing features, integration with Grafana Cloud, and thoughts on leveraging AI to accelerate performance testing efforts. If you’re ready to learn actionable strategies for making performance testing a team sport (not just a developer or QA silo) and want to hear tips on integrating load testing into your CI/CD pipelines, this episode is a must-listen! Check Out Grafana k6 Studio: https://grafana.com/docs/k6/latest/k6-studio/ Watch k6 Studio demo:  https://testguild.me/dzebxa

In this episode, we delve into scalable machine-learning infrastructure with our special guest, Elliott Clark. Elliott is a seasoned DevOps expert and the founder of Batteries Included. Having played a pivotal role in building one of the largest online transaction processing systems and leading the ad infrastructure team at Meta, Elliott is perfectly poised to share his immense knowledge on scaling infrastructure and the intricacies of machine learning systems. Join us as we discuss the critical aspects of performance testing, leveraging production traffic for testing environments, and the cultural elements pivotal to scaling teams efficiently. We'll also explore how Elliott's company, Batteries Included, strives to bring enterprise-level infrastructure to mid and small-sized companies by automating the essential yet often mundane DevOps tasks. Whether you're in the early stages of building infrastructure or looking to enhance your machine learning systems, this episode offers actionable insights and future-forward thinking to help your efforts become more successful. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required.