The Unfair Fight

024: George Piro’s Path of Purpose to Fighting and the FBI Aug 03, 2023

Summary:

George Piro is best known for being the lone interrogator of Saddam Hussein who succeeded in getting the dictator to spill his secrets. But there is much more to Piro's extraordinary life and career. From escaping war-torn Lebanon to becoming a decorated FBI special agent and professional jiu-jitsu fighter, George's journey is one of courage, dedication, and purpose. Listen as Jon Murchison uncovers George’s experiences assimilating as an immigrant through martial arts, embracing a career in law enforcement, and joining the FBI, where his native Arabic skills led him to pivotal roles in counterterrorism and on the FBI Fly Team during the Iraq War. Gain insights into his passion for physical fitness and mental strength and hear the life lessons that informed how he approached his role as special agent in charge of the FBI Miami Field Office. Hear in his words the trait that sets true champions apart—and be inspired by George Piro's story of perseverance, gratitude and serving a cause bigger than oneself.

About the Unfair Fight Podcast

Welcome to The Unfair Fight, a podcast by Jon Murchison, the founder and CEO of Blackpoint Cyber. Previously an NSA computer operations expert and IT professional, Jon spent more than a decade executing high-priority national security missions. Now, he welcomes experts onto his podcast. Together, they participate in compelling conversations surrounding geopolitics, high-level performance in diverse fields, entrepreneurship, and the current cybersecurity landscape.

Tune in now or check out a previous episode!

023: A CIA Officer’s Journey Through Covert Operations and Counterterrorism with Phil Reilly Jul 05, 2023

Few can say they've jumped out of an airplane with a nuclear device strapped to their body, or can claim to be one of the first Americans on the ground in Afghanistan after 9/11. For Phil Reilly, former CIA senior operations officer, elite missions have been the story of his career. Phil joins Jon to discuss his remarkable 29-year run with the CIA and the Army Special Forces training that led to it. From intense Green Beret military training to covert assignments in the paramilitary wing of the CIA, Phil discusses his experiences around the world and how 9/11 changed the course of his career, leading to high-level roles as Chief of Station and Chief of Operations of the CIA Counterterrorist Center. Looking ahead, he discusses the shifting focus of the US to the looming threat of China. Drawing from his elite training, he shares lessons that apply to the private sector business world—like building teams from scratch and handling the stress of high-performance roles.

About the Unfair Fight Podcast

Welcome to The Unfair Fight, a podcast by Jon Murchison, the founder and CEO of Blackpoint Cyber. Previously an NSA computer operations expert and IT professional, Jon spent more than a decade executing high-priority national security missions. Now, he welcomes experts onto his podcast. Together, they participate in compelling conversations surrounding geopolitics, high-level performance in diverse fields, entrepreneurship, and the current cybersecurity landscape.

022: Part 2| Defying Death and Flying Through Fear with Jeb Corliss Jun 01, 2023

In this concluding segment of a two-part episode, professional BASE jumper and wingsuit pilot Jeb Corliss delves deeper into his remarkable journey of finding purpose through extreme jumping. In Part Two, Jeb describes miraculously surviving a fatal accident and how it transformed his entire outlook on life, imparting invaluable lessons during the desperate seconds when death seemed imminent. Jeb's evolution from a despondent teenager to a lover of life serves as an inspiration to anyone who has confronted adversity and fear. Join Jon Murchison as he and Jeb wrap up a fascinating episode that explores survival, resilience, and getting a second chance at life.

021: Part 1 | Defying Death and Flying Through Fear with Jeb Corliss May 17, 2023

For this first half of two episodes, Jon welcomes professional skydiver and BASE jumper Jeb Corliss to The Unfair Fight. During their conversation, Jeb recounts some of his most harrowing and death-defying jumps, how he manages and conquers his fears, and what it means to truly live life on the edge. Jon and Jeb also discuss memorable passages from Jeb’s book, Memoirs From the Edge, in which Jeb narrates his life story and details how he came to discover his interest in jumping, and how he ultimately was able to turn a passion into a career despite the odds he faced. With over 2,000 jumps to-date, Corliss is inarguably one of the most skilled and experienced BASE jumpers in the world with jumps from the Eiffel Tower, Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, Golden Gate Bridge, and into a half-mile deep cave in China. This is one episode that you won’t want to miss. Stay tuned for Episode 22: Part 2 with real-life adventurer Jeb Corliss.

020: The Unfair Fight: Football and the FBI: The Universal Skills to Succeed - Bill Priestap Feb 23, 2023

For this episode of The Unfair Fight, Jon welcomes Bill Priestap, Former Assistant Director, of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. Bill discusses his love of sports, his experience as a coach, as director of football operations at the University of Michigan, and then later how he used his experience in athletics to end up at the Bureau. They discuss staying power, the will to succeed, and how success is defined not only by wins, but also by failures and the lessons learned; and they share stories of humanity and the nuanced complexities of the criminals they have crossed paths with in their previous work for the government. Jon and Bill go on to talk about current global issues with respect to China’s adversarial threats, the recent airborne spy balloon over U.S. airspace which was intercepted by the American government, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

At The Unfair Fight, we take a closer look at what it means to succeed against all odds. Listen to regular episodes where founder & CEO, Jon Murchison, is joined by high achievers in the governmental, entrepreneurial, and cybersecurity spaces to discuss current events, geopolitical matters, and lessons learned.

019: From Army to Agency—A Look at General Petraeus’ Career Dec 14, 2022

The Unfair Fight welcomes General David H. Petraeus (U.S. Army, Ret.). General Petraeus talks with Jon about his experience fighting the unfair fight in combat overseas, his journey ascending the ranks of the U.S. Army, and eventually becoming the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. His dedication to effective and strategic leadership has made him successful in the military, in business, and in his personal life. They discuss how perspective and deliberate tactics, techniques, and procedures of a leader or business owner can help them get a leg up on the competition. General Petraeus also discusses his time leading troops in Iraq, and shares his opinion on both NATO and the eventual outcome of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

018: Go Where Your Customers Are With Matt Solomon Nov 02, 2022

The Unfair Fight welcomes Matt Solomon, Chief Business Development Officer, Co-Founder of the Channel Program. A leading authority on sales and business development, Matt talks with Jon about his professional journey from the world of start-up, his position as Channel Chief for a multi-billion dollar organization, and now a business owner. Matt gives expert advice on how vendors and MSPs can better support each other, how MSPs can better serve their customers, and where he sees the short- and long-term future going for MSPs.

017: Top Gun and National Security with Admiral Winnefeld Oct 20, 2022

This week, The Unfair Fight welcomes Admiral James “Sandy” Winnefeld. Admiral Winnefeld is a retired United States Navy admiral, now serving as the chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board since May of this year. He shares stories with Blackpoint CEO, Jon Murchison, about his time at the Navy Fight Weapons School while a student, then instructor during the filming of the 1986 blockbuster, Top Gun; and his career as an F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot. Admiral Winnefeld went on to captain of the USS Enterprise, stationed in the Middle East during 9/11. He and Jon also discuss nation-state capabilities in terms of cyberattacks, U.S. defensive and offensive military capabilities, the current state of the Russia-Ukraine war, and national security operations. Lastly, tune in to this interview to hear about the implications of supply chain disruptions in the wake of COVID-19.

016: Lessons Learned from Zero-Day Attacks with APG Oct 05, 2022

The day after Exchange’s zero-day, The Unfair Fight took to LinkedIn Live to record its latest podcast episode. Robel Campbell, Blackpoint’s Reverse Engineer, joined Jon Murchison, Xavier Salinas, and David Rushmer for the first time to discuss the zero-day, as well as Uber’s recent hack, and the use of ISO files in malware. Impacted by tradecraft that surpasses AV, as well as MFA fatigue, these four discuss lessons learned, the correlating research they’ve been conducting, and GTSC’s (a Vietnamese cybersecurity company) quick response and mitigation steps. Get the inside scoop on the threat intel that drives our investigations and product development.

015: Investing in Offensive and Defensive Capabilities with Michael Morell Sep 22, 2022

This week, The Unfair Fight welcomes Michael Morell, former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). During his 33-year career at the CIA, Michael served as Deputy Director for four years, where he managed the Agency’s day-to-day operations, represented the Agency at the White House and Congress, and maintained the Agency’s relationships with intelligence services and foreign leaders around the world. Michael also served twice as Acting Director, leading the CIA when Leon Panetta was named Secretary of Defense and again after David Petraeus left government.

Michael talks about his beginnings with the CIA and what made him want to be an intelligence officer analyst. He shares stories from his time in the field as George W. Bush’s first daily intelligence briefer and serving overseas as the liaison between CIA analysts and British intelligence analysts. Morell also discusses if he thinks we are investing enough into our defensive and offensive capabilities, and why it’s critical that we be supremely intentional with our geopolitical dynamics.

014: New Tactics and Techniques From the Bad Guys Sep 07, 2022

Xavier Salinas, CTO, and David Rushmer, Director of Threat Research, join Jon Murchison, founder and CEO, to discuss new tactics and techniques they have recently seen from malicious actors. They provide an overview on how these breaches typically occur, how administrative privileges can be used to maliciously access documentation management platforms, as well as some lessons learned on MSP documentation tools. Hackers are continuing to be more creative and clever, utilizing more built-in tools other than RMM software. Because of this, it’s critical to look at infrastructure from a network design standpoint, especially in highly virtualized environments. Xavier and David agree that when you can truly understand what an adversary can see, you can better defend it.

Find Out More:

When a breach occurs, detection and response times often determine whether threat actors succeed in their efforts. With attackers moving faster than ever, investing in an around-the-clock true Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service means you can fight back within minutes. Learn more about Blackpoint’s mission to help MSPs and their clients fight and win against the unfair cyber fight here: Home - Blackpoint Cyber

013: Living Compromised and The Five Pillars of An Effective Stack Aug 24, 2022

Jon Murchison with The Unfair Fight welcomes Matt Lee, one of the leading voices in cybersecurity for the MSP channel. Now the Senior Director of Security & Compliance at Pax8, they first dive into how Matt got into cybersecurity and became the industry unicorn he is—truly enjoying traveling and being on camera. The conversation then turns to current cybersecurity challenges and how curious people are often the most successful. Matt additionally talks about what it means to ‘live compromised’, the five pillars of a pragmatic stack, and the main questions MSPs should be asking their vendors.

012: Advice and The Biggest Challenges to MSPs Aug 10, 2022

In our latest episode of The Unfair Fight, Jon Murchison, founder and CEO of Blackpoint, welcomes Kevin Lancaster, the CEO of both The Venture Mentor and Channel Program. A leading authority in cybersecurity and technological innovation, Kevin talks about his journey from pool management to entrepreneurship and cybersecurity. He has partnered with massive enterprises, such as HHS and the Department of Veteran Affairs, providing 70 different technological solutions on their contract vehicles. He gives expert advice on how vendors and MSPs can better support each other and where he sees the short and long-term future going for MSPs. A widely recognized force in the IT industry, you won’t want to miss Kevin’s insight and experience. Tune in now!

About the Unfair Fight Podcast

Blackpoint Cyber does the fighting for you, but ever wish you could get closer to the action? Hear all the details firsthand at our podcast, The Unfair Fight. Listen to regular episodes where founder & CEO, Jon Murchison, CTO, Xavier Salinas, and Director of Threat Research, David Rushmer, get real and talk all things cybersecurity.

011: Password Spraying, Email Impersonation, and Disinformation with Blackpoint APG Jul 28, 2022

This week, Jon Murchison is joined by David Rushmer and Xavier Salinas. They kick off the show with the news of Phillip Dragovic and his DFC Course, discussing two proof of concepts. Then, David gives us his perspective on being the eyes and ears of the highest-hitting IPs, password spraying, email impersonation trends, and how to better educate MSPs. They then talk about authority and perceived power in disinformation and war, why it’s important to ask difficult questions, and one dirty little secret the professionals may not want you to know.

010: Part 2: National Security, Cyber Geopolitics, and Leading with Vision — General Jonathan George Jul 07, 2022

Jon Murchison, Blackpoint founder and CEO, is back with retired Brigadier General Jonathan George. In this continued conversation from our last episode, he discusses the key to good leadership, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the importance of innovation and creativity. Currently a special advisor for the U.S. Strategic Command’s Strategic Advisory Group, the Science, Technology, and Transformation Panel, and the Bomber Task Force, you won’t want to miss the rest of this conversation.

Find Out More:

When a breach occurs, detection and response times often determine whether threat actors succeed in their efforts. With attackers moving faster than ever, investing in an around-the-clock true Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service means you can fight back within minutes. Learn more about Blackpoint’s mission to help MSPs and their clients fight and win against the unfair cyber fight at blackpointcyber.com.

009: Part 1: National Security, Cyber Geopolitics, and Leading with Vision - General Jonathan George Jun 23, 2022

This week, Jon Murchison, Blackpoint’s founder and CEO, welcomes Brigadier General Jonathan George to our podcast. He has had an impressive and extensive career, including roles as pilot-in-command and deputy commanding general, and two assignments to the White House. He is presently the Director of Strategic Capabilities Policy for the National Security Council (NSC) in Washington, D.C.

In this episode, Brig. Gen. George talks about his staff assignments including with his time with the U.S. Air Force and in Afghanistan, serving under Presidents Reagan, GHW Bush, and Obama, and shares about the national decision-making process involved in all his years. They also discuss staying on top of technology and establishing the right vision as a leader. And of course, he talks about what it’s really like flying a U-2, B-1, and B-2 jet. Be sure to keep an eye out for part two of General George and Jon’s conversation in a few weeks!

008: Global Integration, Freeing the Data, and Sharing Through Community with Phyllis Lee Jun 09, 2022

This week, Xavier Salinas, CTO, and David Rushmer, Director of Threat Research, welcome Phyllis Lee, Senior Director of Controls at the Center of Internet Security. Phyllis talks about the Center’s mission to provide best security practices for small, medium, and large organizations and to serve the underserved. Phyllis discusses the details of working with small and medium enterprises, and the amazing response the Center has had from the community. She talks with them about the misconceptions about security industries, and why we need to set standards across the board for organizations to integrate globally. Phyllis gives her thoughts on indicators of compromise vs. behavior, and why it’s so crucial for people to focus on the intent.

007: Breaking down HAFNIUM, Staying Curious, and Advice for Budding Security Professionals with David Rushmer May 27, 2022

This week, Jon Murchison, CEO, explores HAFNIUM with Xavier Salinas, CTO, and David Rushmer, Director of Threat Research. They learn a little bit more about this state-sponsored threat identified by Microsoft including some of their tradecraft, tactics, and how they differ from other ransomware groups. David gives them his perspective based on his years of experience in the threat research and threat intelligence space, and also shares his advice for budding security professionals on using your resources and staying curious.

006: Five Eyes Warn of Increase in Cyberattacks Targeting MSPs May 19, 2022

In this episode, Jon Murchison, founder and CEO, is joined by David Rushmer, Director of Threat Research, Xavier Salinas, Chief Technology Officer, and Wilfredo Santiago, VP of Threat Operations, to discuss a joint security advisory released by the Five Eyes on May 11. The Five Eyes are an alliance comprised of cybersecurity authorities in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The advisory called upon managed service providers (MSPs) to bolster their cyber defenses in response to an observed uptick in cyberthreat activity aimed at them and their customers.

Join Blackpoint leadership as they discuss their pragmatic take on the advisory based on real world data we see every day. MSPs should continue to do everything in their power to prevent attacks and protect their end customers. Keep your and your customers’ businesses running by staying up to date on your cyber hygiene and building a lean, powerful security stack.

We don’t want you to live in FUD: fear, uncertainty and doubt. Trust our decades of extensive knowledge in real-world defensive and offensive tactics. Contact us to safeguard your and your customers’ businesses today.

005: Think Like a Fighter: Insights from the Ring to the World of Business May 11, 2022

This week Jon Murchison, Blackpoint CEO, sits down with one of the all-time greatest fighters in Mixed Martial Arts, Georges St-Pierre. After training from the age of 7, and becoming a 2nd degree Karate blackbelt by 12, Georges knew that his destiny was to be in the ring and dedicated his life to reaching that goal. He diversified by adding various disciplines into his training, including boxing, wrestling, and Jiu-Jitsu to become an amateur fighter by 16 and continued in came back stronger in 2008 and regained victory and has not lost a title since. In 2013 Georges retired, holding the record for most UFC wins in title bouts, and after a four-year hiatus and returned to the ring in 2017 to defeat his opponent and become the UFC Middleweight Champion, he is now the fourth fighter in the history of the sport to be a multi-divisional champion.

During their compelling conversation in Georges’ hometown of Montreal, he and Jon discuss success, drive, and the determination that it takes to be the best. They talk about how to use perceived setbacks as an opportunity to learn, grow, and dominate the competition in sport or cybersecurity, and how to apply learnings in the ring or in business.

004: Working Smarter Not Harder with David Sears Apr 27, 2022

This week, Jon Murchison, Blackpoint CEO, has a great chat with David Sears, former commander of the U.S. Navy SEALS. Sears has twenty-plus years of tactical and strategic knowledge in how to grow and keep a cohesive and strong team. Listeners may also recognize Dave for frequently appearing on a variety of news programs as a national security commentator. Dave talks about what people can learn from high performance and leadership with the SEAL Teams and apply it to business and the corporate world. Jon and Dave also discuss how the mark of a high performer is how they deal with adversity, and how we can relate that to the cybersecurity and outside business world to rise above and learn from our challenges. Dave reminds us to recognize that there are people and teams behind our numbers and that it’s not just always about the bottom line, and why it’s crucial to be a good generalist and work the muscle of every component within your industry.

Say Hi To Your Hosts:

David Sears

Smarter Not Harder: 17 Navy SEAL Maxims to Elevate Critical Thinking and Prosper in Business and Life

Find Out More:

When a breach occurs, detection and response times often determine whether threat actors succeed in their efforts. With attackers moving faster than ever, investing in an around-the-clock true Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service means you can fight back within minutes. Learn more about Blackpoint’s mission to help MSPs and their clients fight and win against the unfair cyber fight here.

003: Breaches, Mastering the Fundamentals and How to Stop Arming The Adversary with Knowledge Apr 13, 2022

In this episode, Jon Murchison, CEO, and Xavier Salinas, CTO, welcome David Rushworth. David is Blackpoint’s new Director of Threat Research for Blackpoint, and the head of their new Adversary Pursuit Group, similar to a skunkworks unit. They talk with David about some of the cool detection techniques coming out and dig into his background coming from large-scale cyber analytics, where he built out and maintained a large-scale cyber defensive platform for quite several years. David then talks about moving over to the defensive side of things and how you need to first get well versed in the fundamentals to have an utter mastery in anything, which may include a few internships along the way.

They also have a great talk about how they’re teaching technologies to think about security and be the heroes of their own organization. Finally, they discuss the importance of genericizing your public-facing job openings, especially when dealing with security, infrastructure, or IT jobs.

002: The Impact of Cyber on Diplomacy with Ambassador Butler Mar 23, 2022

This week, I welcome Ambassador Butler, a 40-year career civil servant with the Department of State. Ambassador Butler is a long-time career ambassador and deputy commander of EUCOM. We talk about the unfortunate events we’ve seen with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the intersection of national security, geopolitics, and cyber activities, and the kinds of roles that cyber can play in any sort of conflict. Ambassador Butler shares a few learning experiences from his long and storied career including serving Iraq, Bulgaria, and touring all over Africa, to dealing with the FBI’s most wanted, the White House, and working with the information warfare and Public Affairs Office of U.S. Forces. We finish by talking about how to get pragmatic when preparing for cyber attacks, and why we need to focus more on internet service providers in cybersecurity.

Say Hi To Your Hosts:

Jon Murchison

Lawrence Butler

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When a breach occurs, detection and response times often determine whether threat actors succeed in their efforts. With attackers moving faster than ever, investing in an around-the-clock true Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service means you can fight back within minutes. Learn more about Blackpoint’s mission to help MSPs and their clients fight and win against the unfair cyber fight here.

001: The Unfair Fight: Ransomware, Pen Testing, And Global Tech Attacks Feb 07, 2022

Welcome to The Unfair Fight podcast! With each episode, host Jon Murchison, Founder & CEO of Blackpoint Cyber, will explore a number of topics in the cyber, tech, and security world. In this installment, co-host Xavier Salinas, Chief Technology Officer at Blackpoint Cyber, and guest Brian Dykstra, CEO of Atlantic Data Forensics discuss areas of vulnerability research, cyberwar, and what a tech attack on a large scale could really look like. They talk about the big three ransomware groups and the tools they use, important information for cloud vendors to know, and share thoughts on the CVE process and pen-testing tools. The conversation wraps with discussing why it’s important to respect your adversaries and not take their skills for granted. There’s much more coming soon, so stay tuned for upcoming episodes! Say Hi To Your Hosts: Jon Murchison Xavier Salinas Brian Dykstra Blackpoint Cyber

Find Out More:

When a breach occurs, detection and response times often determine whether threat actors succeed in their efforts. With attackers moving faster than ever, investing in an around-the-clock true Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service means you can fight back within minutes. Learn more about Blackpoint’s mission to help MSPs and their clients fight and win against the unfair cyber fight here.

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