Resilient Cyber - Episode 16 - John Stoner - Ally, Public Speaker, and OSINT Extraordinaire

In this episode of the Resilient Cyber Podcast, hosts Chris Hughes and Dr. Nikki Robinson interview John Stoner, a cybersecurity professional with a deep background in signals intelligence (SIGINT) and cyber threat analysis. John shares his journey from a 10-year Army veteran to his current role at Booz Allen Hamilton, discussing the evolution of his career in cybersecurity, particularly within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the intelligence community.

The conversation delves into John's advocacy for diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity, his experiences in public speaking, and the importance of mentorship and networking in building a successful career. They also explore the challenges of information sharing within the DoD and the complexities of cybersecurity incident reporting, particularly in the context of third-party service providers and the defense industrial base (DIB).

Highlights

1. Career Evolution: John Stoner discusses his transition from the Army to cybersecurity, highlighting his roles in cyber instruction, counterintelligence, and his work with the DoD Cyber Crime Center (DC3).

2. Advocacy for Diversity: John emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives in cybersecurity, sharing his personal motivation to be an ally and advocate for women and underrepresented groups in the field.

3. Public Speaking and Mentorship: John shares his journey into public speaking, starting with B-Sides Northern Virginia, and offers advice for those looking to break into public speaking within the cybersecurity community.

4. Information Sharing Challenges: The discussion touches on the difficulties of information sharing within the DoD and the concerns organizations have about competitive disadvantages or regulatory repercussions when sharing cybersecurity incidents.

5. Cyber Resilience: John provides his perspective on cyber resilience, emphasizing the importance of defense in depth and understanding what needs to be protected within an organization. He also suggests that more training on cyber resilience is needed, particularly for decision-makers in smaller organizations.