In this episode of the Hacker Valley Studio podcast’s Hacker Valley Blue series, Ron and Chris wrap up the season with a recap of its past episodes and major takeaways, as well as a look at what’s to come for them personally and for the podcast.
Looking back on the season, Ron and Chris consider the importance of communication in the field of threat intelligence, specifically thinking of insights from their talk with D’Arcy and lessons in poetry and delivery from Valentina.  They cover the surprise of Jack’s willingness to share personal thoughts, review their discussions of bias (specifically highlighting talks with Jon and Susan), and recount things learned about the concept of unhackability. Listeners will hear about the inevitability of mistakes in threat intelligence work, the “easy button” framework, the season theme of sharpening oneself outside of work, and the dynamic of a threat intelligence team.
The episode then turns toward Ron and Chris, themselves.  Ron first puts Chris in the hot seat and asks what the future of threat intelligence is for him.  Chris explains that, while he thinks his days as an individual contributor for threat intelligence are over, he is still doing some quiet, yet-to-be revealed work, and is turning much of his attention to giving back to the field.  Ron, in explaining his own work, talks about bouncing between tasks, building tools for others, distilling information into simple messages, and continuing to navigate issues of automation.  Finally, Ron and Chris thank people involved with the season and address what the future holds for the Hacker Valley Studio podcast.  Listeners hear the exciting announcement of the next season: Hacker Valley Red!
0:47 - Ron and Chris talk about the importance of communication in the field of threat intelligence.
2:56 - What was one surprise in this season?
3:52 - The hosts review their conversations about bias.
6:55 - The episode turns to the “easy button” framework and the need for personal sharpening outside of work.
16:15 - Ron and Chris consider the inevitability of analysts missing things and the building of a team.
20:22 - What is the future of threat intelligence for Chris and Ron?
27:50 - The hosts review their insights about the possibility of an unhackable device or app.
29:43 - What is next for the Hacker Valley Studio podcast?
 
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