A Journey From Offensive Security to Leadership with Tom Eston

About The Guest:
Tom Eston is the VP of Consulting and Cosmos Delivery at Bishop Fox, an information security consulting firm. He is also the founder and host of the Shared Security Podcast, which has been running for over 14 years. Tom has over 24 years of experience in the technology and cybersecurity industry, with a focus on offensive security and application security.

Summary:
Tom Eston joins The Phillip Wylie Show to discuss his journey in offensive security and his role at Bishop Fox. He shares how he got started in the industry, his experience in consulting and management, and the importance of mentorship. Tom also gives a preview of his upcoming talk at Summer Camp, where he will discuss personalities, empathy, and difficult conversations in leadership.

Key Takeaways:

• Tom Eston started his career in technology as a contractor doing desktop support and Help Desk work.
• He transitioned into information security when he was hired to start the first information security department at a real estate company.
• Tom's interest in offensive security was sparked when he hired a pen tester for the first time and was amazed by their skills.
• He transitioned into consulting to gain more experience and exposure to different environments and clients.
• Tom believes that leadership is about making people better and that mentorship is an important aspect of the industry.

Quotes:

• "I was just so inspired by this guy. And he let me sit next to him. It was like three or four days he was in the office, and I'm just soaking up all this information." - Tom Eston
• "Consulting for me was really that door that I think led me to where I'm at today by just exposing me to different environments, different clients, different people." - Tom Eston
• "Leadership is about making people better. Essentially, that's my job. My job is to make people better, help them do their jobs better." - Tom Eston

Socials and Resources:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomeston/

https://twitter.com/agent0x0

https://sharedsecurity.net/