The Power of Community: A Conversation with Kevin Johnson

About The Guest:

Kevin Johnson is a renowned cybersecurity expert and the founder of Secure Ideas, a consulting and training company. He has been in the industry for over 30 years and has extensive experience in penetration testing and application security. Kevin is also actively involved in the open-source community and is a strong advocate for the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) organization.

Summary:

In this episode of The Phillip Wylie Show, host Phillip interviews Kevin Johnson, founder of Secure Ideas and a prominent figure in the cybersecurity industry. They discuss Kevin's journey into pen testing, his involvement with the open-source community, and the importance of OWASP. Kevin also shares his thoughts on the need for increased membership and support for OWASP to ensure its continued success.

Key Takeaways:

• Kevin Johnson emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge and helping others in the cybersecurity community.
• He believes that true expertise is demonstrated when one can effectively teach and explain complex concepts to others.
• Kevin highlights the need for improved membership and support for OWASP to address the challenges it currently faces.
• He encourages individuals to ask questions and seek guidance from experienced professionals in the field.

Quotes:

• "I am where I am today because other people showed me stuff or helped me."
• "For you to be able to teach it to somebody, that's proof you actually know it."
• "The fear of being found to be ignorant makes these people clam up."
• "The vast majority of people that say 'go figure it out yourself' don't actually know the things they say they do."
• "OWASP has lost two major flagship projects to OpenSSF. We need to fix this or we're going to lose."

Socials and Resources:

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

https://twitter.com/secureideas

https://www.secureideas.com/