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His name is Cris Thomas, but everyone in the security industry knows him by his hacker moniker: Space Rogue. Last year, he accepted a position with IBM and this week, he joins the latest episode of the X-Force Red in Action podcast to talk about everything from penetration testing to Black Hat 2018 to his extensive sticker collection.
Why Space Rogue Joined IBM
Space Rogue got a call last year from longtime friend Steve Ocepek, regional lead of North America at IBM X-Force Red, asking him to join the team. His first reaction was, “IBM? Really?” But after learning more about the team and its mission, he opted for a career shift — and hasn’t looked back.
As Space Rogue explains, IBM X-Force Red is the offensive security services arm of IBM Security. The team does everything from penetration testing and red-team exercises to code review and social testing.
But what holds it all together? A great group of people that work hard, play hard and are on a mission to innovate in the offensive security space.
What’s Next for IBM X-Force Red?
So, what’s on the docket for IBM X-Force Red this year? Next month, you’ll find the team in Las Vegas, Nevada for Black Hat, DEF CON and BSides. Space Rogue and fellow members of his activist group, L0pht Heavy Industries, will look back at their iconic testimony before Congress 20 years ago.
IBM X-Force Red researcher Dan Crowley will also deliver a talk about supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) at Black Hat.
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Security Experts Encouraged to Apply
Prospective security professionals should note that the IBM X-Force Red team is looking for offensive security experts. Space Rogue encourages anyone with offensive testing experience to speak with an IBM X-Force member about job opportunities.
And for any younger folks looking to enter the industry, Space Rogue also highlights X-Force Red’s new internship program, which, for the first time this summer, is giving eight students the opportunity to work with top industry leaders. X-Force Red is also an enthusiastic sponsor of the Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition (CPTC), where teams compete to create effective penetration tests, draft detailed reports and deliver compelling presentations.
Oh yeah, love getting stickers in the morning mail! #stickerlife #EPluribusStickerum @1dark0ne pic.twitter.com/4Xo9Ujheor
— Space Rogue (@spacerog) July 9, 2018
Listen to the podcast to discover what this tweet is all about!
Keep Ahead of the Threat
Need a refresher on what this series is all about? Check out the first episode to hear Thomas MacKenzie, talk about Internet of Things (IoT) security, and the second episode to learn about hardware testing with Ivan “the Toymaker” Reedman.
Read the interactive white paper: Preempt attacks with programmatic and active testing