The RWX Podcast: Recent Episodes
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RWX is a podcast for anyone, anywhere, and anytime. We focus on the IT field and our experiences within, but most importantly we are inspiring the future. We plan to have diverse guests from various backgrounds contribute their knowledge, ensuring that you have an interesting and engaging experience. Don't be surprised if our conversations take unexpected turns. It doesn't matter if it's sports, nerd culture, or something more obscure: we like to discuss it all. And hey, sometimes that requires a technological touch too. Remember: we are here not only to learn but also inspire others to do what they love the most.
Welcome to the final episode of this season and the Cybersecurity Tower Defense mini-series. We have previously discussed methods to protect a network and how that architecture might look. In our discussion about Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions, we explained why the endpoint is the most enticing target on a network for attack. Now we need to talk about why. End users are a critical point of failure for any organization. Most often, they are the starting point for most attacks. According to Proofpoint, this is true roughly 67% of the time. So, what does it take to defend a network against an attacker when their target is the end user? In this episode, Rob and Jake address the concern that most organizations ask nowadays: educating the end user in the importance of information security.
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Part of playing the Tower Defense game known as cybersecurity is building our skillset to ensure no threats can get our information freely. It’s a never ending battle as our networks are constantly being probed by Advanced Persistent Threats (APT). As we’ve seen in the latest news headlines, the simplest security malfunctions can be the downfall of major federal and private organizations. If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know that Rob is a big fan of using defense in depth approaches. But how do we implement this while accounting for the most basic of vulnerabilities? In this episode, Rob and special guest Dan dive into defense-in-depth methodologies.
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Every new journey starts somewhere. For the RWX Podcast, it’s time to start the journey of learning some of cybersecurity’s core concepts. If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the last few years, you might’ve noticed an uptick in both the frequency and severity of hackings. This raises the question: what is being done to mitigate these incidents? Simply put, not enough. That’s where this new segment comes in. The road to becoming a cybersecurity professional is long and arduous, but it’s also crucial for ensuring the safety of the systems we depend on every day. In this episode, we start down that journey by discussing the foundations of cybersecurity.
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If you’ve listened to our previous episodes, you may remember Rob espousing about the team aspects of working in Information Technology. This is true of most if not all domains in IT. Everything from cybersecurity to end user support requires a well-built, cohesive team environment. However, it’s important to remember that companies depend a great deal on their IT teams. An IT team in turmoil can cause problems that ripple throughout an organization. In this episode, Rob and Jake discuss the consequences of team infighting and tips for what to do if you’re caught in the middle.
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On the outside looking in, being in Information Security has a lot of perks: lucrative financial income, high growth potential, and the recognition for successfully preventing the bad guys from getting into the network. It isn’t without its risks though. What happens when the bad guys succeed instead? Anything from an unforeseen exploit to a compromised end user can undo all your efforts to prevent the scariest phrase in information security from being uttered: “we were hacked.” In this episode, Rob and Jake walk you through the steps typically taken in response to this worst-case scenario.
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Research and Development (R&D) teams are utilized by companies to maintain their competitive edge. This is done by building innovative features for their existing products as well as conceptualizing new technologies. While there are a plethora of factors that affect innovation and the roles of IT professionals in R&D can be overwhelming, there are methods to navigate this sea of possibilities. In this episode, returning guest Fatima joins Jake and Rob to discuss R&D in IT, what it takes to be successful in an R&D environment, the differences between research in academia and business environments, and some noteworthy technology research topics.
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When you’re at a high point in your career, being replaced at your organization is usually the last thing on your mind. Being replaceable is an unfortunate truth we all come to grips with sooner or later. For those that were impacted by 2020’s pandemic, many working professionals had to do this much sooner than they would’ve liked. While this was certainly expected in some industries, we all quickly learned that no one was truly safe from the economic impact: not even IT. Regardless of your field, this is usually a stressful experience, and it’s important to have a game plan for when it happens. In this episode Jake and Rob reflect on their previous experiences with unemployment and provide tips that helped them navigate those waters.
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Have you ever tried talking tech to someone and realized they don’t work in IT and/or just lack technical skills? Explaining tech to a non-technical person can be challenging; it can also be a great opportunity to challenge your communication skills. Today, Jake and Rob take a deeper dive into a topic that was briefly covered in the “Articulation and Communication” episode: how to overcome talking tech to a non-technical audience.
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Learning and mastering new skills are integral parts of your IT journey. While some you learn along the way, others are complex and require guidance before you can truly grasp them. Proper mentorship is often the catalyst for a young IT professional’s learning and professional success. Mentorship also provides the opportunity for seasoned IT professionals to prepare and grow the next generation. In this episode, Jake and Rob navigate through the murky waters of IT mentorship and discuss purpose, quality, direction, diversity (or lack thereof), and motivation.
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We all know how rough the job market can be, especially for someone just getting into the workforce. Whether it’s IT or another career field, we all run into the same catch-22: new applicants need the job to get experience, but they can’t get the job without experience. That does not mean all hope is lost. If you’ve ever read a job description before, you definitely have seen skills like “being a team player” or “having a creative mindset” listed on them. While these so-called “soft skills” may seem insignificant in an IT position, clearly displaying them can be the deciding factor for hiring managers. In this episode, Rob and Jake discuss the soft skills that can help you land your first job, skills that are worth developing immediately after starting, and how to avoid receiving a pink slip.
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Seemingly insurmountable IT projects are painful, difficult to navigate, and incredibly burdensome. While it feels like you as an engineer are solely responsible for carrying the weight of a failing IT project on your shoulders, keep in mind it’s more likely there are factors beyond your control that contributed to that downward trend. In this episode, Rob and Jake discuss the logistics of failing IT projects, salvaging what’s left, and knowing how and when to accept failure.
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Just like any field, standing out from the competition is one of the most difficult challenges when hunting for an IT job. There is nothing more painful than receiving a rejection email after spending countless hours studying and writing out your resume. More often than not, we’ll begin pondering as to whether we should bolster our credentials and the most expeditious way to do so. But is it worth it? How do you even know where to begin? In this episode, Jake and Rob navigate the ocean of post-secondary education and certifications, as well as how they affect your chances of having a successful IT career.
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Whether it's help desk or software development, thinking about starting your first IT job can be nerve-wracking. You have to learn the tools of the trade, figure out what technologies your team's using, learn the product you're supporting, and so on. Fret not! Most IT professionals had the same experience on their first day. In this episode, Rob and Jake share stories from their first IT jobs and what they think you can expect on your first day.
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The IT world is an ocean of career possibilities, but people often think that the field is only for the technical among us: engineers, developers, technicians, etc. Simply put, that is not the case. In fact, not only do these non-technical roles have plenty of listings on job boards; they also play integral parts in IT teams across the country. In this episode, Jake discusses his experience as a technical writer and how he fits into his role on an software engineering team.
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For the first few episodes of season 2, we took time to discuss and speculate on some IT trends we took personal interest in. Now, it’s time to get back to our roots by asking these questions: what is the difference between desktop support and desktop engineering? How do you progress from one to the other? What skills do you need to get into desktop engineering? In this episode, special guest Maurice (aka Moe) answers all of these questions and more.
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While cryptocurrency started as a novel concept, it’s potential to become a replacement for the traditional currency we use today has since become a hotly-debated topic among financial and economic experts. It has also achieved the backing of many celebrities and business owners such as Elon Musk and Snoop Dogg. To those that look to a future with a truly decentralized currency that’s free of government regulation, cryptocurrency is the most realistic way to move forward. However, as with all new technology, exploits can and will be taken advantage of. In this episode, we discuss cryptocurrency’s reliability, cryptocurrency scams, and the potential pitfalls of a deregulated currency.
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Cryptocurrency has been a hotly-debated topic for the better part of a decade now. Every year, it seems we get ever closer to normalizing its use in our day-to-day. More recently, we’ve seen that domestic and international government organizations have seriously discussed the possibility of digitizing their currency. This raised the question: what would having a government-backed digital currency mean for us? In this episode, we discuss the possible future of a digital dollar and its possible pitfalls.
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The Internet of Things--also known as IoT--is one of the catalysts of The Fourth Industrial Revolution and is increasingly becoming a normal part of our everyday lives. While it certainly boosts convenience and has plenty of money and brainpower backing it, IoT still has many concerns surrounding it, particularly in regards to security. In this episode, Ron Culyer (Guest on Season 1 Episode 9) returns to discuss the pros and cons of IoT, as well its potential short-term future.
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The impact of technology has become an increasingly controversial topic over the last few years. For all of the convenience it adds to our lives, technological innovation always seems to bring a unique set of new problems to solve. In Season 2’s premier episode, Rob and Jake broadly discuss some common concerns and set the stage for the Season 2’s focus: the stigmas behind technological advancement.
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It’s always good to make time for reflection. At the beginning of the season, we asked this colloquial question: “What’s an IT?” Our aim was to take you, the listener, on a journey from humble beginnings to planting your flag in IT. Even when we’ve left the beaten path, we’ve never lost sight of that goal. This season’s concept was chosen to illustrate the path we as IT professionals all eventually take: to figure out where to start and how to continue learning. As long as humanity persists, we will continue to innovate; it is our hope to contribute to that notion by motivating and educating our current and future IT professionals. In the season’s final episode, we discuss the podcast’s past, present, and future.
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Yes, we are talking about space. Since the start of the Space Age, we have always dreamed of a future in the stars. We often use sci-fi to illustrate our visions of the future, and with that comes advancements in more than just space travel technology: everything from AI to medical technology has advanced to a point that we couldn’t envision being within the realm of possibility. And yet, there are a number of technologies that we are beginning to see the prototypes for in the present day, and with that our vision of humanity’s future is becoming clearer. In this episode, Dan Parker joins us again to talk about the tech from some of our favorite sci-fi franchises and how close they are to being realized as science fact instead of science fiction.
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From start to finish, information technology is not an easy ride. You will have to overcome obstacles with no obvious or immediate solution. This test of resolve will span the career and make or break its longevity, but this fear should be acknowledged and taken in stride. Where you are and where you go is in your hands. In this episode, our special guest, Mark Geise, talks about his journey from IT to healthcare, and back again.
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The foundation of a career starts with the initial step into an entry level position. When laying the bricks that will build into a career it is important to set goals that are attainable and deliver value to the end game of your career. Infrastructure, in terms of the IT field, is an ocean of opportunity that can start in a wide range of positions such as networking, end-user support, and system administration. In this episode, our special guest, Daniel Parker, an Information Security Analyst, talks about his foundation in IT Infrastructure as a Data Center Technician.
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As presence in the digital world continues to grow, so do newsletters, marketing emails, Twitch and YouTube ads, and, our personal favorite, sponsored posts on social media. Being a modern blend of traditional marketing and analytics, digital marketing is in an odd position and its place under the umbrella of IT is sometimes contested. Instead of alienating it, let’s explore how it is as much a part of IT as any other data analytics role. In this episode, our special guest, Amber, comes to the table to shed some light on the digital marketing field and talk about her experiences as a Digital Marketing Analyst.
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Data or Data (we know you read that both ways) is the priceless information that exists on the internet. When thinking about the information war, it doesn’t just pertain to nations raging at each other. In this episode, we brought Ken, Information Security Supervisor, in to discuss the nature of data and how crucial it is that you don’t put it out for everyone to see.
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When The Journey began, we gave you an insight on IT and what it looks like on the outside, talked about going to the dojo and where to get the information you need to be successful, and now, we go back to refine our vision. In this episode, join us with special guests Ron Culyer as we talk about finding your focus and what it takes to really get a hint on what you want to do in IT.
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In the world of Information Technology, meeting a woman can come as a surprise to some. Although there has been an uptick in the amount of women in IT in recent years, there’s still a noticeable gender disparity. Are women being deterred from IT, or is the gap slowly but surely being filled? Furthermore, what motivates women to join this male-dominated field? In this episode, Fatima Waqar, a software engineer and our special guest, joins us in tackling these topics while also telling us about her journey into the IT field.
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The gun fires and you’re off to the races. Landing gently as a feather, hopping over the first hurdle seemed easy with almost no time to think about it, you’re already approaching the second obstacle.. It seems never-ending, but you know you’re just getting started. You tell yourself to not quit, to keep giving it your all and then some. You can feel the weight of your desires on your shoulders: to be the best. Everything you have trained for has led to this moment. By the time you reach the end, you bring your head down in shame. Even as you jumped that first hurdle, you could feel a looming sense of hopelessness. It was a loss from the very beginning and even though you gave it your all, it still wasn’t enough. This is burnout, and it is an issue that all professionals encounter. In this episode, we talk about our experiences with burnout in the IT field, how we recognize it, and what we do to combat it.
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Cyber warfare and cyber crime, both on small and large scales, have both seen a resurgence in our news headlines over the last few years, and with it comes an increased need for cybersecurity professionals. As you might expect, a large portion of cybersecurity is preventing those with malicious intent from carrying out their objectives, but it’s also about education. After all, an ignorant user opening an obviously suspicious email or clicking a strange link can easily destroy your company’s infrastructure. It is the duty of information security professionals to prevent threat actors, no matter the form they come in. In this episode, special guest Mike Gray joins us in taking a dive into the world of malware and cybersecurity.
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On the previous installment of The Journey, we broadly explored the IT field and laid a foundation for what to expect based on Rob’s experience. Now, we’ll take a look at the varying levels of education required to get there. Yes, we said “varying levels.” Did you know that IT is accessible without a college degree or with a degree in an unrelated major? In this episode, special guest Ignacio Oliveros takes us on his journey from being a Radiology Technician in Argentina to Software Developer in the United States.
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It’s 2020, and we still don’t see everyone wearing self-lacing shoes or using hoverboards. How much of what we envisioned for the future is still science fiction and how much is becoming science fact? Is AI going to take over the world?? Let’s speculate!
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Communicative ability is not something associated with most IT professionals. Usually perpetuated by pop culture, the long-running stereotype is that we either can’t communicate or simply choose not to. Unfortunately, most of us will see this manifest in the professional world at some point as a poorly-written email or some other communications. Whether you’re just starting out or an IT veteran, miscommunication can cause serious headaches in the workplace. In this episode, we discuss the importance and underappreciation of good communication skills in a professional IT environment.
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Customer support: a job as rewarding as it is demanding. It’s something we often take for granted, but support technicians are a company’s first line of defense from discontent customers. They deal with a plethora of user issues ranging from the trivial to severe, like complete halts in productivity. When you think about it, a good technician can save companies time and money by protecting customers from bad user experiences. But how do support technicians deal with problematic users? How do they know when a problem is outside their scope? What are salary and job placement expectations like? In this episode, special guest David Tsia gives us some insight into the user mindset from an IT Operations perspective.
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IT is an exciting industry: it’s fun, rewarding, and ever changing. Most importantly, it’s more accessible than ever before. In this recurring series--The Journey--we will explore how we and our guests got into the field. And who better to tell their story first than the host of this show--Rob Morant.
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The quest starts here with Rob and Jake. Take the journey with them into the IT field and answer the single greatest question when you tell someone about your job at the family reunion... what's an IT?
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