S3 – Episode 013 – Bridging the Cyber Skills Gap w/Jessie Bolton

S3 – Episode 013 – Bridging the Cyber Skills Gap w/Jessie Bolton

Author: Jason Popillion and Kevin Pentecost December 4, 2024 Duration: 1:49:18

Cybersecurity isn't just about technology—it's about people. In this eye-opening episode of the Cyber Distortion Podcast, we're joined by Jessie Bolton, CEO of Bolt Resources and former Vice President of North Texas ISSA, to tackle one of the industry's most pressing challenges: the human side of the cybersecurity skills gap.

Jessie brings a wealth of experience from her collaborations with ISC2, WiCyS, NICE, Infosec Institute, and higher education institutions. She's at the forefront of redefining how organizations identify, nurture, and retain talent in an industry facing a critical workforce shortage.

From strategies to attract untapped talent to innovative training programs that prioritize real-world readiness, Jessie shares actionable insights for employers and aspiring cybersecurity professionals alike. If you're passionate about building a stronger, more inclusive cybersecurity workforce, this is the conversation you've been waiting for.

Tune in and discover how we can close the gap and secure the future—one human at a time!

Jason Popillion is a CISSP and serves as a CIO/CTO of a SaaS company and Kevin Pentecost is a CISSP, CISM, CEH, CPT, MPCS, MCSE, CCA, ITIL-F and serves as the Information Security Director for a Manufacturing company.

 

CITATIONS

Jessie's LinkedIn Profile:

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

Bolt Resources - Websites of Jessie's:

Cyberseek.org:

https://www.cyberseek.org/

Lightcast.io:

https://lightcast.io/

 

OTHER Resources:

https://venturebeat.com/programming-development/skills-shortage-persists-in-cybersecurity-with-many-jobs-going-unfilled/

North Texas ISSA:

https://www.ntxissa.org/


Ever feel like the world of cybersecurity is explained in a language only experts understand? That's exactly why Cyber Distortion Podcast Series exists. Hosts Jason Popillion and Kevin Pentecost, both seasoned professionals who hold top certifications like the CISSP, cut through the jargon and distortion to talk about digital safety in clear, practical terms. Each episode feels like a conversation with two colleagues who have been in the trenches-Jason as a CIO/CTO and Kevin as an Information Security Manager-and who genuinely want you to walk away with something useful. You won't just hear abstract theories; you'll get actionable advice that applies whether you're protecting your personal data or responsible for an entire organization's security posture. This podcast demystifies the concepts that matter now, from everyday online habits to broader organizational strategies, making crucial knowledge accessible without oversimplifying the real challenges. Tune in for straightforward discussions that equip you with the understanding to navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape with more confidence.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Cyber Distortion Podcast Series
Podcast Episodes
S5 – Episode 009 – The Sony Hack: When Hollywood went to Cyberwar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:51
What happens when a film studio becomes the target of a cyberattack with geopolitical consequences? In this episode of the Cyber Distortion Podcast, we examine the 2014 Sony Pictures Entertainment hack—an incident that b…
S5 – Episode 008 – We are Anonymous: The Collective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:29
Description: What happens when an idea has no leader, no headquarters, and no membership list? In this episode of the Cyber Distortion Podcast, we trace the remarkable rise of Anonymous, the decentralized hacker collecti…
S5 – Episode 007 – The Pegasus Spyware: Privacy Compromised [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:05
What if someone could unlock your phone without you clicking a link, opening an attachment, or even knowing they'd been there? No warning. No notification. No trace. That's exactly what Pegasus spyware was built to do. I…
S5 - Episode 006 – The Silk Road: Fall of a Darkweb Kingpin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:51
The Silk Road wasn't just an illegal marketplace—it was a bold, ideological experiment built on libertarian philosophy, cryptographic anonymity, and the belief that the internet could exist beyond the reach of government…
S5 - Episode 005 – The Cambridge Analytica Scandal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:33
The Cambridge Analytica scandal wasn't just a data breach—it was a glimpse into a hidden system designed to study, predict, and influence human behavior at scale. What began as a seemingly harmless Facebook personality q…
S5 - Episode 004 – Ashley Madison: Infidelity Unmasked [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:09
In 2015, a shadowy group calling themselves "The Impact Team" detonated one of the most explosive data breaches in history—targeting Ashley Madison, a platform built on secrecy with a promise that "Life is short. Have an…
S5 - Episode 003 – Stuxnet: Zero-Day Cataclysmic Warfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:52
Cyber Distortion Podcast – Hosted by Kevin Pentecost & Jason Popillion In this episode of the Cyber Distortion Podcast, Kevin and Jason discuss one of the most chilling and groundbreaking cyberattacks in history: Stuxnet…
S5 - Episode 002 – Cicada 3301 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:08
Cyber Distortion Podcast – Hosted by Kevin Pentecost & Jason Popillion In January 2012, a mysterious message appeared on an obscure corner of the internet — a simple image posted on 4chan with a chilling promise: "We are…
S5 - Episode 001 – The Day that Twitter Died [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:03
Cyber Distortion Podcast – Hosted by Kevin Pentecost & Jason Popillion On July 15, 2020, the unthinkable happened: dozens of the world's most powerful voices — Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Joe Biden, Apple, Uber,…