Episodi

  • the personality behind incident response | Renzon Cruz
    Oct 26 2026

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    You don’t need to pretend you know everything to become good at cybersecurity.

    Renzon steps back from the technical side of DFIR and talk more about how he approaches the work itself.

    We get into dealing with stress, switching off after difficult incident-response engagements, mentoring students and why Renzon is comfortable telling someone:

    He also talks about what keeps him sane outside work, why he enjoys teaching and the satisfaction of hearing that something he taught helped someone land a job or answer an interview question.

    A more personal look at the mindset behind someone working across incident response, threat research, training and the cybersecurity community.

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    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4gT2KNf
    GuideM Cyber Training - https://bit.ly/4qGzU6b
    XINTRA - https://www.xintra.org/
    DFIR Report - https://thedfirreport.com/

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    4 min
  • what cyber training STILL gets wrong in 2026 | Renzon Cruz
    Oct 19 2026

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    Renzon and I both spend a lot of time building and delivering cyber training, so we get into what we think is still missing.

    And something that’s much harder to teach: the human element.

    We talk about the need for affordable hands-on training built around current threats, why fundamentals are still so important, and why students shouldn’t rush straight into the flashy tools without understanding what’s happening underneath them.

    Renzon also talks about his work building training through Guide Them and creating APT-focused blue-team labs with XINTRA.

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    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4dGiIY9

    Follow Renzon here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4gT2KNf
    GuideM Cyber Training - https://bit.ly/4qGzU6b
    XINTRA - https://www.xintra.org/
    DFIR Report - https://thedfirreport.com/

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    14 min
  • how to build a successful cyber-security career in UAE | Renzon Cruz
    Oct 12 2026

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    The UAE has become an incredibly attractive place to build a cybersecurity career. The competition is getting tougher and tougher

    Sometimes the best career advice really is simple: show up, meet people and ask questions.

    Renzon talks about his experience working in the UAE, the growth of the local cybersecurity community and why simply being technically good isn’t always enough to get ahead.

    We get into networking, mentorship, communities like 971Sec, attending meetups and actually approaching people who are already doing the job you want to do.

    Renzon also shares the harder side of the market: more people wanting to move to the UAE, increasing expectations from employers and the lack of opportunities available to some fresh graduates.

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    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4dGiIY9

    Follow Renzon here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4gT2KNf
    GuideM Cyber Training - https://bit.ly/4qGzU6b
    XINTRA - https://www.xintra.org/
    DFIR Report - https://thedfirreport.com/

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    9 min
  • what incident response REALLY looks like | Renzon Cruz
    Oct 5 2026

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    Incident response looks very different when you’re dealing with a real organisation, real attackers and a very stressed client.

    Renzon shares his actual experience on what Incident Response actually looks and feels like. What 'scoping an incident' means and understanding the environment to staying calm when everyone around you is panicking.

    We shares some crazy war stories, including discovering attackers who had been inside environments for years, investigating two different APT groups targeting the same organisation, and negotiating with a threat actor while he was supposed to be on holiday.

    We also talk about why incident response isn’t just about tools and logs.

    Sometimes the most important skill is being the person who can calmly tell everyone what happens next.

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    Follow Nik here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4dGiIY9

    Follow Renzon here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4gT2KNf
    GuideM Cyber Training - https://bit.ly/4qGzU6b
    XINTRA - https://www.xintra.org/
    DFIR Report - https://thedfirreport.com/

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    20 min
  • actual tips on preparing for your first cybersecurity job in GCC | Anya Shpilman
    Sep 28 2026

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    What should you actually be doing before applying for your first cybersecurity job?

    We talk about what students and graduates can do to prepare for the GCC cybersecurity market, why hands-on experience matters, finding mentors, trying different areas of cyber and why simply messaging recruiters asking them to “find me a job” probably isn’t going to work.

    One of the biggest themes: build things.

    Projects, blogs, labs, portfolios and genuine curiosity give people something to notice — especially when you don’t have years of professional experience behind you yet.

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    Follow Anya here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/46h5n6i
    CyberFused - https://www.cyberfused.com/

    Follow Karim here
    Linkedin - https://bit.ly/4zAGDmf

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    10 min
  • CyberFused can help new cyber companies find the best people in UAE | Anya Shpilman
    Sep 21 2026

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    What does it actually take to build a cybersecurity team in the Middle East?

    Not every client is a good client.

    Anya Shpilman founded CyberFused to specialise in exactly that.

    We get into how CyberFused works, why Anya moved towards an embedded recruitment model, what happens when a company comes to her with multiple vacancies and why international cybersecurity vendors often struggle when they first start hiring in the GCC.

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    Follow Nik here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4dGiIY9

    Follow Anya here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/46h5n6i
    CyberFused - https://www.cyberfused.com/

    Follow Karim here
    Linkedin - https://bit.ly/4zAGDmf

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    13 min
  • how geopolitics affects cyber jobs in the Gulf | Anya Shpilman
    Sep 14 2026

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    Anya shares what she has personally seen across cybersecurity recruitment in the UAE

    Including jobs being put on hold, offers being withdrawn and companies becoming much more cautious with hiring budgets. With the current tension in the region, what are companies to do?

    Subscribe to CyBytes for more conversations with people actually working in cybersecurity across the UAE and beyond

    Follow CyBytes
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    Substack - cybytes.substack.com

    Follow Nik here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4dGiIY9

    Follow Anya here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/46h5n6i
    CyberFused - https://www.cyberfused.com/

    Follow Karim here
    Linkedin - https://bit.ly/4zAGDmf

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    7 min
  • how cybersecurity hiring actually works in UAE | Anya Shpilman
    Sep 7 2026

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    What actually happens when a company in Dubai needs to hire someone in cybersecurity?

    It’s a lot more complicated than posting a job on LinkedIn and waiting for the right CV.

    I test Anya on how she approaches a new cyber job off the cuff. From understanding what the hiring manager actually needs, setting realistic salary expectations and finding candidates, through to shortlisting, interviews and negotiating the final offer.

    Subscribe to CyBytes for more conversations with people actually working in cybersecurity across the UAE and beyond.

    Follow CyBytes
    LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/cybytespodcast
    Youtube - @cybytespodcast
    Substack - cybytes.substack.com

    Follow Nik here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4dGiIY9

    Follow Anya here
    LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/46h5n6i
    CyberFused - https://www.cyberfused.com/

    Follow Karim here
    Linkedin - https://bit.ly/4zAGDmf

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    9 min