Hacking the Novel: A Journey From Tech Support to Published Author with Ryan Rutan, Senior Director of Community at Synack

Ryan Rutan has worked in tech support, as a computer repairman, application developer, software engineer, entrepreneur, and head of community…and most recently, fiction writer. Listen to this episode to hear what inspired Fork This Life, a novel that follows the life of a teenager growing up with the early internet of the 90s who eventually gets into hacking, and how it relates to today’s cybersecurity challenges.--------Why You Should Listen:Hear about Ryan’s approach to hacking the fiction writing process.* Get the inside story of how working in tech support informed Ryan’s career in cybersecurity. * Nerd out on nostalgia about the nineties tech scene.* Pick up tips for developing your creative voice.  * Get tips for how you can help spread a culture of good security hygiene. --------Key Quotes:* “I’m a technical person, therefore I create.” * “I need a computer but why? I want to get online, but why? Everyone knew they needed it and wanted it but they didn’t know why.”* “The people who know and understand what it means to keep things secure... It’s incumbent upon them to pay if forward as much as possible.” * “Security back in the 90s.. your death was going to come from a swift sledgehammer to the head...now it’s death by a thousand cuts from a million different websites.” --------Related Links:* Synack.com* https://www.synack.com/lp/enterprise-security-testing-101/* Forkthislife.com* https://twitter.com/ryanrutan Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.