Episode #32 – Strong on the Outside, Dying on the Inside: High-Functioning Depression in Infosec

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InfoSec to Insanity

Evan Francen

46 episodes

1 month ago

Welcome to the InfoSec to Insanity Podcast, a wild, unfiltered ride through the crazy world of information security. Hosted by the legendary Evan Francen—the man on a mission to fix the broken InfoSec industry—you’ll get straight talk, insane stories, and no-nonsense advice on how we can make real change in cybersecurity.Evan is no stranger to breaking down tough topics, with over 30 years of practical InfoSec experience, founding FRSecure and SecurityStudio, and helping the world make sense of security risks. He’s also written UNSECURITY, where he tells it like it is—our industry is failing, but it’s fixable. If you’ve ever felt like InfoSec was more chaos than clarity, then this podcast is exactly what you need.Why Tune In?

Candid Conversations: No fluff, no corporate BS. Just real talk about the state of security.
Battle Stories: Evan’s got tales—from advising on the infamous Target breach to helping protect companies like Wells Fargo and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Fixing the Industry: Join us as we tackle the tough questions: Why do breaches keep happening? What’s wrong with InfoSec? And how can we fix it?
Fun and Relatable: Evan brings his humor, hacker mindset, and love for diving into problems head-on—sometimes literally when he’s out scuba diving or tearing down a motorcycle!

This podcast isn’t your standard cybersecurity chat. It’s a mix of tech talk, leadership insight, and just the right amount of insanity. Whether you’re a seasoned InfoSec pro or just trying to keep your company safe, there’s something for everyone here.

All content for InfoSec to Insanity is the property of Evan Francen and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Candid Conversations: No fluff, no corporate BS. Just real talk about the state of security.
Battle Stories: Evan’s got tales—from advising on the infamous Target breach to helping protect companies like Wells Fargo and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Fixing the Industry: Join us as we tackle the tough questions: Why do breaches keep happening? What’s wrong with InfoSec? And how can we fix it?
Fun and Relatable: Evan brings his humor, hacker mindset, and love for diving into problems head-on—sometimes literally when he’s out scuba diving or tearing down a motorcycle!

Episode #32 – Strong on the Outside, Dying on the Inside: High-Functioning Depression in Infosec

InfoSec to Insanity

1 hour 24 minutes

5 months ago

Episode #32 – Strong on the Outside, Dying on the Inside: High-Functioning Depression in Infosec

We all know someone who seems to have it together. They’re high-performing, always reliable, maybe even admired. But beneath the surface, they’re barely holding it together.

In this episode of InfoSec to Insanity, Evan Francen and co-host Matt Goodacre dive into the brutal reality of high-functioning depression and anxiety, especially in high-stress careers like cybersecurity. Based on Evan’s deeply personal blog post (https://evanfrancen.com/2025/05/06/strong-on-the-outside/), this conversation exposes what most people never see—the silent battles behind the smiles, the crushing weight behind the competence.

We’ll talk about:

Why “functioning” doesn’t mean healthy
The danger of internalizing pain to keep up appearances
How to recognize the signs (in yourself or others)
Why the strongest people often hide the deepest pain
What we can do to break the cycle and actually heal

If you’ve ever felt like you’re surviving instead of living—this one’s for you.
📅 Recorded live on YouTube – May 15, 2025 @ 9pm CT