Why train when you can just hire?” In this episode, BlueVoyant Senior Vulnerability & Risk Analyst James Gustafson explains why that mindset—and the myth that AI can replace fundamentals—is putting orgs at risk. From Army “combat cable guy” to enterprise VM leader, James breaks down how to move from scan → prioritize → fix, how to develop junior talent without gatekeeping, and where AI actually helps (and where it absolutely doesn’t).🎧 Audio listeners can subscribe on any platform (Spotify, Apple, etc.) or here: https://legitimatecybersecurity.podbean.com/💼 Media & interview requests: admin@legitimatecybersecurity.comYou’ll learnWhy scan ≠ secure and how to make risk registers stickThe hiring shift: junior roles, budgets, and AI misconceptionsPackets vs. button-ology—what juniors lose when tools do too muchHow to communicate VM risk at 10k+ asset scaleAI’s “sweet spot” for practitioners (and the painful edges)Chapter Breaks00:00 Cold Open — “Misconceptions about what AI can replace”00:17 Intro — Who is James Gustafson (BlueVoyant)01:14 Origin Story — Movies, IRC, and early curiosity03:13 Army to IT — “Combat cable guy” and real-world networking04:31 Breaking In — 2009 job market, degrees & certs05:48 Obsession & Passion — How to pivot from IT to cyber06:39 Where Did Juniors Go? — Budgets + AI hype08:20 AI Reality Check — Risk shifts, phishing, unknowns10:02 History Rhymes — From mainframes to printing press to AI14:05 VM at Scale — Actionable comms, policy, and ownership15:18 Why Orgs Scan but Don’t Fix — The uncomfortable truth17:06 Priorities vs. Patching — Firefights and thin teams18:05 SOC Then vs. Now — Packets, Snort, SIEM & automation19:54 Button-ology vs Fundamentals — Hiring for platforms22:10 Teaching Without Gatekeeping — Recreating “packet” intuition28:07 Training the Next Gen — Translating deep knowledge30:26 Parenting & Passion — “Be excellent at something”34:27 What’s Going Right — Industry sobers up on AI36:33 Thought Experiment — If we “laid down arms” in cyber…38:08 Wrap — Why fundamentals still win#cybersecurity #vulnerabilitymanagement #bluevoyant #ai #riskmanagement #soc #infosec #careerincybersecurity #cve #CISAKnownExploited #wireshark #Qualys #tenable #crowdstrike #microsoftdefender