Why should you listen to us? Honestly—you shouldn’t. But if you do, know this: we’re not just two jokers talking theory.In this episode of Legitimate Cybersecurity, Frank Downs and Dustin Brewer open up about their real beginnings—from accidental entry into US Intelligence after 9/11, to packet-hunting puzzles, Wi-Fi tinkering, and Linux dependency hell, to Dustin’s Coast Guard days that led him into DoD cyber operations and battlefield coding.What you’ll hear:Frank’s unexpected pivot from English major → Arabic → US Intelligence → Packet Hunters → ISACA → vCISODustin’s childhood obsession with modems, Prodigy, and “Hackers” → DoD cyber ops → Iraq deployment software award → BlueVoyant leadershipWhy Wireshark still matters more than ever in an encrypted worldThe three inflection points that changed Frank’s career foreverWhy frameworks (NIST, ISO, HITRUST) keep failing—and Dustin’s PhD research into the human factor of securityWhat we focus on today: AI, vCISO work, penetration testing, and the balance of family + cyber🎯 If you’re looking for career inspiration, real stories, and unfiltered lessons from two practitioners who’ve done the work—this episode is for you.Timestamps below.📩 Questions? admin@legitimatecybersecurity.com💬 Drop a comment—we reply fast.🔔 Subscribe for more real-world cybersecurity with humor and honesty.Chapter Breaks00:00 Cold Open – “Why should you listen to us? You shouldn’t.”00:19 Meet your hosts: Dustin & Frank00:36 Why this episode: career steps & credibility check01:23 Setting the stage: our backgrounds in cyber02:06 Frank’s accidental entry into cybersecurity (post-9/11, US Intelligence)03:26 The language grind: Arabic immersion & Spanish surprises05:24 From Nordstrom suits to DoD analyst (wrong master’s degree first!)07:15 Building real skills, Packet Hunters, and ISACA transition07:40 Discovering Wireshark: packets as puzzles with real-world impact09:02 Wi-Fi experiments, streaming flex, and home internet humility09:48 Frank’s advice: explore cyber early—or you’ll be miserable10:19 Dustin’s story begins: Palm Bay, Florida + engineering neighbors11:14 Simpsons saxophone teacher → first coding mentor12:32 AOL for DOS, Prodigy, CompuServe → modem obsession13:26 Networking excitement & “Hackers” movie inspiration14:23 Linux from scratch & dependency hell at age 1515:17 School vs passion: community college frustrations → military track16:25 Coast Guard IT school → voluntold to Fort Meade (DoD cyber ops)18:03 Ground-up learning → teaching others by doing19:13 Linux from scratch = trial by fire learning19:51 Wireshark packet analysis as the foundation skill21:02 Policy + frameworks: the cowboy days before NIST awareness22:43 Frank’s 3 inflection points: contracting leap, Packet Hunters, discovering NIST25:50 Dustin’s inflection points: first root login, Project Phalanx, Iraq software success27:54 Building impactful systems → Army Achievement Medal for battlefield code29:27 Perspective: cyber ops under fire → calm in the private sector30:22 Frank now: family focus, vCISO variety, and AI’s cultural impacts34:14 Tech culture & identity: from iPods to Meta glasses34:53 Dustin now: pen testing, vuln mgmt, and a PhD on framework adoption37:42 Why frameworks keep failing: the human layer39:31 Rethinking cybersecurity like medicine, not just militaristic defense40:15 How to reach us & engage with the show41:04 Sign-off#cybersecurity #careerstories #packets #wireshark #linux #dod #usintelligence #techcareers #careeradvice #pentesting #vCISO #humanfactors #ai #frameworks