Cybersecurity isn’t just red or blue anymore... it’s purple, white, and deeply human. Maril Vernon, award-winning ethical hacker and Senior Solutions Architect at NetSPI, returns to the Hacker Valley Studio to discuss purple teaming as the most future-proof career path in cyber. She opens up about mentorship, burnout, compensation realities, and how we’re still failing the fundamentals.
Together, Ron and Maril dig into what purple teaming really is (and isn’t), why soft skills matter more than ever, and how defenders are the frontline signal source for law enforcement. From guiding her mom into IR to co-founding Mind Over Cyber, Maril embodies what it means to show up for the cyber community and demand more from the culture itself.
 
Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
01:01 - Maril’s role at NetSPI
03:00 - Why purple skills are future-proof
05:19 - Salary truths in purple teaming
08:30 - Know your value, negotiate wisely
13:07 - How defenders enable law enforcement
16:22 - The real meaning of purple teaming
18:39 - Common misconceptions debunked
24:45 - People are always the soft spot
26:01 - The two security stack must-haves
29:00 - Mom made it to incident response
30:48 - Maril’s mentorship philosophy
34:09 - Why you need to post anyway
36:35 - What Mind Over Cyber is really about
40:00 - CISOs are burning out silently
41:31 - Closing thoughts



Links:
Connect with our guest, Maril Vernon: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilvernon'>https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilvernon</a>
 
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