Summary:

In this episode of Exploring Information Security, Tim chats with Chris Traynor of Black Hills Information Security (BHIS) and Ridgeback InfoSec. Chris is a seasoned penetration tester and educator who’s been developing hands-on training that’s grounded in real-world experience. He shares the origins of his “Offensive Tooling” classes, what makes a great pentest report, and how he balances teaching with travel, work, and family life.

Chris breaks down the tooling that matters, how he approaches infrastructure setup for operators, and why he emphasizes actionable reporting. He also talks about the importance of open-source tooling, customizing workflows, and automating the tedious parts of testing. Whether you're just getting into offensive security or are a veteran red teamer, this episode offers insights and practical takeaways.

Topics discussed:

The importance of hands-on offensive tooling training
How to write reports that are actually useful to dev and ops teams
Why pentesters need infrastructure knowledge
Open-source tools, custom scripts, and automation
The challenges and wins of presenting at BSides and beyond
Avoiding burnout while building community and sharing knowledge

Learn more about Chris’ upcoming training opportunities:

Social

Upcoming Events

March 28 security live on https://www.twitch.tv/womaninredpresents
KernelCon April 1-2 teaching my Offensive Tooling for Operators 2-day class
The Illustrated Pentester - Short Stories of Security Vol. 4 April 10

- Past ones...

The Illustrated Pentester - Short Stories of Security
- The Illustrated Pentester - Short Stories of Security Vol. 2
- The Illustrated Pentester - Short Stories of Security Vol. 3
BSidesHBG April 25
BSidesKC April 26
Possibly BSides Flood City (May 8) and BSides Ft Wayne (June 7) too

ETHOS LAbs Links and Resources:

ETHOS LABS Website

Connect with Tim Folwer on Linkedin

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Summary:

In this episode, host Timothy De Block sits down with Tim Fowler, the creator of Tempest, a hands-on educational project focused on space cybersecurity. Tim shares the story behind the development of Tempest, a 1U CubeSat designed for teaching and exploring cybersecurity in space systems. With insights from his background in space cyber, Tim explains how Tempest offers a unique, vulnerable, and modular platform for learning, hacking, and improving space security.

Key Topics Covered:

What is Tempest?
Tim introduces Tempest, a one-unit CubeSat built for educational purposes, focusing on the cybersecurity aspects of space systems. He explains how CubeSats are small satellites with low cost and accessibility but often lack a focus on security.

Design and Development of Tempest
Tim talks about his 18-month journey developing Tempest, a project that started as an educational tool for his class on space cybersecurity. The CubeSat is intentionally vulnerable, offering students a chance to explore hacking and security concepts in space systems.

Tempest as a Teaching Aid
Tempest is designed to be hands-on, giving students real-world exposure to the challenges and opportunities in securing space systems. The first version of Tempest debuted at Wild West HackingFest, and Tim discusses how he plans to scale and release the hardware for public use.

Challenges and Learning Through Failure
Tim shares some humorous and insightful moments from teaching with Tempest, including a broadcast storm in the classroom caused by satellites "talking" to each other. He reflects on the importance of troubleshooting and learning through failure, both as a developer and instructor.

Upcoming Plans for Tempest
Tim outlines his goals for 2025, including releasing Tempest hardware for public consumption and expanding the educational content around space cybersecurity. He also hints at adding AI capabilities to the CubeSat for future applications like missile detection or weather observation.

Guest Bio:

Tim Fowler is a space cybersecurity expert and creator of Tempest, a unique educational tool designed to teach security in space systems. With years of experience in both the defense and cybersecurity sectors, Tim is passionate about making space systems more secure and accessible for hands-on learning.