Jon McCoy — Hacker outreach

How can hackers and corporate security teams work together when each sees the other through a different set of assumptions? Jon McCoy explains hacker outreach as a way to connect people, share knowledge, and make security communities easier to enter. He describes DEF CON for newcomers, discusses its culture, and recalls a cautionary story about Robert’s connected wearable at the event. The conversation follows Jon’s journey into OWASP and his support for diversity initiatives, including Women in AppSec and conference scholarships. Chris asks how organizations can help and what a more welcoming community might look like. Jon’s message centers on practical generosity: introduce people, remove barriers, and help the next person find a place to contribute.

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Connect with Jon Mccoy:
→ Jon McCoy on GitHub

Mentioned in this episode:
→ DEF CON
→ OWASP Women in AppSec — project repository
→ OWASP Foundation

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Chapters:
00:00 Hacker outreach with Jon McCoy
02:42 What hacker outreach means
05:12 Where outreach happens
06:11 Introducing DEF CON
07:42 What newcomers should expect
09:06 Robert’s connected-wearable cautionary tale
11:19 Jon’s journey from DEF CON to OWASP
13:05 Bringing hacker outreach into OWASP
15:18 Diversity initiatives and access to community
16:32 Women in AppSec
17:58 Conference diversity scholarships
18:31 How organizations can help
19:42 A more welcoming security community
23:05 Jon’s call to action