Off the Wire

About Off the Wire

A bi-weekly podcast that helps you curb cybersecurity risk and tackle technology challenges

Publisher

Anthony Kent & Tanner Greer

Category

business · education · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Sept 2023

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

89 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Vibe Coding at Work: Security, Dependencies, PII, Agents, and the Real Risks

   Vibe Coding at Work: Security, Dependencies, PII, Agents, and the Real Risks In this Off The Wire episode recorded during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Tanner and Anthony discuss “vibe coding,” defined as using a large language model to generate applications, and why it’s becoming more common in workplace IT. They share examples of replacing a $25,000/year call-analysis tool with LLM-driven results and a quickly built front end, while emphasizing that speed shifts responsibility for security and operations onto the organization. Key risks and practices include managing packages and dependencies, running vulnerability scans and pen tests, avoiding hard-coded secrets by using password managers or identity integrations, and carefully handling PII via local models or zero data retention options alongside clearer policies and stronger DLP. They stress adding authentication, logging, certificates, and encryption, keeping documentation outside the app, limiting agents to read-only and preserving RBAC, avoiding over-reliance on vibe coding for business-critical systems, and communicating risks to leadership. 00:00 Cold open 00:29 What vibe coding is and why small shops want it 02:20 CLIP: Call Analytics Savings 02:41 Replacing a $25K call analytics app 03:27 Why a programming background matters 05:30 Vulnerable dependencies and code that never gets patched 09:02 Hardcoded secrets and identity integration 10:33 PII, zero data retention, and local models 11:45 CLIP: Reportable Line 13:19 The DLP gap at co-ops 14:10 CLIP: Over-Modeling 15:28 Authentication, logging, and certificates 17:27 CLIP: Hammer And Nail 17:27 Sprawl: when everything looks like a nail 18:06 Reverse-engineered software and legal exposure 21:10 CLIP: Docs Not Enough 21:10 Documentation and key-person risk 22:06 AI agents and least privilege 22:48 CLIP: Easy Part 24:47 CLIP: Data House 24:47 Getting your data house in order 26:34 CLIP: Saving Our Bacon 26:37 Security fundamentals still protect you 27:35 CLIP: Responsibility Shift 27:36 Build vs. buy: you own the 3 AM call 29:38 What to tell your team and leadership 29:38 CLIP: Brief Leadership 31:14 Wrap-up

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Tanner’s IT Journey: From Trainee to CTO at a Co-op (Off the Wire)

   Tanner’s IT Journey: From Trainee to CTO at a Co-op (Off the Wire)In this episode of Off the Wire, Tanner shares how he got into IT, from early exposure to computers and strong high school computer classes to studying computer science at NC State, switching to computer information systems at App State, and joining Blue Ridge as a temp/intern before landing a help desk/IT trainee role. He describes learning on the job in a small, older IT team, starting in a supply-closet office, supporting desktops, backups, servers, virtualization, and early smartphone lifecycle work. Tanner details major infrastructure growth including VMware adoption, clustering, P2V migrations, flash storage decisions, implementing a Spiceworks ticketing system around 2013–2014, and moving from tapes to disk backups and DR replication. He traces promotions to system administrator, IT infrastructure manager, director of IT, and eventually senior VP/CTO, emphasizing planning, business-process understanding, relationships, and advice to work hard and focus on people as much as technology.Trace an IT career path from help desk trainee to CTO. Learn the strategic decisions and leadership growth needed for IT management.Tanner shares his journey through the electric co-op world, starting from a supply-closet office and scaling to senior leadership. This conversation covers the technical evolution—from early VMware adoption and P2V migrations to modern infrastructure planning—and the shift from hands-on work to business strategy.Whether you are currently in an IT trainee role or aiming for the C-suite, this episode highlights the importance of relationships, business-process understanding, and people-focused leadership. We discuss how to navigate promotions, manage technical debt, and build a career in the co-op sector.Subscribe for more IT leadership insights, and comment below with your own career trajectory questions.0:00 A Different Kind of Career Path0:34 Early Fascination With Technology4:19 Landing the First Role8:37 The Early Days of IT Traineeship17:44 Growth and Increased Autonomy31:46 Stepping Into Management37:59 Learning the Business Side43:25 Reflecting on the CTO Journey

3. 

   21 Sept 2026

   From Marine Corps Radio Tech to VP of IT at an Electric Co-op! Origin Stories Part 1

   Off The Wire (Part 1): Anthony’s Journey from the Marines to Co-op IT Leadership In this Part 1 episode of Off The Wire, Tanner interviews Anthony about the path that led him into IT and ultimately to leadership in the electric co-op world. Anthony shares how leaving Southeast Ohio and joining the Marines led to hands-on technical roles as a radio technician and SATCOM tech, sparking his interest in troubleshooting, networking, and IT. After studying and moving through early roles—including Applied Technology Solutions supporting co-ops, a cybersecurity-focused role at EDS, and later a large-scale cybersecurity consulting stint at Hewlett Packard Enterprise on the Navy Marine Corps Intranet—he returned to co-ops for the people and culture, working at Buckeye REC and later Four County Electric, where he became VP of IT. They discuss lessons learned about leadership, career moves, and not being afraid to change environments. On this episode of the Off The Wire podcast, Anthony shares personal insights into his journey and professional background. In this special edition, Tanner and Anthony shift focus to the experiences that shaped their approach to the field. By opening up about these personal insights, the hosts provide context on the motivations and values that drive their broader discussions. This conversation offers a different lens on the usual IT leadership topics covered on the show. Listeners looking for unique industry perspectives will find a candid look at the history behind the content, setting the stage for deeper discussions in upcoming parts. Subscribe for more Off The Wire podcast episodes, and comment below if you have questions about the topics discussed. 00:00 Welcome And Setup 01:20 Marines And Early Tech Curiosity 02:22 SATCOM To IT Pivot 05:07 First IT Job And School 07:17 Cybersecurity Detour At EDS 09:28 Co Op Mentors And Buckeye REC 11:17 IT Manager Growth And Projects 13:21 Leaving Ohio And Joining HP 15:20 Big Network Cyber Audits 19:04 Why Co Ops And Four County 22:35 Leadership Lessons And Advice 25:16 Part One Wrap And Next Steps

Who has been a guest on Off the Wire

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Tanner Greer
• Anthony Kent
• Adam W

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

16 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Contact Off the Wire

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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