Published on: October 16, 2025 Updated 2 times since publishing
From missing meals while chasing his first cybersecurity role to hosting over 250 episodes of one of the field’s most authentic podcasts, Joe South has turned struggle into purpose. Through Security Unfiltered, he bridges the gap between experts and newcomers, offering real-world insights, personal stories, and practical advice that make cybersecurity both accessible and inspiring. In this interview with SafetyDetectives, Joe shares how his journey began, what drives his mission, and how he continues to empower others to break into and thrive in the world of cybersecurity.
What inspired you to launch Security Unfiltered, and how has its mission evolved since its inception?
Going back 10+ years ago I struggled to get into a cyber security dedicated role. It took me 2.5 years of trial and struggle, literally missing meals and people telling me I would never make it before I finally got one hiring manager to tell me yes. That experience was very frustrating for me & I swore I would help anyone that reached out to me to get into the same industry that I love.
Over the years I would get messages almost daily from people asking me how to get into security, what certifications to get, advice for someone starting out, etc. After much deliberation I decided to start a blog and called it joesecurityblog. The blog took off due to how I was writing about my own experiences and certifications.
Thousands would read my articles but I still got daily messages like I did before. This prompted me to start the Security Unfiltered Podcast to bring experts on to tell their story and provide a level of candid advice to my audience that doesn’t exist anywhere else. I have now done over 250 episodes and have talked to some of the world’s leading experts in their respective fields.
With over a decade of experience in cybersecurity, how do you approach making complex security topics accessible to a broader audience?
I start at the basics and then I begin to relate the topic to something in everyday life which extends the topic and knowledge to a broader audience. This has worked with topics as complex as quantum encryption and many others.
Can you share some memorable moments or key insights from your podcast episodes that have resonated most with your listeners?
After 250+ episodes this is a difficult one to describe but the episodes that always stick out are the ones with Chris Roberts, Chris Rock (The Hacker/Cyber Mercenary), Erick Galinkin from Nvidia, James Lawler & Rick Prado from the CIA and JB Benjamin the creator of Vox Crypto & Vox Messenger. These are all just to name a few that I think have helped shape what the podcast has turned into today.
How do you select topics and guests for your episodes to ensure they align with your audience’s interests and current cybersecurity trends?
Typically I am booked several months out in advance with quite a long waitlist so planning topics with current events can be extremely difficult. When a modern event happens I will try to work with prior experts to cover the topic in detail & if I can’t I will discuss the topic at a high level with that week’s current guest. This can be challenging but I try to keep it high level and only get opinions when I do that rather than hard facts.
Looking ahead, what are your goals for the future of Security Unfiltered, and how do you plan to continue engaging and educating your audience?
My goal is to continue to grow the podcast and have a content stream that flows together (more on that to come). I also plan on adding highly technical content to my platform where I bring on top tier experts to teach about a topic to help people get hands-on skills to learn the topics inside and out.