• John Hammond
  • Posts
  • Cybersecurity Shenanigans #019: Taking a moment to reflect on 2025 :)

Cybersecurity Shenanigans #019: Taking a moment to reflect on 2025 :)

This month's Cybersecurity Shenanigans is unusually festive. 🤩

Author

John Hammond
December 17, 2025

👋 Hey friend,

This month’s Shenanigans is a bit different, but I hope you’ll indulge me for just this issue. 😅

We reached some significant milestones together, which I’ll get to in a moment. But for this little introductory blurb, I want to focus on what made all of them possible. YOU!

When I first started uploading silly videos to YouTube, I could’ve never imagined the type of community that would form. This year, I’ve enjoyed expanding that community in ways that have allowed me to actually chat with you in real-time, whether at events or through livestreams where we just hang out and talk tradecraft.

YOU have made that possible by showing up — in person, on livestreams, and even by just hitting the subscribe button for this newsletter. It’s one thing to be pumped about dissecting a zero-day, but to be able to have a dialog where it’s not just me talking to a camera? That has meant the world to me.

As we wrap up 2025 and look to 2026, I just want to say… thank you. Thank you for being there and letting me be part of your year. This is the best community, and as always, I’m so glad you’re here!

Happy holidays!

— JH

2025 Wrapped

We hit 2M subscribers in April 🥲

I’m still trying to process this. When I uploaded my first video 17 years ago (👴), I never dreamed anyone would actually watch anything I posted. But you’ve shown up consistently and have helped me grow this into a true, proper community. Thank you. :)

I was on Nightline 😭

I was invited to the Good Morning America studio to film a segment on “grandparent scams,” where bad actors use AI to impersonate family members and steal money. It was a chance to shine a light on a heartbreaking problem plaguing some of the nearest and dearest people in our lives.

Just Hacking Training 🤝 DEF CON

We hosted two mini workshops, had a ton of folks stop by to participate and to say hi, and gave away lots of swag. :)

…and BSidesChicago

Just Hacking Training also appeared at BSidesChicago, where we covered Script-Based Malware Analysis, Level Up OSINT, and Hardware Hacking 101. Packed rooms all around! 🙏🏻

I spoke at VA Cyber Con 🙂 

This event was particularly fun because I got to meet technology directors, superintendents, and executive teams at the K-12 level — something I’d love to do more of given that schools are all too often targets for bad actors.

Other Highlights

People’s Call Center in London, UK

Scambait Village at DEFCON

Keynote Presentations in the Double Digits!

120+ YouTube Videos

🎶 And a partridge in a pear tree! 🎶

Sponsor

AWS AI Security Best Practices Cheat Sheet

Building and deploying AI applications using AWS managed-AI services? Secure AI on AWS with Wiz’s cheat new sheet: Get tips to spot risks, prevent misconfigurations, and protect your AI pipeline from code to cloud.

Email being clipped?

Here’s some actually helpful advice: You can view the email in your browser: https://johnhammond.beehiiv.com/p/cybersecurity-shenanigans-019.

(And though you’ve never been spectacularly helpful, happy holidays, Clippy. 🎄)

December Announcements

🎁 Free Holiday Gift 🎁

Be it researching, shopping, or simply browsing, protect yourself online with Mishaal Khan’s OpSec Course FREE! For a Limited Time, get the ultimate in privacy training on us.

🎄 25% Off All Month 🎄 

Let the season of giving commence and last through the holidays! Use code CYBER25 for 25% Off Courses at justhacking.com.

💙 Blue Team Training Roadmap 💙

New Blog Post by JHT Co-Founder Don Donzal Guides You to Your Dream Career!

With more than 80 items in our technical cybersecurity training catalog, we often get asked, “Where do I begin?” Then, “What do I do next?” As our Blue Team offerings begin to fill out from beginner to advanced, we thought it was time to start recommending roadmaps of what courses to take, when AND offer guidance on finding what fits you best to have a fulfilling career.

2 New Bundles!

Forget the Noise. Get to Just Hacking!

Social

How Was YOUR 2025?

I’ll admit it — I often get stuck in tunnel vision, moving toward the “next thing” without pausing to reflect on what the heck just happened. This issue of Shenanigans gave me that opportunity to take a moment and appreciate everything that happened this year.

I’d love to create a space for you to do the same. Tell me: What’s one thing you’re super proud to have accomplished this year? (Reminder: “I survived” is a noteworthy accomplishment! 🫂)

Please reply to this email and share that accomplishment with me. I read every email that comes through, so please give me the opportunity to celebrate with you! 🤩

See you in 2026!

Thanks again so much for being on this wild but fun journey with me.

Happy holidays and best wishes!