Learn the rules: The hacker mindset

In a Microsoft Research Podcast conversation with Weishung Liu, research manager Mike Walker describes how hacker culture led him to a career in cyber defense, including leading DARPA's Cyber Grand Challenge, the first all-machine hacking tournament, which marked its 10th anniversary in 2026. He reflects on why effective security depends on understanding trust and context, what competitive hacking taught him about teamwork, and whether today's networked systems are safer than a decade ago.