For some, rules pose limitations. For others, like Microsoft Research Manager Mike Walker, they’re opportunities. 

Walker’s fascination with rules and their role in the social order has allowed him to find success professionally and personally, from uncovering weaknesses in networked systems to redefining how computers are trained to fend off cyberattacks to pushing the limits of a reliable mode of transportation—the bicycle—in ultra-endurance racing. 

In this conversation with Principal Technical Program Manager Weishung Liu, Walker describes how his participation in hacker culture led him to a career building next-generation cyber defense, including his work developing the first all-machine hacking tournament. Along the way, he reflects on why effective security depends on understanding trust and context, what competitive hacking taught him about teamwork and collective intelligence, and how an early lesson reshaped his understanding of leadership. He also tackles an important question: are today’s networked systems any safer than they were a decade ago?