Feds take down major IoT botnets. The FBI seizes hacktivist infrastructure. A data breach hits Kaplan, while a hacker claims access to millions of law enforcement tips. Fake Zoom calls deliver malware. A crypto “security” tool turns out to be spyware. A critical AI framework flaw gets exploited in hours. An insider extortion case ends in conviction. And a streaming scam pulls in over $10 million. A look back at ten years of Cyberwire podcasts. Intern Kevin gets ready for RSAC. A cyberattack leav...
Mar 20, 2026•34 min•Season 11Ep. 2513
Even as cybersecurity has grown and become universially accepted, the field has continued to struggle when attempting to assess and aquire talent. Oftentimes, there is a disconnect between what organizations need and what they interview for leading vague job postings and ineffective hirings. In this episode of CISO Perspectives, host Kim Jones sits down with Jeff Welgan, the Chief Strategist and CEO at SkillRex, to discuss how we assess talent. Throughout the conversation, Jeff and Kim will di...
Mar 20, 2026•42 min•Season 16Ep. 129
DarkSword targets iPhones for indiscriminate exploitation. Cybercrime and the Iran war. The FBI confirms purchasing commercially available location data. The DHS secretary nominee gets grilled on CISA funding. A Zimbra Collaboration Suite vulnerability is being used in targeted espionage. A new Android malware targets sensitive data stored in user notes. AWS warns of ongoing Interlock ransomware activity. Tracking pixels grab more than they should. Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus from The FAIK...
Mar 19, 2026•23 min•Season 11Ep. 2512
Iran’s cyber ops stay resilient. U.S. lawmakers press Big Tech on EU rules. Researchers expose a Fancy Bear server. Japan moves toward offensive cyber. CISA calls for cross-agency teamwork. New malware targets network infrastructure. AI fooled by font-based attacks. Schneider Electric warns of critical flaws. Quantum cryptography earns top honors. Guest Bradon Rogers, Chief Customer Officer at Island, discusses making AI browsers safe for enterprises. Smart glasses on the witness stand. Remember...
Mar 18, 2026•32 min•Season 11Ep. 2511
The EU imposes sanctions after cyberattacks. DHS boosts surveillance spending. AI firms recruit weapons-risk experts. Stryker disruption, no patient impact. LeakNet leans on ClickFix. Sears chatbot data spills. A Chinese security firm leaks a private key. Tech giants team up on scams. Teens sue xAI over alleged AI-generated abuse. On today’s Threat Vector segment, David Moulton and guest Erica L. Shoemate, founder of The EN Strategy Group, explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the security l...
Mar 17, 2026•27 min•Season 11Ep. 2510
In this mid-season episode, Kim takes a step back to reflect on the journey so far—revisiting key conversations, standout moments, and recurring themes that have shaped the season. During the episode, Kim sits down with N2K's own Ethan Cook to connect the dots across episodes, uncovering deeper patterns and takeaways. Whether you're catching up or tuning in weekly, this episode offers a thoughtful recap and fresh perspective on where we've been—and what's still to come. Learn more about your ad ...
Mar 17, 2026•41 min•Season 16Ep. 128
Drone strikes hit a key chip supply chain. China-linked hackers target Southeast Asian militaries. Attackers race ahead with AI. ShinyHunters claim a massive Telus breach. Microsoft issues a hotpatch. Malware turns up on Steam. Fileless attacks grow. Airline miles become cybercrime currency. Monday business breakdown. Tim Starks from CyberScoop unpacks the Stryker attack and the nebulous nature of Iranian cyber activity. AI playmates puzzle preschoolers. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and ...
Mar 16, 2026•26 min•Season 11Ep. 2509
Please enjoy this encore of Career Notes. Christian Lees, CTO at Resecurity, shares his story and insight on coming into the cybersecurity world. He considers himself a late bloomer because he did not go to college until he was 23. He wasn’t sure of what he wanted to do, and a family friend gave him a computer and the rest was history, he says. He fell in love with computers and started working at different companies trying to get ahead. He says it's not always textbook, and sometimes you just n...
Mar 15, 2026•10 min•Season 3Ep. 112
This week, we are joined by Or Eshed , Co-Founder and CEO from LayerX Security , discussing their work on "How We Discovered A Campaign of 16 Malicious Extensions Built to Steal ChatGPT Accounts." Researchers uncovered a coordinated campaign of 16 malicious browser extensions posing as ChatGPT productivity tools while secretly stealing user accounts. The extensions intercept ChatGPT session authentication tokens and send them to attacker-controlled servers, allowing threat actors to impersonate ...
Mar 14, 2026•23 min•Season 10Ep. 416
Europol dismantles the SocksEscort proxy service. Cyber operations highlight imbalance in the war in Iran. Google rushes Chrome zero-day patches. Veeam fixes critical backup flaws. A former incident responder faces ransomware charges. Thomson Reuters staff push back on an ICE contract. Attackers abuse backup tools for data theft. CISA flags a critical n8n vulnerability. Maria Varmazis is joined by Jack R. Bialik, engineer and author, to discuss the hidden risks of a fully-digital society, and ta...
Mar 13, 2026•31 min•Season 11Ep. 2508
Show Notes: As cybersecurity has matured, the field has become more formalized within businesses with CISOs leading the way. However, despite the value of the CISO and its widespread adoption, the role has continued to lose agency with other board members. In this episode of CISO Perspectives, host Kim Jones sits down with Patty Ryan, the CISO at QuidelOrtho, to assess the value of the role. Throughout the conversation, Patty and Kim will discuss the challenges facing CISOs, why the role has l...
Mar 13, 2026•45 min•Season 16Ep. 127
Iran threatens tech firms as hackers strike Stryker. The EU advances efforts toward digital sovereignty. A foreign hacker stumbles upon the FBI’s Epstein files. DOGE used ChatGPT to cull humanities grants. Meta claims increased efforts against scams. A Wisconsin ambulance provider discloses a data breach. CISA shortens the patch deadline for a critical SolarWinds vulnerability. We preview this year’s RSAC 2026 Innovation Sandbox with Cecilia Marinier and Paul Kocher. Dangerous digital diets miss...
Mar 12, 2026•28 min•Season 11Ep. 2507
In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by Greg Schlomer and Vlad Honyanyy to discuss new research on Jasper Sleet, a North Korean–aligned threat actor incorporating AI into active operations. The conversation examines how AI is being integrated across the attack lifecycle — from highly tailored phishing lures and fabricated job applicant personas to accelerating malware development and refining operational workflows. Rather than treating...
Mar 12, 2026•22 min•Season 3Ep. 64
In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by Greg Schlomer and Vlad H. to discuss new research on Jasper Sleet, a North Korean–aligned threat actor incorporating AI into active operations. The conversation examines how AI is being integrated across the attack lifecycle — from highly tailored phishing lures and fabricated job applicant personas to accelerating malware development and refining operational workflows. Rather than treating AI as...
Mar 12, 2026•22 min•Season 3Ep. 64
Rudd takes the helm at NSA and Cyber Command. A watchdog probes alleged Social Security data mishandling. Patch Tuesday lands. Governments brace for cyber fallout from Iran. BeatBanker spreads via a fake Starlink app. InstallFix targets developers. ZombieZIP hides malware in archives. And DHS reassigns CBP officials in a FOIA secrecy dispute. Ben Yelin unpacks Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Pentagon. AI eyewear leads to awkward exposures. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your ...
Mar 11, 2026•26 min•Season 11Ep. 2506
Russian hackers target Signal and WhatsApp. Permit scammers impersonate local officials. Anthropic sues over a Pentagon blacklist. The White House moves to restore fraud victims. ShinyHunters target Salesforce data. Ericsson reports a breach. macOS users face ClickFix malware. AWS credentials are phished. And CISA warns of an exploited Ivanti flaw. Our guest is Brian Baskin, Threat Researcher at Sublime Security, discussing tax season employee impersonation scams. Who fact-checks the fact-checke...
Mar 10, 2026•24 min•Season 14Ep. 2505
Show Notes: Cybersecurity has continued to grow and mature as a field over the past decade which has given rise to numerous degree pathways across dozens of collegiate institutions; however, the value of these degrees has continued to be a topic of debate. In this episode of CISO Perspectives, host Kim Jones sits down with Dr. Lara Ferry, the Vice President of Research at Arizona State University, to explore higher education's role in cyber. Throughout the conversation, Lara and Kim will discu...
Mar 10, 2026•44 min•Season 16Ep. 126
Israel claims a strike on Iran’s cyber warfare headquarters. The Trump administration releases a new national cyber strategy. DHS shakes up its IT and cybersecurity leadership. Velvet Tempest uses ClickFix to drop loaders and RATs. Researchers uncover a Linux cryptocurrency clipboard hijacker. The DOJ brings a Ghanaian romance scammer to justice. Online advertising enables government tracking. Monday business breakdown. Our guest is Jon France, CISO from ISC2, sharing some insights and findings ...
Mar 09, 2026•31 min•Season 11Ep. 2504
In this special Reporter’s Notebook, Maria Varmazis , host here at N2K CyberWire, takes listeners behind the scenes of our three-part series on Cyber Coalition 2025 in Tallinn, Estonia. After exploring real-time incident response, cross-border coordination, and the broader stakes of collective cyber defense, this episode offers a more personal, behind-the-scenes look at how the reporting came together. Hosted by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence, the exercise brought to...
Mar 09, 2026•23 min•Season 11Ep. 93
Please enjoy this encore of Career Notes. Anna Belak, Director of Thought Leadership at Sysdig, shares her story from physics to cyber. Anna explains how she went into college with the thinking of getting a physics degree and then for her PhD decided to switch to material science and engineering. Both were not something she enjoyed and ultimately decided to go into cyber. She shares some advice on how you should never limit yourself to your degree, as well as always learning new skills and honin...
Mar 08, 2026•10 min•Season 3Ep. 111
This week we are joined by Marcelle Lee , cybersecurity consultant and researcher, discussing "CTI tradecraft: Investigating a mobile scareware campaign." She details how a routine click on a Google News story led to a mobile scareware pop-up—and a deeper investigation into a broader campaign. Using free tools like Censys, URLScan, VirusTotal, and CyberChef, she pivoted from two domains to uncover more than 100 related domains, shared infrastructure, and links to questionable antivirus apps in t...
Mar 07, 2026•28 min•Season 10Ep. 415
Iran’s MuddyWater breaches multiple U.S. organizations. The FBI probes a breach of wiretap management systems. A China-linked threat actor targets South American telecoms. Cisco patches critical firewall flaws. CISA flags actively exploited bugs in Hikvision cameras and Rockwell industrial systems. A House committee advances the controversial KIDS online safety bill. The FBI arrests a suspect accused of stealing millions in seized crypto from the U.S. Marshals Service. Ben Yelin and Ethan Cook u...
Mar 06, 2026•34 min•Season 11Ep. 2503
Show Notes: As the cybersecurity industry has grown, the field has struggled to answer the question: do certifications matter? In this episode of CISO Perspectives, host Kim Jones sits down with N2K's own, Simone Petrella, to answer this question and discuss why the value of certifications continue to be debated. Throughout the conversation, Simone and Kim will discuss the challenges associated with certifications, and how the industry can adjust the ways it sees and utilizes them. Got cybers...
Mar 06, 2026•46 min•Season 16Ep. 125
Unit 42 is tracking more than 60 active hacktivist groups and Iran-linked threat actors right now. What are they actually doing, what should you believe, and what should you do about it? In this episode of Threat Vector, David Moulton sits down with Justin Moore , Senior Manager of Threat Intelligence Research at Unit 42, and Andy Piazza , Senior Director of Threat Intelligence at Unit 42, to walk through the Unit 42 Iran Threat Brief and what the observed activity means for defenders. You'll le...
Mar 05, 2026•34 min•Season 9Ep. 905
Hacktivist activity surges in the Middle East. Defense tech firms distance themselves from Claude. International law enforcement take down the Leakbase cybercrime forum. A pair of Cisco SD-WAN vulnerabilities are under active exploitation. Google releases an urgent Chrome security update. Age-verification is put under the microscope. TikTok is leaving end-to-end encryption out of your DMs. Our guest is Daniel Barbu, Director of EMEA Security from Adobe, discussing fostering a human‑centered, ena...
Mar 05, 2026•31 min•Season 11Ep. 2502
A suspected U.S. exploit kit shows up in global iOS attacks. Facebook goes down briefly worldwide. A critical help-desk flaw enables remote code execution. Juniper PTX routers face a major bug. LastPass warns of phishing. Telegram becomes a cybercrime marketplace. Healthcare groups fight relaxed IT rules. A stolen Gemini API key runs up massive bills. CISA’s CIO departs. Our guest is Brian Long, CEO and Co-Founder of Adaptive Security, discussing how AI is reshaping social engineering. The probl...
Mar 04, 2026•27 min•Season 11Ep. 2501
GPS jamming hits the Strait of Hormuz. An Iran linked threat actor uses AI to target Iraqi government officials. Hacktivists leak thousands of DHS contract records. A Hawaii cancer center suffers a data breach. Google patches over a hundred Android vulnerabilities. A new report tallies the scale of third party breaches. An MS-Agent AI framework flaw allows full system compromise. On today's Threat Vector segment, Evan Gordenker, Director of AI Security and DPRK Operations at Unit 42, joins David...
Mar 03, 2026•26 min•Season 11Ep. 2500
Show Notes: As cybersecurity matures, one area still lags: diversity. In this thought-provoking episode of CISO Perspectives , host Kim Jones takes the mic solo to address a topic that remains both critical and controversial. Kim explores the current state of diversity in the cybersecurity field, why progress has been slow, and how inclusive teams drive greater innovation and resilience. Tune in for an honest conversation that challenges the status quo and pushes the industry forward. Want more ...
Mar 03, 2026•20 min•Season 16Ep. 124
Cyberwar shadows the US Israel attack on Iran. Hackers hijack Pakistani news broadcasts. President Trump orders all federal agencies to stop using AI technology from Anthropic. The Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act clears a hurdle. A new RAT streamlines double extortion attacks against Windows systems. CISA updates warnings on a zero-day targeting Ivanti Connect Secure devices. A North Korea-linked group targets air-gapped systems. Monday business breakdown. On our Afternoon Cyber Tea...
Mar 02, 2026•37 min•Season 11Ep. 2496
In the final installment of our three-part series on Cyber Coalition 2025 , Maria Varmazis , host here at N2K CyberWire, and Liz Stokes , CyberWire Producer, step back from the cyber range to reflect on what their time in Tallinn really meant. This episode moves beyond the mechanics of the exercise and into the broader stakes of collective cyber defense in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical moment. Recorded two months after their visit, the conversation blends field tape and perso...
Mar 02, 2026•26 min•Season 11Ep. 92
