Want to support our show? Want to get access to episodes a week before everyone else? Become a patreon sponsor here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec If you’re in Atlanta on August 20, you can join us for a LIVE episode at Mission 25. Register here: MCS Mission: Security’25 Our new merch store is live: DefSec Store We’ve added a lot of new items and will continue to do so over time. On to the show. Here are the links for this week’s episode: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/spi...
Aug 12, 2025•1 hr 17 min
Want to support our show? Want to get access to episodes a week before everyone else? Become a patreon sponsor here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec If you’re in Atlanta on August 20, you can join us for a LIVE episode at Mission 25. Register here: MCS Mission: Security’25 Our new merch store is live: DefSec Store We’ve added a lot of new items and will continue to do so over time. On to the show. Here are the links for this week’s episode: https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/26/microsoft_s...
Aug 04, 2025•1 hr 8 min
If you’re in Atlanta on August 20, you can join us for a LIVE episode at Mission 25. Register here: MCS Mission: Security’25 Our new merch store is live(ish): DefSec Store – We’ll be adding more items as time goes on. This is managed through Printify, which has a quite expansive range of products to logo up. Also, some of you may know that Jerry is into photography and contemplating creating a calendar with images he’s taken. Let us know if that sounds interesting. Possible themes are: beach sun...
Jul 28, 2025•43 min
Episode 315 is available for our patreon donors and will be posted for everyone else on Monday, July 28. Going forward, episodes will be released to our patreon donors shortly after recording and will be released to everyone else a week later. If you want to become a patreon donor, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec Also, our new merch store is live and available here: https://store.defensivesecurity.org It’s a work in progress and please let me know if you have any issued ...
Jul 22, 2025•47 sec
Want to support us? Want even MORE DefSec? Starting this week, we are providing more DefSec for our Patreon donors. Sign up to be a Patreon donor today: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec Links: https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/10/cisa_citrixbleed_kev/ https://www.axios.com/2025/07/08/scattered-spider-cybercrime-hackers https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/employee-gets-920-for-credentials-used-in-140-million-bank-heist/ Additional links for Patreon donors: https://www.theregister...
Jul 14, 2025•37 min
Want to support us? Want even MORE DefSec? Starting this week, we are providing more DefSec for our Patreon donors. Sign up to be a Patreon donor today: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRzMJbBZ490 Links: https://www.csoonline.com/article/4012801/the-top-red-teamer-in-the-us-is-an-ai-bot.html https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint-security/attackers-top-brands-callback-phishing https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/initial-access-broker-self-patches-zero-days h...
Jul 09, 2025•44 min
Want to support us? Want even MORE DefSec? Starting this week, we are providing more DefSec for our Patreon donors. Sign up to be a Patreon donor today: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec Links: https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/06/active-exploitation-of-ami-management-tool-imperils-thousands-of-servers/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/man-pleads-guilty-to-hacking-networks-to-pitch-security-services/ https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/06/23/new-hire-phishing-risk/ Patreon ...
Jun 30, 2025•42 min
Like what we’re doing with the DefSec Podcast and want to help support us? Donate here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec Links: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/no-the-16-billion-credentials-leak-is-not-a-new-data-breach/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/russian-hackers-bypass-gmail-mfa-using-stolen-app-passwords/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/north-korean-hackers-deepfake-execs-in-zoom-call-to-spread-mac-malware/ https://socket.dev/blog/libxml2-m...
Jun 24, 2025•55 min
Like what we’re doing with the DefSec Podcast and want to help support us? Donate here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec Links: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/sentinelone-shares-new-details-on-china-linked-breach-attempt/ https://thehackernews.com/2025/06/new-supply-chain-malware-operation-hits.html?m=1 https://www.csoonline.com/article/4002103/cisos-beware-genai-use-is-outpacing-security-controls.html https://thehackernews.com/2025/06/fin6-uses-aws-hosted-fake-resumes-on.htm...
Jun 19, 2025•54 min
Like what we’re doing with the DefSec Podcast and want to help support us? Donate here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec Links: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/06/chatgpt_for_evil/ https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/06/ransomware_negotiation/ https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/how-to-approach-security-era-ai-agents https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/coinbase-breach-tied-to-bribed-taskus-support-agents-in-india/ https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/04/kiranapro_cyberattack...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Like what we’re doing with the DefSec Podcast and want to help support us? Donate here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss a range of topics including the introduction of a new cryptocurrency, Guard Llama Coin, and the implications of recent cybersecurity incidents involving ConnectWise and ransomware attacks. They explore the challenges organizations face in responding to nation-state attacks, the com...
Jun 02, 2025•52 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including a significant data breach at Coinbase, the challenges of cryptocurrency security, the importance of patch management, and the evolving landscape of cyber threats. They also discuss insider threats, the failures of rigid security programs, and the overlooked cybersecurity risks in mergers and acquisitions. The episode concludes with a discussion on emerging threats,...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 6 min
In this episode, Jerry and Andrew discuss the importance of data security, phishing attacks targeting hiring managers, the implications of paying ransoms, and the recent Disney data breach incident. They emphasize the need for better training for employees and the challenges of managing software supply chains. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of cyber threats and the necessity for organizations to adopt more robust security practices. Links: https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-ri...
May 12, 2025•53 min
In this episode, we discuss the Google Mandiant 2025 M-Trends report. The report is available here: https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/m-trends-2025-en.pdf Like what we’re doing and want to help support us? Donate here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec
May 05, 2025•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss the latest trends in cybersecurity, focusing on the rise of BEC scams and the significant losses attributed to cybercrime in 2024. They explore emerging threats, including social engineering tactics and hardware vulnerabilities, particularly in management interfaces. The conversation also delves into the complexities of vulnerability management, the risks associated with supply chain attacks in open sour...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Summary In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including the rise of ransomware, the importance of backup strategies, and the implications of AI in phishing attacks. They discuss into the challenges of managing non-human identities and the need for effective communication of security metrics. The conversation also touches on the recent Oracle breach and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats. Links: http...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 2 min
In this episode, Jerry and Andrew discuss various cybersecurity topics, including the recent Oracle Cloud security breach, a GitHub supply chain attack, insider threats, and the implications of AI in cybersecurity. They explore the challenges of maintaining trust in cloud services, the complexities of insider threats, and the evolving landscape of cybercrime driven by AI advancements. The conversation emphasizes the need for robust security measures and the importance of adapting to emerging thr...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 12 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss a range of cybersecurity topics, including the recent Oracle Cloud breach, the challenges of asset management in large environments, and the importance of prioritizing vulnerabilities. They also explore the findings from a pen test report, the implications of emerging threats like Medusa ransomware, and the need for better security practices in organizations. Links: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Summary In this episode, we celebrate the 300th episode of the Defensive Security Podcast then discuss various cybersecurity topics including the rise of AI-driven threats, the importance of zero trust architecture, best practices for incident response, the impact of human error on security breaches, and the risks associated with collaboration tools. We also cover the dangers of malvertising campaigns exploiting platforms like GitHub. Like what we’re doing and want to help support us? Donate her...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Summary In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including a Disney employee’s mishap with an AI tool that led to a significant hack, vulnerabilities in VMware ESX hypervisors, and a developer’s sabotage of their ex-employer. They also explore the implications of GitHub repository exposure and the growing risks associated with third-party vendors in cybersecurity. Link to support Andy and Jerry’s work creating the ...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 8 min
In this episode of the Defense of Security podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including a recent incident involving notorious hackers breaching a company network in under an hour, strategies to defend against deepfake attacks, the targeting of freelance developers by North Korean adversaries, vulnerabilities in Palo Alto firewalls, and the emergence of ghost ransomware. The conversation emphasizes the importance of proactive security measures and the...
Feb 22, 2025•1 hr 17 min
Become a Patreon supporter of the show here: https://www.patreon.com/defensivesec Links: https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/ransomware-gangs–tactics-/739937/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/over-12-000-keriocontrol-firewalls-exposed-to-exploited-rce-flaw/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/02/russian-spies-use-device-code-phishing-to-hijack-microsoft-accounts/ https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/open-source-ai-models-pose-risks-of-malicious-code-vulnerabili...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 4 min
In this episode of the Defense of Security Podcast, Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, focusing on ransomware tactics that exploit insider threats, the hijacking of LLM resources, and the effectiveness of phishing simulations. They explore how adversaries are increasingly targeting employees to gain access to sensitive data and how organizations can better protect themselves against these threats. The conversation also covers the ethical implicat...
Feb 09, 2025•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including the alarming statistics surrounding ransomware attacks, the implications of paying ransoms, and the evolving nature of ransomware as a broader category of cyber threats. They also discuss the consolidation of security tools and the skepticism surrounding it, particularly in light of a recent report by Palo Alto and IBM. The conversation shifts to the risks associat...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including a hidden backdoor in Juniper routers, PayPal’s recent data breach settlement, the exploitation of older Ivanti bugs, the PowerSchool data breach affecting millions, and CISA’s new software security recommendations. The conversation emphasizes the importance of proactive security measures and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats. If you find this podcast ...
Jan 26, 2025•1 hr 4 min
“Another day, another data breach.” In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss a significant data breach affecting hotel reservation data, regulatory actions taken against GoDaddy for poor security practices, and the evolving landscape of cyber attacks. They emphasize the importance of proactive defense strategies and innovative detection techniques to combat these threats effectively. Takeaways Data breaches continue to be a common occurrence in the c...
Jan 20, 2025•48 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including the dangers of malware disguised as proof of concept code on GitHub, the alarming rise in phishing attacks, the implications of a recent Treasury hack, and the targeted attacks on Ivanti’s security products. The conversation emphasizes the need for skepticism in security research, the importance of creating a safer environment for users, and the ongoing challenges ...
Jan 12, 2025•45 min
Summary In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including a significant incident involving a Tenable plugin update that disrupted Nessus agents worldwide. They delve into the implications of malicious Chrome extensions and sophisticated phishing attacks, particularly focusing on a recent incident involving OAuth trust exploitation. The conversation shifts to new HIPAA cybersecurity rules that aim to enhance securi...
Jan 06, 2025•51 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including the FTC’s order for Marriott and Starwood to enhance their data security measures, a recent hijacking of a Chrome extension, and emerging threats for 2025. They also delve into the implications of AI in cybersecurity, emphasizing the need for governance and risk management as AI technologies become more pervasive in the workplace. Takeaways The FTC has mandated Mar...
Dec 30, 2024•1 hr 24 min
In this episode of the Defensive Security Podcast, hosts Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat discuss various cybersecurity topics, including a year-long supply chain attack that compromised 390,000 credentials, the U.S. government’s bounty for information on North Korean IT worker farms, and the alarming number of vulnerabilities found in software containers. They also delve into the implications of the False Claims Act for cybersecurity whistleblowers and the evolving landscape of AI in security....
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr