Root Causes: A PKI and Security Podcast - podcast cover

Root Causes: A PKI and Security Podcast

Tim Callan and Jason Sorokosoundcloud.com
Digital certificate industry veterans Tim Callan and Jason Soroko explore the issues surrounding digital identity, PKI, and cryptographic connections in today's dynamic and evolving computing world. Best practices in digital certificates are continually under pressure from technology trends, new laws and regulations, cryptographic advances, and the evolution of our computing architectures to be more virtual, agile, ubiquitous, and cloud-based. Jason and Tim (and the occasional guest subject matter expert) will help you stay current on developments in this essential technology platform and to understand the whys and wherefores of popular Public Key Infrastructures.
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Episodes

Root Causes 479: AI Adversarial Machine Learning

In this episode we discuss the thinking on how adversaries can exploit the flaws in AI models to achieve unexpected and dangerous results. We explore some potential paths of defense against attacks of this sort.

Mar 21, 202513 min

Root Causes 478: Should We All Switch from RSA to ECC?

RSA is under attack. Even without the quantum threat, we face the possibility of smart new exploits reducing the viable RSA key space and rendering it unsafe. In this episode we discuss the merits of choosing ECC over RSA as soon as today.

Mar 17, 202516 min

Root Causes 476: The Need for Security KPIs

Jason recounts a 2024 Black Hat talk about the need for objective measurements of our IT defenses and whether the good guys or bad guys are winning. Jason breaks down how to define and measure the impact of security measures.

Mar 10, 202517 min

Root Causes 475: Can Your AI Scheme Against You?

It's the stuff of science fiction! Interesting research shows how today's AI technology is capable of lying to and scheming against its human owners in service of its goals.

Mar 05, 202516 min

Root Causes 474: Explaining Shor's Algorithm

We talk a lot about Shor's Algorithm in our discussion of post quantum cryptography (PQC). In this episode Jason explains Shor's algorithm for non-quantum physicists.

Mar 02, 202521 min

Root Causes 472: AI Offensive Modeling

AI tools are now available to perform red-teaming activity for DevSecOps. Such tools are soon to be table stakes in the constantly escalating IT security arms race. Join us to learn more.

Feb 26, 202511 min

Root Causes 471: ACME for PQC

In this episode, guest Alexandre Giron explains what is needed to support post quantum cryptography (PQC) with ACME.

Feb 23, 202521 min

Root Causes 468: UK Demands New Backdoor from Apple

A new demand from the UK seeks complete access to all Apple cloud data housed in the UK, regardless of the data owners' citizenship and residency. We unpack this latest development in Government versus Encryption.

Feb 14, 202510 min

Root Causes 467: Decoupling Public from Private Use Cases

The past year has seen a great deal of focus on the use of public TLS certificates where private root certificates are actually the appropriate solution. In this episode we discuss the differences between these two use cases and what IT organizations can do about it.

Feb 12, 202510 min

Root Causes 466: Apple Moves 47-day Ballot to CABF Vote

Apple is proceeding with a ballot that eventually will shorten SSL certificate maximum term to 47 days. Accompanying the ballot, Apple released a statement explaining its intent with the ballot. In this episode we unpack its statements.

Feb 09, 202531 min

Root Causes 464: Defending Against Harvest and Decrypt

Harvest and decrypt is a well-known attack vector against traditional cryptography prior to PQC. In this episode, we discuss what enterprises should be doing today to defend themselves against harvest and decrypt.

Feb 05, 202510 min

Root Causes 462: Crypto War 3.0

In this episode we walk through the evolution of the war on cryptography, from the beginning up through today, terminating in what we call Crypto War 3.0.

Jan 31, 202522 min

Root Causes 460: The State of PQC with Michele Mosca

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Michela Mosca. We discuss his pioneering work identifying the need for post-quantum cryptography, where PQC stands today, and what the future may hold.

Jan 28, 202532 min

Root Causes 457: 2024 Lookback - Guests

We had a remarkable year on the Root Causes podcast in terms of our guests. We look back at the extremely expert guests we were lucky to talk about in 2024.

Jan 17, 202511 min

Root Causes 456: 2024 Lookback - Bugzilla Bloodbath

In this 2024 lookback episode, we give an overview of the firestorm of Bugzilla incidents that we refer to as the Bugzilla Bloodbath. The Bugzilla Bloodbath affected actions around the Entrust distrust, delayed revocation reform, 47-day SSL certificate maximum term, linting, and more.

Jan 14, 202511 min

Root Causes 455: PQC Standardization in IETF

We talk with guest Sofia Celi of Brave Browser, who leads the IETF PQC standardization effort, about the process of setting standards for PQC-compatible digital certificates. We learn about expected timelines, hybrid strategies, the NIST PQC onramp's role, and more.

Jan 08, 202536 min

Root Causes 451: A Year in CABF Ballots

It was a crazy year for CA/Browser Forum activity, with nearly three times the normal number of ballots. Guest Martijn Katerbarg goes over the 32 CABF ballots from 2024.

Dec 26, 202435 min

Root Causes 450: 2025 Predictions

We make our 2025 predictions. Topics include maximum certificate term, AI, post-quantum cryptography (PQC), deep fakes, and more.

Dec 23, 202448 min
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