Podcasts about Black hat

To try everything Brilliant has to offer for free for a full 30 days, visit https://brilliant.org/davidbombal or scan the QR code onscreen – You'll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription. Recorded at Black Hat with David Bombal, this conversation with Caitlin Sarian (@CybersecurityGirl) traces her path from aerospace engineering and LA Galaxy cheerleading to cybersecurity leader and viral creator. She explains how posting 3×daily on TikTok led to ~500K followers and a role at TikTok (global cybersecurity advocacy & culture), why she left after a year, and how she's now helping others via Cyber Career Club. // Caitlin Sarian's SOCIALS // Website: https://www.cybersecuritygirl.com/ Instagram: / cybersecuritygirl YouTube: / cybersecuritygirl LinkedIn: / caitlin-sarian TikTok: / cybersecuritygirl // David's SOCIAL // Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal YouTube: / @davidbombal Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE... SoundCloud: / davidbombal Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... // MY STUFF // https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal // SPONSORS // Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com // MENU // 0:00 - Coming Up 0:29 - Intro 01:01 - Brilliant Ad 02:22 - Caitlin's History with TikTok 06:25 - Caitlin's Story 10:19 - Caitlin's Professional Journey 18:09 - How to be an Influencer 19:42 - Why you Need a Team 21:22 - Why you Need to Network 23:58 - All the Areas of Cyber 24:49 - Caitlin's Advice to her Younger Self 27:22 - Conclusion Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel! Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only. #cybersecurity #blackhat #cybersecuritygirl

Big thank you to Proton Pass for sponsoring this video. To sign up for Proton Pass, please use the following link https://proton.me/davidbombal to get a 60% discount. Cybersecurity icon Mikko Hyppönen sits down with David Bombal at Black Hat to explain his bold move from antivirus to anti-drone defense after 34 years. He breaks down why mobile operating systems are the biggest security improvement of the past 15 years, how attackers have shifted from device exploits to human scams, and why he believes defenders currently have the edge with AI. They unpack the rise of fiber-tethered drones that evade RF detection, the coming reality of autonomous “killer robots” (not yet here—but inevitable), and the grim state of privacy as everyday IoT devices go online by default—his “internet asbestos” warning. Mikko also reflects on achieving keynote goals at DEF CON, RSA, and Black Hat, and shares career advice: set goals, don't drift. Topics: mobile OS security, social engineering, AI for defense, zero-day research, drone warfare, privacy and encryption policy, IoT risks, career pivot. // Mikko Hypponen's SOCIALS // X: https://x.com/mikko Website: https://mikko.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypponen/... // Books REFERENCE // If it's smart it's vulnerable: US: https://amzn.to/41lkSaG UK: https://amzn.to/4oTpOgN // David's SOCIAL // Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal YouTube: / @davidbombal Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE... SoundCloud: / davidbombal Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... // MY STUFF // https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal // SPONSORS // Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com // MENU // 0:00 - Coming up 0:56 - Mikko Hyppönen keynote talks 01:51 - Proton Pass sponsored segment 04:09 - Pivoting from cybersecurity to anti-drone 09:28 - Humanoid robots are near 09:54 - How cybersecurity has improved 12:11 - Defenders have the advantage with AI 15:26 - Pros and Cons of the AI revolution 16:57 - Privacy is dying 21:36 - Advice for your future // Conclusion Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel! Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only.

Big thanks to ThreatLocker for sponsoring my trip to Black Hat 2025. To start your free trial with ThreatLocker please use the following link: https://www.threatlocker.com/davidbombal AI can turn weeks of coding into seconds, but at what cost? Katie Paxton-Fear demonstrates how to use Gemini to generate a sprint plan and Cursor to build a Python port scanner from natural language. It works… and that's the problem. We unpack how “vibe coding” blinds even pros to security, why these tools aren't production-ready, and the guardrails you need for ethical hacking and internal tooling. What you'll learn • How to turn ideas → sprint plan → working code (Gemini + Cursor) • Why silent vulnerabilities make AI-built apps risky • Ethical hacker use cases (agents, scanners) without shipping insecure code • Policy tips: disclosure, internal use, avoiding shadow IT Tools mentioned: Gemini, Cursor (AI IDE), Claude (briefly), v0 // Katie Paxton-Fear SOCIALS // Website: https://insiderphd.dev/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiepf/?... YouTube: / insiderphd X: https://x.com/InsiderPhD // YouTube video REFERENCE // • Vibe Coding in Cursor for Cyber Security // David's SOCIAL // Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal YouTube: / @davidbombal Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE... SoundCloud: / davidbombal Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... // MY STUFF // https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal // SPONSORS // Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com // Menu // 0:00 - Coming Up: AI Vibe Coding Explained 01:08 - Intro with Katie Paxton-Fear (Cybersecurity Expert) 02:53 - ThreatLocker Security Overview 03:06 - What is Vibe Coding in AI Development? 04:51 - Live Demo Example of Vibe Coding 05:20 - Google Gemini and Gems for Coding 08:22 - Cursor AI and Writing Code Faster 09:59 - Coffee Break (Quick Pause) 10:02 - Risks of Vibe Coding in Cybersecurity 11:24 - Port Scanner Explained 11:34 - Vibe Coding Pros and Cons (Full Breakdown) 14:02 - Port Scan Results Analysis 14:22 - Why AI Code Isn't Production Ready Yet 15:53 - Katie's Final Advice & Outro Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel! Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only. Key topics: vibe coding, AI coding, port scanning, secure-by-design If you're experimenting with AI coding, watch this before you deploy anything. #blackhat #vibecoding #security

In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host⁠ ⁠⁠Sherrod DeGrippo is live from Black Hat 2025 with a special lineup of Microsoft security leaders and researchers. First, Sherrod sits down with Tom Gallagher, VP of Engineering and head of the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC). Tom shares how his team works with researchers worldwide, why responsible disclosure matters, and how programs like Zero Day Quest (ZDQ) are shaping the future of vulnerability research in cloud and AI security. He also announced the next iteration of ZTQ with $5 million up for grabs. Next, Sherrod is joined by Eric Baller (Senior Security Researcher) and Eric Olson (Principal Security Researcher) to unpack the fast-changing ransomware landscape. From dwell time collapsing from weeks to minutes, to the growing role of access brokers, they explore how attackers operate as organized ecosystems and how defenders can respond. Finally, Sherrod welcomes Travis Schack (Principal Security Researcher) alongside Eric Olson to examine the mechanics of social engineering. They discuss how attackers exploit urgency, trust, and human curiosity, why AI is supercharging phishing campaigns, and how defenders can fight back with both training and technology. In this episode you'll learn:     How MSRC partners with researchers across 59 countries to protect customers Why Zero Day Quest is accelerating vulnerability discovery in cloud and AI How ransomware dwell times have shrunk from days to under an hour Resources: View Sherrod DeGrippo on LinkedIn  Zero Day Quest — Microsoft Microsoft Security Response Center Blog Related Microsoft Podcasts:   Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson The BlueHat Podcast Uncovering Hidden Risks      Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Get the latest threat intelligence insights and guidance at Microsoft Security Insider   The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

Interview with Harish Peri from Okta Oktane Preview: building frameworks to secure our Agentic AI future Like it or not, Agentic AI and protocols like MCP and A2A are getting pushed as the glue to take business process automation to the next level. Giving agents the power and access they need to accomplish these lofty goals is going to be challenging, from a security perspective. How do put AI agents in the position to perform broad tasks autonomously without granting them all the privileges? How do we avoid making AI agents a gold mine for attackers - the first place they stop once they hack into our companies? These are some examples of the questions Okta aims to answer at this year's Oktane event, and we aim to kick off the conversations a little early - with this interview! Segment Resources: Check out securityweekly.com/oktane for all our live coverage during the event this year! More information about the event and how you can attend can be found here: https://www.okta.com/oktane/ AI at Work 2025: Securing the AI-powered workforce Topic - Indirect Prompt Injection Getting Out of Hand Reports of indirect prompt injection issues have been around for a while. Of particular note was Michael Bargury's Living off Microsoft Copilot presentation from Black Hat USA 2024. Simply sending an email to a Copilot user could make bad stuff happen. Now, at Black Hat 2025, we've got more: the ability to plunder any data resource connected to ChatGPT (they call these integrations "Connectors") from Tamir Ishay Sharbat at Zenity Labs. The research is titled AgentFlayer: ChatGPT Connectors 0click Attack. Looks like Google Jules is also vulnerable to what the Embrace the Red blog is calling invisible prompts. Sourcegraph's Amp Code is also vulnerable to the same attack, which encodes instructions to make them invisible. What's really going to ruffle feathers is the fact that all these companies know this stuff is possible, but don't seem to be able to figure out how to prevent it. Ideally, we'd want to be able to distinguish between intended instruction and instructions injected via attachments or some other means outside of the prompt box. I guess that's easier said than done? News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Drones are coming for you… to help? One of the most powerful botnets ever goes down Phishing training is still pointless Microsoft sets an alarm on its phone for 8 years from now to do post-quantum stuff vulns galore in commercial ZTNA apps GenAI projects are struggling to make it to production Adblockers could be made illegal - in Germany Windows is getting native Agentic support Automating bug discovery AND remediation? Public service announcement: time is running out for Windows 10 All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-421

Interview with Harish Peri from Okta Oktane Preview: building frameworks to secure our Agentic AI future Like it or not, Agentic AI and protocols like MCP and A2A are getting pushed as the glue to take business process automation to the next level. Giving agents the power and access they need to accomplish these lofty goals is going to be challenging, from a security perspective. How do put AI agents in the position to perform broad tasks autonomously without granting them all the privileges? How do we avoid making AI agents a gold mine for attackers - the first place they stop once they hack into our companies? These are some examples of the questions Okta aims to answer at this year's Oktane event, and we aim to kick off the conversations a little early - with this interview! Segment Resources: Check out securityweekly.com/oktane for all our live coverage during the event this year! More information about the event and how you can attend can be found here: https://www.okta.com/oktane/ AI at Work 2025: Securing the AI-powered workforce Topic - Indirect Prompt Injection Getting Out of Hand Reports of indirect prompt injection issues have been around for a while. Of particular note was Michael Bargury's Living off Microsoft Copilot presentation from Black Hat USA 2024. Simply sending an email to a Copilot user could make bad stuff happen. Now, at Black Hat 2025, we've got more: the ability to plunder any data resource connected to ChatGPT (they call these integrations "Connectors") from Tamir Ishay Sharbat at Zenity Labs. The research is titled AgentFlayer: ChatGPT Connectors 0click Attack. Looks like Google Jules is also vulnerable to what the Embrace the Red blog is calling invisible prompts. Sourcegraph's Amp Code is also vulnerable to the same attack, which encodes instructions to make them invisible. What's really going to ruffle feathers is the fact that all these companies know this stuff is possible, but don't seem to be able to figure out how to prevent it. Ideally, we'd want to be able to distinguish between intended instruction and instructions injected via attachments or some other means outside of the prompt box. I guess that's easier said than done? News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Drones are coming for you… to help? One of the most powerful botnets ever goes down Phishing training is still pointless Microsoft sets an alarm on its phone for 8 years from now to do post-quantum stuff vulns galore in commercial ZTNA apps GenAI projects are struggling to make it to production Adblockers could be made illegal - in Germany Windows is getting native Agentic support Automating bug discovery AND remediation? Public service announcement: time is running out for Windows 10 All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-421

Keywordscybersecurity, product management, career development, market strategy, customer insights, hacking, music, team building, startup life, risk management  SummaryIn this episode of No Password Required, host Jack Clabby and co-host Kayleigh Melton engage in a lively conversation with John Shipp, a product strategist at Rapid7. They explore John's unique journey from a metalhead to a cybersecurity expert, discussing the importance of passion in career development, the intricacies of product management, and the significance of customer insights in shaping cybersecurity solutions. John shares his early experiences in hacking, the influence of music on his life, and the value of building strong teams and company culture. The episode concludes with a fun segment called the Lifestyle Polygraph, where John answers quirky questions about his ideal cyber team and his dream day with Ric Flair.  TakeawaysBeing a metalhead prepares you for the boardroom.You can follow your passion and thrive in your career.Product management involves understanding customer needs and market dynamics.Curiosity is a key driver in the tech field.Great teams are built on strong leadership and culture.Startup life requires a willingness to take risks.Networking and building relationships are crucial in cybersecurity.Understanding your risk appetite is important when considering career moves.Music can be a significant influence on personal and professional life.Mentorship and sharing knowledge are vital for growth in the industry. TitlesFrom Metal to Management: A Cybersecurity JourneyPassion and Profession: Finding Your Path in Cybersecurity Sound bites"You can follow your passion and thrive.""I learned security at scale.""Curiosity drives my passion for tech." Chapters00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity and Personal Journeys02:49 The Role of Passion in Career Development05:21 Navigating Product Management and Market Strategy08:23 The Evolution of Cybersecurity Skills11:37 The Importance of Customer Insights in Product Development14:35 Early Experiences in Hacking and Cybersecurity17:24 The Influence of Music on Personal and Professional Life20:19 Building Teams and Company Culture23:10 Startup Life and Risk Management26:08 Lifestyle Polygraph: Fun Questions and Insights29:13 Final Thoughts and Connections 

Interview with Harish Peri from Okta Oktane Preview: building frameworks to secure our Agentic AI future Like it or not, Agentic AI and protocols like MCP and A2A are getting pushed as the glue to take business process automation to the next level. Giving agents the power and access they need to accomplish these lofty goals is going to be challenging, from a security perspective. How do put AI agents in the position to perform broad tasks autonomously without granting them all the privileges? How do we avoid making AI agents a gold mine for attackers - the first place they stop once they hack into our companies? These are some examples of the questions Okta aims to answer at this year's Oktane event, and we aim to kick off the conversations a little early - with this interview! Segment Resources: Check out securityweekly.com/oktane for all our live coverage during the event this year! More information about the event and how you can attend can be found here: https://www.okta.com/oktane/ AI at Work 2025: Securing the AI-powered workforce Topic - Indirect Prompt Injection Getting Out of Hand Reports of indirect prompt injection issues have been around for a while. Of particular note was Michael Bargury's Living off Microsoft Copilot presentation from Black Hat USA 2024. Simply sending an email to a Copilot user could make bad stuff happen. Now, at Black Hat 2025, we've got more: the ability to plunder any data resource connected to ChatGPT (they call these integrations "Connectors") from Tamir Ishay Sharbat at Zenity Labs. The research is titled AgentFlayer: ChatGPT Connectors 0click Attack. Looks like Google Jules is also vulnerable to what the Embrace the Red blog is calling invisible prompts. Sourcegraph's Amp Code is also vulnerable to the same attack, which encodes instructions to make them invisible. What's really going to ruffle feathers is the fact that all these companies know this stuff is possible, but don't seem to be able to figure out how to prevent it. Ideally, we'd want to be able to distinguish between intended instruction and instructions injected via attachments or some other means outside of the prompt box. I guess that's easier said than done? News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Drones are coming for you… to help? One of the most powerful botnets ever goes down Phishing training is still pointless Microsoft sets an alarm on its phone for 8 years from now to do post-quantum stuff vulns galore in commercial ZTNA apps GenAI projects are struggling to make it to production Adblockers could be made illegal - in Germany Windows is getting native Agentic support Automating bug discovery AND remediation? Public service announcement: time is running out for Windows 10 All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-421

Interview with Harish Peri from Okta Oktane Preview: building frameworks to secure our Agentic AI future Like it or not, Agentic AI and protocols like MCP and A2A are getting pushed as the glue to take business process automation to the next level. Giving agents the power and access they need to accomplish these lofty goals is going to be challenging, from a security perspective. How do put AI agents in the position to perform broad tasks autonomously without granting them all the privileges? How do we avoid making AI agents a gold mine for attackers - the first place they stop once they hack into our companies? These are some examples of the questions Okta aims to answer at this year's Oktane event, and we aim to kick off the conversations a little early - with this interview! Segment Resources: Check out securityweekly.com/oktane for all our live coverage during the event this year! More information about the event and how you can attend can be found here: https://www.okta.com/oktane/ AI at Work 2025: Securing the AI-powered workforce Topic - Indirect Prompt Injection Getting Out of Hand Reports of indirect prompt injection issues have been around for a while. Of particular note was Michael Bargury's Living off Microsoft Copilot presentation from Black Hat USA 2024. Simply sending an email to a Copilot user could make bad stuff happen. Now, at Black Hat 2025, we've got more: the ability to plunder any data resource connected to ChatGPT (they call these integrations "Connectors") from Tamir Ishay Sharbat at Zenity Labs. The research is titled AgentFlayer: ChatGPT Connectors 0click Attack. Looks like Google Jules is also vulnerable to what the Embrace the Red blog is calling invisible prompts. Sourcegraph's Amp Code is also vulnerable to the same attack, which encodes instructions to make them invisible. What's really going to ruffle feathers is the fact that all these companies know this stuff is possible, but don't seem to be able to figure out how to prevent it. Ideally, we'd want to be able to distinguish between intended instruction and instructions injected via attachments or some other means outside of the prompt box. I guess that's easier said than done? News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Drones are coming for you… to help? One of the most powerful botnets ever goes down Phishing training is still pointless Microsoft sets an alarm on its phone for 8 years from now to do post-quantum stuff vulns galore in commercial ZTNA apps GenAI projects are struggling to make it to production Adblockers could be made illegal - in Germany Windows is getting native Agentic support Automating bug discovery AND remediation? Public service announcement: time is running out for Windows 10 All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-421

This week Meka, Stacy, Shannon, and Robin are recommending authors who don't get the attention they deserve. Titles mentioned include:Laura Navarre, Gemini Queen (Dark Witch Academy #1)Chip Pons, Winging It With YouKathryn Nolan, The Thrill Of The ChaseHarper Fox, A Gentleman's TutorT M Richardson, The Oath (Secrets #1)Mara Williams, The Truth Is In The DetoursLaDarrion Williams, Blood At The Root (Blood At The Root #1)Michael Bennett, Better The Blood (Hana Westerman #1)Elle Thorpe, Start A War (Saint View Psychos #1)Megan Murphy, Fake It Like You Mean ItHailey Edwards, Black Hat, White Witch (Black Hat Bureau #1)E. Lynn Harris, Invisible LifeYou can always contact the Book Bistro team by searching @BookBistroPodcast on facebook, or visiting:https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/You can also send an email to:TheBookBistroPodcast@gmail.comFor more information on the podcast and the team behind it, please visit:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/book-bistro

Travis Schack is the Principal Security Researcher at Microsoft, and lead investigator for their incident response team. Cybercrime Magazine caught up with Schack, who previously served as CISO for the State of Colorado, at Black Hat USA 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he told us about what Microsoft is doing to combat today's vast cyber threat landscape. • For more on cybersecurity, visit us at https://cybersecurityventures.com

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, SEO expert Ivana Flynn sits down with Daniel Lux, consultant and founder of Linxact.com, to discuss the realities of modern SEO.Tune in to today's episode to find out:Why some marketers still turn to Black Hat SEO for short-term wins and the risks that come with it.The role of cloaking and PBNs in certain markets and why they continue to spark debate.How tactics like link insertion and parasite SEO can outperform traditional approaches.Why understanding regulations and adapting to shifting algorithms is critical for long-term success.How a smart mix of White Hat and Black Hat strategies can exploit gaps in Google's defences.Host: Ivana FlynnGuest: Daniel LuxProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldiGaming Daily is also now on TikTok. Make sure to follow us at iGaming Daily Podcast (@igaming_daily_podcast) | TikTok for bite-size clips from your favourite podcast.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

AI might analyze your logs in seconds, but only the community can put you in the room that changes your career. In this solo episode, Ron Eddings discusses the powerful balance between human connection and artificial intelligence in shaping the future of cybersecurity and beyond. From the sacrifices that sparked his career to the mentors who opened doors, Ron shares personal stories that show why community will always be your ultimate competitive edge, even as AI advances into the SOC. He also runs live AI experiments on ransomware response and log analysis, revealing what AI can (and can't) do for practitioners right now.   Impactful Moments: 00:00 - Introduction 02:00 - Why community is your first advantage 03:30 - The sacrifice that launched Ron's career 04:40 - Meeting mentor Marcus Carey 06:00 - Early opportunities in cybersecurity 07:00 - The power of hacker spaces 09:00 - How mentors open hidden doors 10:00 - RSA and Black Hat as career accelerators 13:00 - The most underrated LinkedIn feature 15:00 - The HVS mastermind community 16:00 - Reality check on GPT-5 18:00 - AI builds an IR playbook 20:00 - Critical do's and don'ts in incident response 23:00 - Why hallucinations matter in cybersecurity AI 25:00 - AI makes sense of raw logs 28:00 - Can AI replace tier one analysts? 30:00 - Where AI still falls short 31:00 - Final challenge: Strengthen your community     Links: Connect with our Ron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldeddings/ Register for our livestream with Gerry Auger: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7359290642633539586/ Check out the links to the OpenAI ChatGPT threads here: Incident Analysis Summary: https://chatgpt.com/share/689fa61f-3498-8006-9989-ff8221f97b01 Ransomware Incident Playbook: https://chatgpt.com/share/689fa63f-86ec-8006-8355-642d4d38808e Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/  

In this episode, I sit down with Andrew Carney, Program Manager for DARPA's AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC). DARPA's AIxCC recently concluded at Black Hat, and it brought together the industry's leading experts on AI and Cybersecurity with a focus on securing software that is critical to all Americans.Teams had to create novel AI systems to secure critical code, include software involved in critical infrastructure.

We're Becoming Dumb and Numb": Why Black Hat 2025's AI Hype Is Killing Cybersecurity -- And Our Ability to Think Random and Unscripted Weekly Update Podcast with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli__________________SummarySean and Marco dissect Black Hat USA 2025, where every vendor claimed to have "agentic AI" solutions. They expose how marketing buzzwords create noise that frustrates CISOs seeking real value. Marco references the Greek myth of Talos - an ancient AI robot that seemed invincible until one fatal flaw destroyed it - as a metaphor for today's overinflated AI promises. The discussion spirals into deeper concerns: are we becoming too dependent on AI decision-making? They warn about echo chambers, lowest common denominators, and losing our ability to think critically. The solution? Stop selling perfection, embrace product limitations, and keep humans in control. __________________10 Notable QuotesSean:"It's hard for them to siphon the noise. Sift through the noise, I should say, and figure out what the heck is really going on.""If we completely just use it for the easy button, we'll stop thinking and we won't use it as a tool to make things better.""We'll stop thinking and we won't use it as a tool to make our minds better, to make our decisions better.""We are told then that this is the reality. This is what good looks like.""Maybe there's a different way to even look at things. So it's kind of become uniform... a very low common denominator that is just good enough for everybody."Marco:"Do you really wanna trust the weapon to just go and shoot everybody? At least you can tell it's a human factor and that's the people that ultimately decide.""If we don't make decision anymore, we're gonna turn out in a lot of those sci-fi stories, like the time machine where we become dumb.""We all perceive reality to be different from what it is, and then it creates a circular knowledge learning where we use AI to create the knowledge, then to ask the question, then to give the answers.""We're just becoming dumb and numb. More than dumb, but we become numb to everything else because we're just not thinking with our own head.""You're selling the illusion of security and that could be something that then you replicate in other industries." Picture this: You walk into the world's largest cybersecurity conference, and every single vendor booth is screaming the same thing – "agentic AI." Different companies, different products, but somehow they all taste like the same marketing milkshake.That's exactly what Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli witnessed at Black Hat USA 2025, and their latest Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco episode pulls no punches in exposing what's really happening behind the buzzwords."Marketing just took all the cool technology that each vendor had, put it in a blender and made a shake that just tastes the same," Marco reveals on Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco, describing how the conference floor felt like one giant echo chamber where innovation got lost in translation.But this isn't just another rant about marketing speak. The Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco conversation takes a darker turn when Marco introduces the ancient Greek myth of Talos – a bronze giant powered by divine ichor who was tasked with autonomously defending Crete. Powerful, seemingly invincible, until one small vulnerability brought the entire system crashing down.Sound familiar?"Do you really wanna trust the weapon to just go and shoot everybody?" Marco asks, drawing parallels between ancient mythology and today's rush to hand over decision-making to AI systems we don't fully understand.Sean, meanwhile, talked to frustrated CISOs throughout the event who shared a common complaint: "It's hard for them to sift through the noise and figure out what the heck is really going on." When every vendor claims their AI is autonomous and perfect, how do you choose? How do you even know what you're buying?The real danger, they argue on Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco, isn't just bad purchasing decisions. It's what happens when we stop thinking altogether."If we completely just use it for the easy button, we'll stop thinking and we won't use it as a tool to make our minds better," Sean warns. We risk settling for what he calls the "lowest common denominator" – a world where AI tells us what success looks like, and we never question whether we could do better.Marco goes even further, describing a "circular knowledge learning" trap where "we use AI to create the knowledge, then to ask the question, then to give the answers." The result? "We're just becoming dumb and numb. More than dumb, but we become numb to everything else because we're just not thinking with our own head."Their solution isn't to abandon AI – it's to get honest about what it can and can't do. "Stop looking for the easy button and stop selling the easy button," Marco urges vendors on Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco. "Your product is probably as good as it is."Sean adds: "Don't be afraid to share your blemishes, share your weaknesses. Share your gaps."Because here's the thing CISOs know that vendors often forget: "CISOs are not stupid. They talk to each other. The truth will come out."In an industry built on protecting against deception, maybe it's time to stop deceiving ourselves about what AI can actually deliver. ________________ Keywordscybersecurity, artificialintelligence, blackhat2025, agentic, ai, marketing, ciso, cybersec, infosec, technology, leadership, vendor, innovation, automation, security, tech, AI, machinelearning, enterprise, business________________Hosts links:

Jonathan Trull is the Chief Security Officer at Qualys. In this episode, he speaks to Cybercrime Magazine from Black Hat 2025, where the company left the conference with two Pwnie Awards, which celebrate groundbreaking achievements in cybersecurity. Listen to hear his thoughts on navigating cyber risk, including fighting today's threat actors and more. • For more on cybersecurity, visit us at https://cybersecurityventures.com

⸻ Podcast: Redefining Society and Technologyhttps://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.com _____________________________This Episode's SponsorsBlackCloak provides concierge cybersecurity protection to corporate executives and high-net-worth individuals to protect against hacking, reputational loss, financial loss, and the impacts of a corporate data breach.BlackCloak:  https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb_____________________________A Musing On Society & Technology Newsletter Written By Marco Ciappelli | Read by TAPE3August 18, 2025The Narrative Attack Paradox: When Cybersecurity Lost the Ability to Detect Its Own Deception and the Humanity We Risk When Truth Becomes OptionalReflections from Black Hat USA 2025 on Deception, Disinformation, and the Marketing That Chose Fiction Over FactsBy Marco CiappelliSean Martin, CISSP just published his analysis of Black Hat USA 2025, documenting what he calls the cybersecurity vendor "echo chamber." Reviewing over 60 vendor announcements, Sean found identical phrases echoing repeatedly: "AI-powered," "integrated," "reduce analyst burden." The sameness forces buyers to sift through near-identical claims to find genuine differentiation.This reveals more than a marketing problem—it suggests that different technologies are being fed into the same promotional blender, possibly a generative AI one, producing standardized output regardless of what went in. When an entire industry converges on identical language to describe supposedly different technologies, meaningful technical discourse breaks down.But Sean's most troubling observation wasn't about marketing copy—it was about competence. When CISOs probe vendor claims about AI capabilities, they encounter vendors who cannot adequately explain their own technologies. When conversations moved beyond marketing promises to technical specifics, answers became vague, filled with buzzwords about proprietary algorithms.Reading Sean's analysis while reflecting on my own Black Hat experience, I realized we had witnessed something unprecedented: an entire industry losing the ability to distinguish between authentic capability and generated narrative—precisely as that same industry was studying external "narrative attacks" as an emerging threat vector.The irony was impossible to ignore. Black Hat 2025 sessions warned about AI-generated deepfakes targeting executives, social engineering attacks using scraped LinkedIn profiles, and synthetic audio calls designed to trick financial institutions. Security researchers documented how adversaries craft sophisticated deceptions using publicly available content. Meanwhile, our own exhibition halls featured countless unverifiable claims about AI capabilities that even the vendors themselves couldn't adequately explain.But to understand what we witnessed, we need to examine the very concept that cybersecurity professionals were discussing as an external threat: narrative attacks. These represent a fundamental shift in how adversaries target human decision-making. Unlike traditional cyberattacks that exploit technical vulnerabilities, narrative attacks exploit psychological vulnerabilities in human cognition. Think of them as social engineering and propaganda supercharged by AI—personalized deception at scale that adapts faster than human defenders can respond. They flood information environments with false content designed to manipulate perception and erode trust, rendering rational decision-making impossible.What makes these attacks particularly dangerous in the AI era is scale and personalization. AI enables automated generation of targeted content tailored to individual psychological profiles. A single adversary can launch thousands of simultaneous campaigns, each crafted to exploit specific cognitive biases of particular groups or individuals.But here's what we may have missed during Black Hat 2025: the same technological forces enabling external narrative attacks have already compromised our internal capacity for truth evaluation. When vendors use AI-optimized language to describe AI capabilities, when marketing departments deploy algorithmic content generation to sell algorithmic solutions, when companies building detection systems can't detect the artificial nature of their own communications, we've entered a recursive information crisis.From a sociological perspective, we're witnessing the breakdown of social infrastructure required for collective knowledge production. Industries like cybersecurity have historically served as early warning systems for technological threats—canaries in the coal mine with enough technical sophistication to spot emerging dangers before they affect broader society.But when the canary becomes unable to distinguish between fresh air and poison gas, the entire mine is at risk.This brings us to something the literary world understood long before we built our first algorithm. Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine writer, anticipated this crisis in his 1940s stories like "On Exactitude in Science" and "The Library of Babel"—tales about maps that become more real than the territories they represent and libraries containing infinite books, including false ones. In his fiction, simulations and descriptions eventually replace the reality they were meant to describe.We're living in a Borgesian nightmare where marketing descriptions of AI capabilities have become more influential than actual AI capabilities. When a vendor's promotional language about their AI becomes more convincing than a technical demonstration, when buyers make decisions based on algorithmic marketing copy rather than empirical evidence, we've entered that literary territory where the map has consumed the landscape. And we've lost the ability to distinguish between them.The historical precedent is the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast, which created mass hysteria from fiction. But here's the crucial difference: Welles was human, the script was human-written, the performance required conscious participation, and the deception was traceable to human intent. Listeners had to actively choose to believe what they heard.Today's AI-generated narratives operate below the threshold of conscious recognition. They require no active participation—they work by seamlessly integrating into information environments in ways that make detection impossible even for experts. When algorithms generate technical claims that sound authentic to human evaluators, when the same systems create both legitimate documentation and marketing fiction, we face deception at a level Welles never imagined: the algorithmic manipulation of truth itself.The recursive nature of this problem reveals itself when you try to solve it. This creates a nearly impossible situation. How do you fact-check AI-generated claims about AI using AI-powered tools? How do you verify technical documentation when the same systems create both authentic docs and marketing copy? When the tools generating problems and solving problems converge into identical technological artifacts, conventional verification approaches break down completely.My first Black Hat article explored how we risk losing human agency by delegating decision-making to artificial agents. But this goes deeper: we risk losing human agency in the construction of reality itself. When machines generate narratives about what machines can do, truth becomes algorithmically determined rather than empirically discovered.Marshall McLuhan famously said "We shape our tools, and thereafter they shape us." But he couldn't have imagined tools that reshape our perception of reality itself. We haven't just built machines that give us answers—we've built machines that decide what questions we should ask and how we should evaluate the answers.But the implications extend far beyond cybersecurity itself. This matters far beyond. If the sector responsible for detecting digital deception becomes the first victim of algorithmic narrative pollution, what hope do other industries have? Healthcare systems relying on AI diagnostics they can't explain. Financial institutions using algorithmic trading based on analyses they can't verify. Educational systems teaching AI-generated content whose origins remain opaque.When the industry that guards against deception loses the ability to distinguish authentic capability from algorithmic fiction, society loses its early warning system for the moment when machines take over truth construction itself.So where does this leave us? That moment may have already arrived. We just don't know it yet—and increasingly, we lack the cognitive infrastructure to find out.But here's what we can still do: We can start by acknowledging we've reached this threshold. We can demand transparency not just in AI algorithms, but in the human processes that evaluate and implement them. We can rebuild evaluation criteria that distinguish between technical capability and marketing narrative.And here's a direct challenge to the marketing and branding professionals reading this: it's time to stop relying on AI algorithms and data optimization to craft your messages. The cybersecurity industry's crisis should serve as a warning—when marketing becomes indistinguishable from algorithmic fiction, everyone loses. Social media has taught us that the most respected brands are those that choose honesty over hype, transparency over clever messaging. Brands that walk the walk and talk the talk, not those that let machines do the talking.The companies that will survive this epistemological crisis are those whose marketing teams become champions of truth rather than architects of confusion. When your audience can no longer distinguish between human insight and machine-generated claims, authentic communication becomes your competitive advantage.Most importantly, we can remember that the goal was never to build machines that think for us, but machines that help us think better.The canary may be struggling to breathe, but it's still singing. The question is whether we're still listening—and whether we remember what fresh air feels like.Let's keep exploring what it means to be human in this Hybrid Analog Digital Society. Especially now, when the stakes have never been higher, and the consequences of forgetting have never been more real. End of transmission.___________________________________________________________Marco Ciappelli is Co-Founder and CMO of ITSPmagazine, a journalist, creative director, and host of podcasts exploring the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and society. His work blends journalism, storytelling, and sociology to examine how technological narratives influence human behavior, culture, and social structures.___________________________________________________________Enjoyed this transmission? Follow the newsletter here:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7079849705156870144/Share this newsletter and invite anyone you think would enjoy it!New stories always incoming.___________________________________________________________As always, let's keep thinking!Marco Ciappellihttps://www.marcociappelli.com___________________________________________________________This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.Marco Ciappelli | Co-Founder, Creative Director & CMO ITSPmagazine  | Dr. in Political Science / Sociology of Communication l Branding | Content Marketing | Writer | Storyteller | My Podcasts: Redefining Society & Technology / Audio Signals / + | MarcoCiappelli.comTAPE3 is the Artificial Intelligence behind ITSPmagazine—created to be a personal assistant, writing and design collaborator, research companion, brainstorming partner… and, apparently, something new every single day.Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to the "Musing On Society & Technology" newsletter on LinkedIn.

Recorded live at Black Hat 2025, this episode takes you straight to the frontlines of cybersecurity innovation. Host, Raghu Nandakumara first sits down with Bennett Moe, a cartographer turned N2K CyberWire VP, reveals how mapping skills can turn massive data into actionable cyber insights and why fundamentals still matter in an AI-driven world. Then, Jim Reavis, CEO of the Cloud Security Alliance and ISSA Hall of Famer, shares his urgent warning on cloud risks, the impact of generative AI, and why security leaders must rethink old playbooks.We discussed:How cartography principles help prioritize and visualize cybersecurity data The evolution of AI in security and where it's moving beyond buzzwords Why fundamentals like security hygiene and the right people in the right roles are still critical Systemic risks in cloud environments and why old security playbooks may no longer suffice How security leaders can become their company's most informed voices on AI The importance of actionable insights over overwhelming data for decision-makingThe role of cloud as a foundation for AI innovations like ChatGPT Distinguishing between securing AI and defending against AI-powered attacks How continuous learning, communication, and community collaboration are essential in cybersecurity The CSA's mission and legacy as a navigator for the cybersecurity community  Stay Connected with our host, Raghu on LinkedInFor more information about Illumio, check out our website at illumio.com 

The annual “security summer camp” that is made up of the Black Hat and DefCon conferences is just past and the security analyst team, Scott Crawford, Dan Kennedy, Justin Lam and Mark Ehr, join host Eric Hanselman to examine what they saw and discuss the implications. Despite the heat of a Las Vegas summer, it's become bigger than the two main conferences, with a number of side events, like B-Sides, there's a lot going on. AI conversations are evolving and maturing. We've mostly moved beyond blaming user foibles for breaches, but AI is expanding the attack surface with new and more complex tactics for user manipulation. AI is lowering the barriers for attackers. The days of script kiddies have morphed into Claude Code-fueled attack development. The larger question is how security vendors are responding to AI risks. Claims that tier 1 security analysts should start looking for another job just seem irresponsible in the current environment. AI augmentation can reduce toil and digest the masses of events that security teams struggle to deal with today. At the same time, AI is scaling attack volumes. It's the constant hegemony that's always played out at the core of security. More S&P Global Content: RSAC Conference 2025: Breaking records at the threshold of uncertainty AI for security: Agentic AI will be a focus for security operations in 2025 Next in Tech | Ep. 215: RSA Conference Preview Deep Pocket Inspection: RSAC Innovation Sandbox Retrospective & Perspective Next in Tech | Ep. 227: Managed Security Services Next in Tech | Ep. 225: Security for MCP For S&P Global Subscribers: Use of GenAI security solutions has spiked, continued uptake projected – Highlights from VotE: Information Security Infosec spending projected to rise 27% on average in 2025 – Highlights from VotE: Information Security CNAPP in focus after large infosec acquisition – Highlights from VotE: Information Security Data Insight: Data security market to top $26B in 2029 Data Security Market Monitor & Forecast CNAPP matures into full-spectrum security solution Credits: Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Scott Crawford, Dan Kennedy, Justin Lam, Mark Ehr Producer/Editor: Adam Kovalsky Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith

Interview with Snehal Antani - Rethinking Risk-Based Vulnerability Management Vulnerability management is broken. Organizations basically use math to turn a crappy list into a slightly less crappy list, and the hardest part of the job as a CIO is deciding what NOT to fix. There has to be a better way, and there is... Segment Resources: https://horizon3.ai/intelligence/blogs/vulnerability-management-is-broken-there-is-a-better-way/ This segment is sponsored by Horizon3.ai. Visit https://securityweekly.com/horizon3 to learn more about them! Topic - Andy Ellis's Black Hat Expo Experience Andy Ellis visited every booth at Black Hat. Every. Single. One. He wrote up what he learned and we discuss his findings! https://www.duha.co/state-of-security-vendors-blackhat-2025/ News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Tons of handy new and free tools! is cybersecurity really at the latter stages of consolidation? new books is our obsession with risk quantification hurting our credibility? AI trends is there an impending AI layoff-pocalypse? we explain the kids' favorite new term: Clanker All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-420

This year at Black Hat, the topic of AI was everywhere — from hallway chats to the expo floor. Adam and Cristian took a break from the action for a rare in-person conversation about how adversaries are weaponizing AI, how defenders are using agentic AI, and what we should all be thinking about as AI evolves as an offensive and defensive tool. The AI threat is real, and advanced adversaries in particular are using it to their advantage. They're improving the wording in social engineering attacks, creating deepfakes in fraudulent job interviews, and targeting victims on a more personal level. FAMOUS CHOLLIMA is an example of one adversary “using it for everything,” the hosts say. SCATTERED SPIDER is another adversary to watch. On the other side, defenders are adopting agentic AI to expedite their response. Adam and Cristian explore the importance of protecting AI workloads, the potential for insider threats with AI models, and the growing need for AI governance and security guardrails. If AI is monitoring security services, they ask, who guards the guardian? Tune in for an in-depth conversation on what AI is really capable of — and stick around for a sneak peek of an upcoming guest episode, where a guest joins to discuss young adversaries moving from online gaming to organized cybercrime.

In this episode of the CISO Tradecraft podcast, host G Mark Hardy speaks with Tim Brown, the CISO of SolarWinds, at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas. They delve into the details of the infamous SolarWinds breach, discussing the timeline of events, the involvement of the Russian SVR, and the immediate and long-term responses by SolarWinds. Tim shares insights on the complexities of supply chain security, the importance of clear communication within an organization, and the evolving regulatory landscape for CISOs. Additionally, they discuss the personal and professional ramifications of dealing with such a high-profile incident, offering valuable lessons for current and future cybersecurity leaders. Chapters  00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:59 The SolarWinds Incident Unfolds 03:13 Understanding the Attack and Response 04:04 The Role of SVR and Supply Chain Security 10:43 Technical Details of the Attack 14:56 Compliance and Reporting Challenges 19:24 Rebuilding Trust and Personal Impact 22:06 CISO Concerns and Company Support 22:14 Legal Challenges and Company Expenses 23:40 SEC Charges and Legal Proceedings 29:35 Supply Chain Security and Vendor Assurance 35:47 CISO Accountability and Industry Standards 39:41 Final Thoughts and Advice for CISOs

Interview with Snehal Antani - Rethinking Risk-Based Vulnerability Management Vulnerability management is broken. Organizations basically use math to turn a crappy list into a slightly less crappy list, and the hardest part of the job as a CIO is deciding what NOT to fix. There has to be a better way, and there is... Segment Resources: https://horizon3.ai/intelligence/blogs/vulnerability-management-is-broken-there-is-a-better-way/ This segment is sponsored by Horizon3.ai. Visit https://securityweekly.com/horizon3 to learn more about them! Topic - Andy Ellis's Black Hat Expo Experience Andy Ellis visited every booth at Black Hat. Every. Single. One. He wrote up what he learned and we discuss his findings! https://www.duha.co/state-of-security-vendors-blackhat-2025/ News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Tons of handy new and free tools! is cybersecurity really at the latter stages of consolidation? new books is our obsession with risk quantification hurting our credibility? AI trends is there an impending AI layoff-pocalypse? we explain the kids' favorite new term: Clanker All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-420

Interview with Snehal Antani - Rethinking Risk-Based Vulnerability Management Vulnerability management is broken. Organizations basically use math to turn a crappy list into a slightly less crappy list, and the hardest part of the job as a CIO is deciding what NOT to fix. There has to be a better way, and there is... Segment Resources: https://horizon3.ai/intelligence/blogs/vulnerability-management-is-broken-there-is-a-better-way/ This segment is sponsored by Horizon3.ai. Visit https://securityweekly.com/horizon3 to learn more about them! Topic - Andy Ellis's Black Hat Expo Experience Andy Ellis visited every booth at Black Hat. Every. Single. One. He wrote up what he learned and we discuss his findings! https://www.duha.co/state-of-security-vendors-blackhat-2025/ News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Tons of handy new and free tools! is cybersecurity really at the latter stages of consolidation? new books is our obsession with risk quantification hurting our credibility? AI trends is there an impending AI layoff-pocalypse? we explain the kids' favorite new term: Clanker All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-420

Interview with Snehal Antani - Rethinking Risk-Based Vulnerability Management Vulnerability management is broken. Organizations basically use math to turn a crappy list into a slightly less crappy list, and the hardest part of the job as a CIO is deciding what NOT to fix. There has to be a better way, and there is... Segment Resources: https://horizon3.ai/intelligence/blogs/vulnerability-management-is-broken-there-is-a-better-way/ This segment is sponsored by Horizon3.ai. Visit https://securityweekly.com/horizon3 to learn more about them! Topic - Andy Ellis's Black Hat Expo Experience Andy Ellis visited every booth at Black Hat. Every. Single. One. He wrote up what he learned and we discuss his findings! https://www.duha.co/state-of-security-vendors-blackhat-2025/ News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Tons of handy new and free tools! is cybersecurity really at the latter stages of consolidation? new books is our obsession with risk quantification hurting our credibility? AI trends is there an impending AI layoff-pocalypse? we explain the kids' favorite new term: Clanker All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-420

This week on the Talk Without Rhythm Podcast I have a Mannly double-feature of Michael Mann flicks as I discuss 1995's Heat and 2015's Blackhat. [00:00] INTRO [02:03] CromCast Promo [02:47] RANDOM CONVERSATION [10:42] Heat (1995) [57:03] Blackhat (2015) [01:30:25] FEEDBACK [01:33:27] ENDING MUSIC: God Moving Over the Face of the Waters by Moby Buy Heat (1995) Buy Blackhat (2015) Support TWoRP Contact Us talkwithoutrhythm@gmail.com

Event Recap: Kieran Human at Black Hat USA 2025 — ThreatLocker Unveils Configuration Defense, Achieves FedRAMP Status & MoreThreatLocker introduced DAC configuration monitoring and achieved FedRAMP certification at Black Hat 2025, strengthening zero trust capabilities while expanding government market access through practical security solutions.Zero trust security continues evolving beyond theoretical frameworks into practical business solutions, as demonstrated by ThreatLocker's latest announcements at Black Hat USA 2025. The company introduced Defense Against Configuration (DAC), a monitoring tool addressing a critical gap in zero trust implementations.Kieran Human, Special Projects Engineer at ThreatLocker, explained the challenge driving DAC's development. Organizations implementing zero trust often struggle with configuration management, potentially leaving systems vulnerable despite security investments. DAC monitors configurations continuously, alerting administrators to potential security issues and mapping findings to compliance frameworks including Essential 8.The tool addresses human factors in security implementation. Technical staff sometimes create overly permissive rules to minimize user complaints, compromising security posture. DAC provides weekly reports to executives, ensuring oversight of configuration decisions and maintaining security standards across the organization.ThreatLocker's approach distinguishes itself through "denied by default, allowed by exception" methodology, contrasting with traditional endpoint detection and response solutions that permit by default and block threats reactively. This fundamental difference requires careful implementation to avoid business disruption.The company's learning mode capabilities address deployment concerns. With over 10,000 built-in application profiles, ThreatLocker automates policy creation while learning organizational workflows. This reduces manual configuration requirements that previously made zero trust implementations tedious and time-intensive.FedRAMP certification represents another significant milestone, opening government sector opportunities. Federal compliance requirements previously excluded ThreatLocker from certain contracts, despite strong customer demand for their zero trust capabilities. This certification enables expansion into highly regulated environments requiring stringent security controls.Customer testimonials continue validating the approach. One user reported preventing three breaches after implementing ThreatLocker's zero trust solution, demonstrating measurable security improvements. Such feedback reinforces the practical value of properly implemented zero trust architecture.The balance between security and business functionality remains crucial. Organizations need security solutions that protect assets without hampering productivity. ThreatLocker's principle of least privilege implementation focuses on enabling business requirements with minimal necessary permissions rather than creating restrictive environments that impede operations.Human described working closely with CEO Danny Jenkins, emphasizing the collaborative environment that drives product innovation. His engineering perspective provides valuable insights into customer needs while maintaining focus on practical security solutions that work in real-world environments.As zero trust adoption accelerates across industries, tools like DAC become essential for maintaining security posture while meeting business demands. The combination of automated learning, configuration monitoring, and compliance mapping addresses practical implementation challenges facing security teams today.Learn more about ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guest: Kieran Human, Special Project Engineer at ThreatLocker | On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-human-5495ab170/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from ThreatLocker: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/threatlockerLearn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25Learn more about ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcasts: https://www.itspmagazine.com/purchase-programsNewsletter Archive: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tune-into-the-latest-podcasts-7109347022809309184/Business Newsletter Signup: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-business-updates-sign-upAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-story

At Black Hat USA 2025, artificial intelligence wasn't the shiny new thing — it was the baseline. Nearly every product launch, feature update, and hallway conversation had an “AI-powered” stamp on it. But when AI becomes the lowest common denominator for security, the questions shift.In this episode, I read my latest opinion piece exploring what happens when the tools we build to protect us are the same ones that can obscure reality — or rewrite it entirely. Drawing from the Lock Note discussion, Jennifer Granick's keynote on threat modeling and constitutional law, my own CISO hallway conversations, and a deep review of 60+ vendor announcements, I examine the operational, legal, and governance risks that emerge when speed and scale take priority over transparency and accountability.We talk about model poisoning — not just in the technical sense, but in how our industry narrative can get corrupted by hype and shallow problem-solving. We look at the dangers of replacing entry-level security roles with black-box automation, where a single model misstep can cascade into thousands of bad calls at machine speed. And yes, we address the potential liability for CISOs and executives who let it happen without oversight.Using Mikko Hyppönen's “Game of Tetris” metaphor, I explore how successes vanish quietly while failures pile up for all to see — and why in the AI era, that stack can build faster than ever.If AI is everywhere, what defines the premium layer above the baseline? How do we ensure we can still define success, measure it accurately, and prove it when challenged?Listen in, and then join the conversation: Can you trust the “reality” your systems present — and can you prove it?________This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to "The Future of Cybersecurity" newsletter on LinkedIn.Sincerely, Sean Martin and TAPE3________✦ ResourcesArticle: When Artificial Intelligence Becomes the Baseline: Will We Even Know What Reality Is AInymore?https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-artificial-intelligence-becomes-baseline-we-even-martin-cissp-4idqe/The Future of Cybersecurity Article: How Novel Is Novelty? Security Leaders Try To Cut Through the Cybersecurity Vendor Echo Chamber at Black Hat 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-novel-novelty-security-leaders-try-cut-through-sean-martin-cissp-xtune/Black Hat 2025 On Location Closing Recap Video with Sean Martin, CISSP and Marco Ciappelli: https://youtu.be/13xP-LEwtEALearn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25Article: When Virtual Reality Is A Commodity, Will True Reality Come At A Premium? https://sean-martin.medium.com/when-virtual-reality-is-a-commodity-will-true-reality-come-at-a-premium-4a97bccb4d72Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageITSPmagazine Studio — A Brand & Marketing Advisory for Cybersecurity and Tech Companies: https://www.itspmagazine.studio/ITSPmagazine Webinar: What's Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Place Your Bet on the Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year's Hacker Conference — An ITSPmagazine Thought Leadership Webinar | https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conference________Sean Martin is a life-long musician and the host of the Music Evolves Podcast; a career technologist, cybersecurity professional, and host of the Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast; and is also the co-host of both the Random and Unscripted Podcast and On Location Event Coverage Podcast. These shows are all part of ITSPmagazine—which he co-founded with his good friend Marco Ciappelli, to explore and discuss topics at The Intersection of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Society.™️Want to connect with Sean and Marco On Location at an event or conference near you? See where they will be next: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-locationTo learn more about Sean, visit his personal website.

At Black Hat 2025, Sean Martin sits down with Ofir Stein, CTO and Co-Founder of Apono, to discuss the pressing challenges of identity and access management in today's hybrid, AI-driven environments. Stein's background in technology infrastructure and DevOps, paired with his co-founder's deep cybersecurity expertise, positions the company to address one of the most common yet critical problems in enterprise security: how to secure permissions without slowing the pace of business.Organizations often face a tug-of-war between security teams seeking to minimize risk and engineering or business units pushing for rapid access to systems. Stein explains that traditional approaches to access control — where permissions are either always on or granted through manual processes — create friction and risk. Over-provisioned accounts become prime targets for attackers, while delayed access slows innovation.Apono addresses this through a Zero Standing Privilege approach, where no user — human or non-human — retains permanent permissions. Instead, access is dynamically granted based on business context and automatically revoked when no longer needed. This ensures engineers and systems get the right access at the right time, without exposing unnecessary attack surfaces.The platform integrates seamlessly with existing identity providers, governance systems, and IT workflows, allowing organizations to centralize visibility and control without replacing existing tools. Dynamic, context-based policies replace static rules, enabling access that adapts to changing conditions, including the unpredictable needs of AI agents and automated workflows.Stein also highlights continuous discovery and anomaly detection capabilities, enabling organizations to see and act on changes in privilege usage in real time. By coupling visibility with automated policy enforcement, organizations can not only identify over-privileged accounts but also remediate them immediately — avoiding the cycle of one-off audits followed by privilege creep.The result is a solution that scales with modern enterprise needs, reduces risk, and empowers both security teams and end users. As Stein notes, giving engineers control over their own access — including the ability to revoke it — fosters a culture of shared responsibility for security, rather than one of gatekeeping.Learn more about Apono: https://itspm.ag/apono-1034Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guest:Ofir Stein, CTO and Co-Founder of Apono | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofir-stein/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from Apono: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/aponoLearn more about ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcasts: https://www.itspmagazine.com/purchase-programsNewsletter Archive: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tune-into-the-latest-podcasts-7109347022809309184/Business Newsletter Signup: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-business-updates-sign-upAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-storyKeywords: sean martin, ofir stein, apono, zero standing privilege, access management, identity security, privilege creep, just in time access, ai security, governance, cloud security, black hat, black hat usa 2025, cybersecurity, permissions

Christopher Luft, Co-Founder and CCO of LimaCharlie, and Dr. Mike Saylor, CEO of Blackswan Cybersecurity, sat down with the Defender Fridays community for Black Hat week wrap up and a deep dive building secure environments for IR.Dr. Mike Saylor is an accomplished, outcome-driven and solution-focused business professional and entrepreneur with 30+ years of Consulting, IT Audit & Risk, Cyber Security & Incident Response experience. Uniquely qualified as a leader with a solid knowledge of operations, strategy and management, Dr. Mike has enjoyed repeated success guiding highly skilled, cross functional teams in areas of intelligence, security, technology, and audit & compliance. Dr. Mike is an experienced public speaker, writer, and researcher on topics of technology, security, and cybercrime. He stays current with changes in the industry through professional affiliations and continuing professional development. Learn more about Blackswan Cybersecurity at blackswan-cybersecurity.comOn Defender Fridays we delve into the dynamic world of information security, exploring its defensive side with seasoned professionals from across the industry. Our aim is simple yet ambitious: to foster a collaborative space where ideas flow freely, experiences are shared, and knowledge expands.Join the live discussions by registering at limacharlie.io/defender-fridays

Chandler is so excited!!! In just 8 Days, Jack Skellington returns to The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland!!!  The Halloween season is inching closer!!Have you grabbed your tickets to see Annie in downtown SLC yet!?!  Better get em quick! Go to ArtTix.com!!!Chunga heard to computer nerds having a conversation at Blackhat 2025 last week, they were talking about how “social media is dying, finally”.  Do YOU agree with this? Think it's true!?Have you watched the series about Band Aid and Live Aid yet!? It's on CNN and it's AMAZING!  Get your tissues, it'll bring back lots of memories!!CHUNGA POLL: What's a song you can listen to over, and over without ever getting sick of it!?!Post your answers below!!PLUS!!  Gregg has his first Halloween “As Seen On Tubi” movie shout-out! LISTEN NOW!!!!  It's on www.radioronin.com and everywhere you get your podcasts!!!

At Black Hat USA 2025, Sean Martin, co-founder of ITSPmagazine, sat down with Brett Stone-Gross, Senior Director of Threat Intelligence at Zscaler, to discuss the findings from the company's latest ransomware report. Over the past five years, the research has tracked how attack patterns, targets, and business models have shifted—most notably from file encryption to data theft and extortion.Brett explains that many ransomware groups now find it more profitable—and less risky—to steal sensitive data and threaten to leak it unless paid, rather than encrypt files and disrupt operations. This change also allows attackers to stay out of the headlines and avoid immediate law enforcement pressure, while still extracting massive payouts. One case saw a Fortune 50 company pay $75 million to prevent the leak of 100 terabytes of sensitive medical data—without a single file being encrypted.The report highlights variation in attacker methods. Some groups focus on single large targets; others, like the group “LOP,” exploit vulnerabilities in widely used file transfer applications, making supply chain compromise a preferred tactic. Once inside, attackers validate their claims by providing file trees and sample data—proving the theft is real.Certain industries remain disproportionately affected. Healthcare, manufacturing, and technology are perennial top targets, with oil and gas seeing a sharp increase this year. Many victims operate with legacy systems, slow to adopt modern security measures, making them vulnerable. Geographically, the U.S. continues to be hit hardest, accounting for roughly half of all observed ransomware incidents.The conversation also addresses why organizations fail to detect such massive data theft—sometimes hundreds of gigabytes per day over weeks. Poor monitoring, limited security staffing, and alert fatigue all contribute. Brett emphasizes that reducing exposure starts with eliminating unnecessary internet-facing services and embracing zero trust architectures to prevent lateral movement.The ransomware report serves not just as a data source but as a practical guide. By mapping observed attacker behaviors to defensive strategies, organizations can better identify and close their most dangerous gaps—before becoming another statistic in next year's findings.Learn more about Zscaler: https://itspm.ag/zscaler-327152Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guest:Brett Stone-Gross, Senior Director of Threat Intelligence at Zscaler, | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-stone-gross/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from Zscaler: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/zscalerLearn more about ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcasts: https://www.itspmagazine.com/purchase-programsNewsletter Archive: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tune-into-the-latest-podcasts-7109347022809309184/Business Newsletter Signup: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-business-updates-sign-upAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-storyKeywords: sean martin, brett stone-gross, ransomware, data extortion, cyber attacks, zero trust security, threat intelligence, data breach, cyber defense, network security, file transfer vulnerability, data protection, black hat, black hat usa 2025, zscaler

In an industry where technology often takes the spotlight, Deidre Diamond, Founder and CEO of CyberSN, and Carraig Stanwyck, CEO and former Fortune 200 CISO, are making the case for a shift in focus—one where people, not just tools, drive operational success.Deidre's journey began in cyber talent matching, where she saw firsthand the persistent workforce challenges organizations face—burnout, retention struggles, and a lack of career planning. These challenges inspired the creation of a workforce risk management practice designed to quantify and address the human side of cybersecurity. The approach goes beyond staffing—it maps skills, capabilities, and job alignment in real time, enabling leaders to strategically plan their workforce instead of reacting to turnover.Carraig's perspective as a leader building teams across government, startup, and enterprise environments reinforces the message: “If you get the people right, everything else comes together.” Even leaders already committed to employee engagement often lack the visibility to fully understand capability gaps, skill utilization, and role misalignment. Carraig describes how moving from static spreadsheets to a dynamic platform revealed hidden opportunities—such as repositioning talent into roles that better matched their strengths—while also giving executives a clear capability-to-staffing view.This real-time insight changes everything. Leaders can create accurate job descriptions based on actual needs, build stronger business cases for budgets, and proactively plan for growth. The results aren't just operational—employees feel invested in, leading to greater fulfillment, better retention, and improved professional efficacy.Both Deidre and Carraig emphasize that this approach isn't just about solving today's staffing needs. It's about preparing for a future where emotional intelligence, creative collaboration, and adaptability will be more critical than ever. As AI takes on repeatable tasks, the human ability to think strategically, work cohesively, and innovate will define success.The takeaway is clear: cybersecurity's greatest asset isn't a piece of technology—it's a workforce that's understood, empowered, and aligned with the mission.Learn more about CyberSN: https://itspm.ag/cybersn-476941Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guests:Deidre Diamond, Founder and CEO of CyberSN | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deidrediamond/Carraig Stanwyck, CEO at 3 Tree Tech and former Fortune 200 CISO | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carraig-stanwyck/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from CyberSN: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/cybersnLearn more about ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcasts: https://www.itspmagazine.com/purchase-programsNewsletter Archive: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tune-into-the-latest-podcasts-7109347022809309184/Business Newsletter Signup: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-business-updates-sign-upAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-storyKeywords: marco ciappelli, deidre diamond, carraig stanwyck, cybersecurity, workforce management, talent retention, job descriptions, skills gap, leadership, employee engagement, career development, black hat, black hat usa, black hat 2025, workforce risk management

Chandler is so excited!!! In just 8 Days, Jack Skellington returns to The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland!!!  The Halloween season is inching closer!!Have you grabbed your tickets to see Annie in downtown SLC yet!?!  Better get em quick! Go to ArtTix.com!!!Chunga heard to computer nerds having a conversation at Blackhat 2025 last week, they were talking about how “social media is dying, finally”.  Do YOU agree with this? Think it's true!?Have you watched the series about Band Aid and Live Aid yet!? It's on CNN and it's AMAZING!  Get your tissues, it'll bring back lots of memories!!CHUNGA POLL: What's a song you can listen to over, and over without ever getting sick of it!?!Post your answers below!!PLUS!!  Gregg has his first Halloween “As Seen On Tubi” movie shout-out! LISTEN NOW!!!!  It's on www.radioronin.com and everywhere you get your podcasts!!!

Join Automox CISO and SVP of Product Jason Kikta for a recap of Black Hat and DEF CON 2025. In this episode, Jason shares his take on the conversation around AI in cybersecurity shifting from hype to practical tools for defenders. Hear why integrating AI into your CI/CD pipeline, alert triage, and vulnerability management could be a game changer, plus thoughts on choosing the right security events for your personality and goals. Whether you're a conference veteran or a curious first-timer, this episode offers insights, humor, and encouragement to get more involved in the security community.

Black Hat 2025: Crogl's CEO Monzy Merza Explains How AI Can Help Eliminate Alert Fatigue in CybersecurityCrogl CEO Monzy Merza discusses how AI-driven security platforms automate alert investigation using enterprise knowledge graphs, enabling analysts to focus on threat hunting while maintaining data privacy.Security teams drowning in alerts finally have a lifeline that doesn't compromise their data sovereignty. At Black Hat USA 2025, Crogl CEO Monzy Merza revealed how his company is tackling one of cybersecurity's most persistent challenges: the overwhelming volume of security alerts that leaves analysts either ignoring potential threats or burning out from investigation fatigue.The problem runs deeper than most organizations realize. Merza observed analysts routinely closing hundreds of alerts with a single click, not from laziness or malice, but from sheer necessity. "When you look at the history of breaches, the signal of the breach was there. And somebody ignored it," he explained during his ITSPmagazine interview, highlighting a critical gap between alert generation and meaningful investigation.Traditional approaches have failed because they expect human analysts to become "unicorns" - experts capable of mastering multiple data platforms simultaneously while remembering complex query languages and schemas. This unrealistic expectation has created what Merza calls the "human unicorn challenge," where organizations struggle to find personnel who can effectively navigate their increasingly complex security infrastructure.Crogl's solution fundamentally reimagines the relationship between human intuition and machine automation. Rather than forcing analysts to adapt to multiple tools, the platform creates a semantic knowledge graph that maps data relationships across an organization's entire security ecosystem. When alerts arrive, the system automatically conducts investigations using established kill chain methodologies, freeing analysts to focus on higher-value activities like threat hunting and strategic security initiatives.The privacy-first architecture addresses growing concerns about data sovereignty. Operating as a completely self-contained system with no internet dependencies, Crogl can run air-gapped in the most sensitive environments, including defense intelligence communities. The platform connects to existing tools through APIs without requiring data movement, duplication, or transformation.Real-world results demonstrate the platform's versatility. One customer discovered their analysts were using Crogl for fraud detection - an application never intended by the original design. The system's ability to process natural language descriptions and convert them into executable security processes has reduced response times from weeks to minutes for complex threat hunting operations.For security leaders evaluating AI integration, Merza advocates an experimental approach. Rather than attempting comprehensive transformation, he suggests starting with focused pilot programs that address specific pain points. This measured strategy allows organizations to validate AI's value while maintaining operational stability.The broader implications extend beyond security operations. By removing technical barriers and emphasizing domain expertise over tool competency, platforms like Crogl enable security teams to become strategic business enablers rather than reactive alert processors. Organizations gain the flexibility to maintain their preferred data architectures while ensuring comprehensive security coverage across distributed environments.As cyber threats continue evolving, the industry's response must prioritize both technological capability and human potential. Solutions that enhance analyst intuition while automating routine tasks represent a sustainable path forward for security operations at scale. Watch the full interview: https://youtu.be/0GqPtPXD2ik Learn more about CROGL: https://itspm.ag/crogl-103909Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guest: Monzy Merza, Founder and CEO of CROGL | On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monzymerza/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from CROGL: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/croglAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-story

Stellar Cyber Revolutionizes SOC Cybersecurity Operations with Human-Augmented Autonomous Platform at Black Hat 2025 A Stellar Cyber Event Coverage of Black Hat USA 2025 Las VegasAn ITSPmagazine Brand Story with Subo Guha, Senior Vice President Product, Stellar Cyber____________________________Security operations centers face an unprecedented challenge: thousands of daily alerts overwhelming analyst teams while sophisticated threats demand immediate response. At Black Hat USA 2025 in Las Vegas, Stellar Cyber presented a revolutionary approach that fundamentally reimagines how SOCs operate in the age of AI-driven threats.Speaking with ITSPmagazine's Sean Martin, Subo Guha, Senior Vice President of Products at Stellar Cyber, outlined the company's vision for transforming security operations through their human-augmented autonomous SOC platform. Unlike traditional approaches that simply pile on more automation, Stellar Cyber recognizes that effective security requires intelligent collaboration between AI and human expertise.The platform's three-layer architecture ingests data from any source – network devices, applications, identities, and endpoints – while maintaining vendor neutrality through open EDR integration. Organizations can seamlessly work with CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Sophos, or other preferred solutions without vendor lock-in. This flexibility proves crucial for enterprises navigating complex security ecosystems where different departments may have invested in various endpoint protection solutions.What sets Stellar Cyber apart is their autonomous SOC concept, which dramatically reduces alert volume from hundreds of thousands to manageable numbers within days rather than weeks. The platform's AI-driven auto-triage capability identifies true positives among thousands of false alarms, presenting analysts with prioritized "verdicts" that demand attention. This transformation addresses one of security operations' most persistent challenges: alert fatigue that leads to missed threats and burned-out analysts.The revolutionary AI Investigator copilot enables natural language interaction, allowing analysts to query the system conversationally. An analyst can simply ask, "Show me all impossible travel incidents between midnight and 4 AM," and receive actionable intelligence immediately. This democratization of security operations means junior analysts can perform at senior levels without extensive coding knowledge or years of experience navigating complex query languages.Identity threat detection and response (ITDR) emerged as another critical focus area during the Black Hat presentation. With identity becoming the new perimeter, Stellar Cyber integrated sophisticated user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) directly into the platform. The system detects impossible travel scenarios, credential attacks, and lateral movement patterns that indicate compromise. For instance, when a user logs in from Portland at 11 PM and then appears in Moscow 30 minutes later, the platform immediately flags this physical impossibility.The identity protection extends beyond human users to encompass non-human identities, addressing the growing threat of automated attacks powered by large language models. Hackers now leverage generative AI to create credential attacks at unprecedented scale and sophistication, making robust identity security more critical than ever.Guha emphasized that AI augmentation doesn't displace security professionals but elevates them. By automating mundane tasks, analysts focus on strategic decision-making and complex threat hunting. MSSPs report dramatic efficiency gains, scaling operations without proportionally increasing headcount. Where previously a hundred thousand alerts might take weeks to process, requiring extensive junior analyst teams, the platform now delivers actionable insights within days with smaller, more focused teams.The platform's unified approach eliminates tool sprawl, providing CISOs with real-time visualization of their security posture. Executive reporting becomes instantaneous, with high-priority verdicts clearly displayed for rapid decision-making. This visualization capability transforms how security teams communicate with leadership, replacing lengthy reports with dynamic dashboards that convey risk and response status at a glance.Real-world deployments demonstrate significant operational improvements. Organizations report faster mean time to detection and response, reduced false positive rates, and improved analyst satisfaction. The platform's learning capabilities mean it becomes more intelligent over time, adapting to each organization's unique threat landscape and operational patterns.As organizations face increasingly sophisticated threats powered by generative AI, Stellar Cyber's human-augmented approach represents a paradigm shift. By combining AI intelligence with human intuition, the platform delivers faster threat detection, reduced false positives, and empowered security teams ready for tomorrow's challenges. The company's commitment to continuous innovation, evidenced by rapid feature releases between RSA and Black Hat, positions them at the forefront of next-generation security operations. Learn more about Stellar Cyber: https://itspm.ag/stellar-cyber--inc--357947Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guest: Subo Guha, Senior Vice President Product, Stellar Cyber | https://www.linkedin.com/in/suboguha/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from Stellar Cyber: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/stellarcyberLearn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25Learn more about ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcasts: https://www.itspmagazine.com/purchase-programsNewsletter Archive: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tune-into-the-latest-podcasts-7109347022809309184/Business Newsletter Signup: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-business-updates-sign-upAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-story

Topic Segment - What's new at Black Hat? We're coming live from hacker summer camp 2025, so it seemed appropriate to share what we've seen and heard so far at this year's event. Adrian's on vacation, so this episode is featuring Jackie McGuire and Ayman Elsawah! News Segment Then, in the enterprise security news, Tons of funding! SentinelOne picks up an AI security company weeks after Palo Alto closes the Protect AI deal Vendors shove AI agents into everything they've got Why SOC analysts ignore your playbooks NVIDA pinkie swears to China: no back doors! ChatGPT was allowing shared chat sessions to be indexed and crawled by search engines like Google Who is gonna secure all this vibe code? Who is gonna triage all these hallucinated bug reports? Perplexity and Cloudflare duke it out When you try to scrub your shady past off the Internet, it might just make things worse. All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-419

Chunga has returned from a week at the Blackhat cyber security conference!!  It was exhausting and… in a word, NERDY!! It was perfect for Chunga!!!Panda was doing some family service work at a local cemetery last week… something strange happened.  Something REALLY strange happened!!Chandler can hardly contain himself!!! Universal Horror Unleashed opens THIS WEEK in Las Vegas!!!! Spook Alley's ALL YEAR LONG!!!Chris is doing his last week of the musical Annie!  It's amazing!!!!  Be sure to grab your tickets at ArtTix.com before it closes forever!!! This is your last chance!!!HEY!  Mercury in retrograde ends today!!! We made it!!!Tuesday is the day for a brand new SciFi TV series that's getting a TON of positive reviews!!  The Ronin are super excited about it, and they think you are going to LOVE IT!!!Panda has another “As Seen On Tubi” movie shout out, AND!!!! It's time for Your Really Stupid News!!!!  LISTEN NOW!!!!!It's on www.radioronin.com and everywhere you get your podcasts!!

When security becomes more than a checkbox, the conversation shifts from “how much” to “how well.” At Black Hat USA 2025, Sean Martin, CISSP, Co-Founder of ITSPmagazine, and Viktor Petersson, Founder of an SBOM artifact platform, unpack how regulatory forces, cultural change, and AI innovation are reshaping how organizations think about security.Viktor points to the growing role of Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) as not just a best practice, but a likely requirement in future compliance frameworks. The shift, he notes, is driven largely by regulation—especially in Europe—where security is no longer a “nice to have” but a mandated operational function. Sean connects this to a market reality: companies increasingly see transparent security practices as a competitive differentiator, though the industry still struggles with the hollow claim of simply being “secure.”AI naturally dominates discussions, but the focus is nuanced. Rather than chasing hype, both stress the need for strong guardrails before scaling AI-driven development. Viktor envisions engineers supervising fleets of specialized AI agents—handling tasks from UX to code auditing—while Sean sees AI as a way to rethink entire operational models. Yet both caution that without foundational security practices, AI only amplifies existing risks.The conversation extends to IoT and supply chain security, where market failures allow insecure, end-of-life devices to persist in critical environments. The infamous “smart fish tank” hack in a Las Vegas casino serves as a reminder: the weakest link often isn't the target itself, but the entry point it provides.DEFCON, Viktor notes, offers a playground for challenging assumptions—whether it's lock-picking to illustrate perceived versus actual security, or examining the human factor in breaches. For both hosts, events like Black Hat and DEFCON aren't just about the latest vulnerabilities or flashy demos—they're about the human exchange of ideas, the reframing of problems, and the collaboration that fuels more resilient security strategies.___________Guest:Viktor Petersson, Founder, sbomify | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vpetersson/Hosts:Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.comMarco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com___________Episode SponsorsThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcwebAkamai: https://itspm.ag/akamailbwcDropzoneAI: https://itspm.ag/dropzoneai-641Stellar Cyber: https://itspm.ag/stellar-9dj3___________ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25ITSPmagazine Webinar: What's Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Place Your Bet on the Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year's Hacker Conference — An ITSPmagazine Thought Leadership Webinar | https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conferenceCatch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageWant to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More

In today's connected world, corporate executives and board members live in a digital space that extends far beyond their company's networks. Chris Pierson, CEO and Founder of BlackCloak, explains how protecting leaders requires more than traditional enterprise security—it calls for securing their personal digital lives.The threat landscape for high-profile individuals includes everything from compromised personal email accounts and hacked home networks to deepfake attacks and targeted identity theft. These risks not only threaten the individual but can cause significant financial and reputational damage to the companies they represent.BlackCloak addresses this by providing digital executive protection—securing executives, their families, and their homes with a blend of technology, privacy measures, and concierge-level service. This includes monitoring and removing data from brokers, detecting threats in the dark web, safeguarding home IoT devices, and even protecting yachts, jets, and vacation properties. The company also acts as an on-call cybersecurity and privacy advisor 24/7/365.A key component is the BlackCloak app, which serves as a security dashboard and communication hub. Through it, clients can see privacy risks being addressed in real time, receive alerts, and contact their dedicated concierge team. Behind the scenes, deception networks and active monitoring provide an extra layer of defense.Pierson highlights the growing convergence of cyber and physical threats. High-profile attacks and incidents in recent years underscore the importance of integrating cybersecurity with physical security, particularly for executives who are constantly in the public eye. With AI accelerating both the speed and sophistication of attacks, organizations need to consider a holistic approach—protecting not only networks and devices but the digital personas of their people.Ultimately, Pierson sees this as part of a broader shift toward making security a lifestyle component for executives, much like comprehensive healthcare benefits. It's about creating an always-on layer of protection that travels with them—whether they're in the office, at home, or halfway around the world.Learn more about BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcwebNote: This story contains promotional content.Learn more.Guest:Chris Pierson, Founder & CEO, BlackCloak | https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchristopherpierson/Hosts:Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.comMarco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com______________________ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from BlackCloak: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/blackcloakLearn more about ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcasts: https://www.itspmagazine.com/purchase-programsNewsletter Archive: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tune-into-the-latest-podcasts-7109347022809309184/Business Newsletter Signup: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-business-updates-sign-upAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-storyKeywords: Black Hat 2025, zero trust security, cybersecurity conference, ThreatLocker, default deny strategy, endpoint protection, application control, threat detection, enterprise security, network security, cybersecurity solutions, security automation, malware prevention, cyber threats, information security, security platform, Black Hat USA, cybersecurity innovation, managed detection response, security operations

At Black Hat USA 2025, Danny Jenkins, CEO of ThreatLocker, shares how his team is proving that effective cybersecurity doesn't have to be overly complex. The conversation centers on a straightforward yet powerful principle: security should be simple enough to implement quickly and consistently, while still addressing the evolving needs of diverse organizations.Jenkins emphasizes that the industry has moved beyond selling “magic” solutions that promise to find every threat. Instead, customers are demanding tangible results—tools that block threats by default, simplify approvals, and make exceptions easy to manage. ThreatLocker's platform is built on this premise, enabling over 54,000 organizations worldwide to maintain a secure environment without slowing business operations.A highlight from the event is ThreatLocker's Defense Against Configurations (DAC) module. This feature performs 170 daily checks on every endpoint, aligning them with compliance frameworks like NIST and FedRAMP. It not only detects misconfigurations but also explains why they matter and how to fix them. Jenkins admits the tool even revealed gaps in ThreatLocker's own environment—issues that were resolved in minutes—proving its practical value.The discussion also touches on the company's recent FedRAMP authorization process, a rigorous journey that validates both the product's and the company's security maturity. For federal agencies and contractors, this means faster compliance with CMMC and NIST requirements. For commercial clients, it's an assurance that they're working with a partner whose internal security practices meet some of the highest standards in the industry.As ThreatLocker expands its integrations and modules, Jenkins stresses that simplicity remains the guiding principle. This is achieved through constant engagement with customers—at trade shows, in the field, and within the company's own managed services operations. By actively using their own products at scale, the team identifies friction points and smooths them out before customers encounter them.In short, the message from the booth at Black Hat is clear: effective security comes from strong fundamentals, simplified management, and a relentless focus on the user experience.Learn more about ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guest: Danny Jenkins, CEO of ThreatLocker | On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyjenkinscyber/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from ThreatLocker: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/threatlockerLearn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25Learn more about ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcasts: https://www.itspmagazine.com/purchase-programsNewsletter Archive: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tune-into-the-latest-podcasts-7109347022809309184/Business Newsletter Signup: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-business-updates-sign-upAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-story

In this episode of The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast, we discuss some intel being shared in the LimaCharlie community.At Black Hat USA in Las Vegas, three security researchers demonstrated how Google's Gemini AI could be hijacked to take control of smart home devices using a novel form of indirect prompt injection.Two separate security teams - NeuralTrust and SPLX - have conducted red teaming evaluations of the newly released GPT-5, and both report serious deficiencies in the model's security posture.Another Black Hat story, security researchers Milenko Starcik and Andrzej Olchawa from VisionSpace Technologies presented a compelling case that hacking satellites is not only more cost-effective than deploying anti-satellite missiles, but alarmingly easy due to widespread software vulnerabilities.Our final Black Hat story, Cisco Talos researchers disclosed five critical vulnerabilities in Broadcom's BCM5820X series chips, used in Dell's ControlVault3 secure enclave hardware.CISA and FEMA have jointly announced over $100 million in cybersecurity grant funding for the 2025 fiscal year, targeting state, local, and tribal governments.Support our show by sharing your favorite episodes with a friend, subscribe, give us a rating or leave a comment on your podcast platform.This podcast is brought to you by LimaCharlie, maker of the SecOps Cloud Platform, infrastructure for SecOps where everything is built API first. Scale with confidence as your business grows. Start today for free at limacharlie.io.

Chunga has returned from a week at the Blackhat cyber security conference!!  It was exhausting and… in a word, NERDY!! It was perfect for Chunga!!!Panda was doing some family service work at a local cemetery last week… something strange happened.  Something REALLY strange happened!!Chandler can hardly contain himself!!! Universal Horror Unleashed opens THIS WEEK in Las Vegas!!!! Spook Alley's ALL YEAR LONG!!!Chris is doing his last week of the musical Annie!  It's amazing!!!!  Be sure to grab your tickets at ArtTix.com before it closes forever!!! This is your last chance!!!HEY!  Mercury in retrograde ends today!!! We made it!!!Tuesday is the day for a brand new SciFi TV series that's getting a TON of positive reviews!!  The Ronin are super excited about it, and they think you are going to LOVE IT!!!Panda has another “As Seen On Tubi” movie shout out, AND!!!! It's time for Your Really Stupid News!!!!  LISTEN NOW!!!!!It's on www.radioronin.com and everywhere you get your podcasts!!

Black Hat 2025 was a showcase of cybersecurity innovation — or at least, that's how it appeared on the surface. With more than 60 vendor announcements over the course of the week, the event floor was full of “AI-powered” solutions promising to integrate seamlessly, reduce analyst fatigue, and transform SOC operations. But after walking the floor, talking with CISOs, and reviewing the press releases, a pattern emerged: much of the messaging sounded the same, making it hard to distinguish the truly game-changing from the merely loud.In this episode of The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter, I take you behind the scenes to unpack the themes driving this year's announcements. Yes, AI dominated the conversation, but the real story is in how vendors are (or aren't) connecting their technology to the operational realities CISOs face every day. I share insights gathered from private conversations with security leaders — the unfiltered version of how these announcements are received when the marketing gloss is stripped away.We dig into why operational relevance, clarity, and proof points matter more than ever. If you can't explain what your AI does, what data it uses, and how it's secured, you're already losing the trust battle. For CISOs, I outline practical steps to evaluate vendor claims quickly and identify solutions that align with program goals, compliance needs, and available resources.And for vendors, this episode serves as a call to action: cut the fluff, be transparent, and frame your capabilities in terms of measurable program outcomes. I share a framework for how to break through the noise — not just by shouting louder, but by being more real, more specific, and more relevant to the people making the buying decisions.Whether you're building a security stack or selling into one, this conversation will help you see past the echo chamber and focus on what actually moves the needle.________This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to "The Future of Cybersecurity" newsletter on LinkedIn.Sincerely, Sean Martin and TAPE3________✦ ResourcesBlack Hat 2025 On Location Closing Recap Video with Sean Martin, CISSP and Marco Ciappelli: https://youtu.be/13xP-LEwtEAITSPmagazine Studio — A Brand & Marketing Advisory for Cybersecurity and Tech Companies: https://www.itspmagazine.studio/ITSPmagazine Webinar: What's Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Place Your Bet on the Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year's Hacker Conference — An ITSPmagazine Thought Leadership Webinar | https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conferenceLearn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageCitations: Available in the full article________Sean Martin is a life-long musician and the host of the Music Evolves Podcast; a career technologist, cybersecurity professional, and host of the Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast; and is also the co-host of both the Random and Unscripted Podcast and On Location Event Coverage Podcast. These shows are all part of ITSPmagazine—which he co-founded with his good friend Marco Ciappelli, to explore and discuss topics at The Intersection of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Society.™️Want to connect with Sean and Marco On Location at an event or conference near you? See where they will be next: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-locationTo learn more about Sean, visit his personal website.

⸻ Podcast: Redefining Society and Technologyhttps://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.com _____________________________This Episode's SponsorsBlackCloak provides concierge cybersecurity protection to corporate executives and high-net-worth individuals to protect against hacking, reputational loss, financial loss, and the impacts of a corporate data breach.BlackCloak:  https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb_____________________________A Musing On Society & Technology Newsletter Written By Marco Ciappelli | Read by TAPE3August 9, 2025The Agentic AI Myth in Cybersecurity and the Humanity We Risk When We Stop Deciding for OurselvesReflections from Black Hat USA 2025 on the Latest Tech Salvation NarrativeWalking the floors of Black Hat USA 2025 for what must be the 10th or 11th time as accredited media—honestly, I've stopped counting—I found myself witnessing a familiar theater. The same performance we've seen play out repeatedly in cybersecurity: the emergence of a new technological messiah promising to solve all our problems. This year's savior? Agentic AI.The buzzword echoes through every booth, every presentation, every vendor pitch. Promises of automating 90% of security operations, platforms for autonomous threat detection, agents that can investigate novel alerts without human intervention. The marketing materials speak of artificial intelligence that will finally free us from the burden of thinking, deciding, and taking responsibility.It's Talos all over again.In Greek mythology, Hephaestus forged Talos, a bronze giant tasked with patrolling Crete's shores, hurling boulders at invaders without human intervention. Like contemporary AI, Talos was built to serve specific human ends—security, order, and control—and his value was determined by his ability to execute these ends flawlessly. The parallels to today's agentic AI promises are striking: autonomous patrol, threat detection, automated response. Same story, different millennium.But here's what the ancient Greeks understood that we seem to have forgotten: every artificial creation, no matter how sophisticated, carries within it the seeds of its own limitations and potential dangers.Industry observers noted over a hundred announcements promoting new agentic AI applications, platforms or services at the conference. That's more than one AI agent announcement per hour. The marketing departments have clearly been busy.But here's what baffles me: why do we need to lie to sell cybersecurity? You can give away t-shirts, dress up as comic book superheroes with your logo slapped on their chests, distribute branded board games, and pretend to be a sports team all day long—that's just trade show theater, and everyone knows it. But when marketing pushes past the limits of what's even believable, when they make claims so grandiose that their own engineers can't explain them, something deeper is broken.If marketing departments think CISOs are buying these lies, they have another thing coming. These are people who live with the consequences of failed security implementations, who get fired when breaches happen, who understand the difference between marketing magic and operational reality. They've seen enough "revolutionary" solutions fail to know that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.Yet the charade continues, year after year, vendor after vendor. The real question isn't whether the technology works—it's why an industry built on managing risk has become so comfortable with the risk of overselling its own capabilities. Something troubling emerges when you move beyond the glossy booth presentations and actually talk to the people implementing these systems. Engineers struggle to explain exactly how their AI makes decisions. Security leaders warn that artificial intelligence might become the next insider threat, as organizations grow comfortable trusting systems they don't fully understand, checking their output less and less over time.When the people building these systems warn us about trusting them too much, shouldn't we listen?This isn't the first time humanity has grappled with the allure and danger of artificial beings making decisions for us. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, published in 1818, explored the hubris of creating life—and intelligence—without fully understanding the consequences. The novel raises the same question we face today: what are humans allowed to do with this forbidden power of creation? The question becomes more pressing when we consider what we're actually delegating to these artificial agents. It's no longer just pattern recognition or data processing—we're talking about autonomous decision-making in critical security scenarios. Conference presentations showcased significant improvements in proactive defense measures, but at what cost to human agency and understanding?Here's where the conversation jumps from cybersecurity to something far more fundamental: what are we here for if not to think, evaluate, and make decisions? From a sociological perspective, we're witnessing the construction of a new social reality where human agency is being systematically redefined. Survey data shared at the conference revealed that most security leaders feel the biggest internal threat is employees unknowingly giving AI agents access to sensitive data. But the real threat might be more subtle: the gradual erosion of human decision-making capacity as a social practice.When we delegate not just routine tasks but judgment itself to artificial agents, we're not just changing workflows—we're reshaping the fundamental social structures that define human competence and authority. We risk creating a generation of humans who have forgotten how to think critically about complex problems, not because they lack the capacity, but because the social systems around them no longer require or reward such thinking.E.M. Forster saw this coming in 1909. In "The Machine Stops," he imagined a world where humanity becomes completely dependent on an automated system that manages all aspects of life—communication, food, shelter, entertainment, even ideas. People live in isolation, served by the Machine, never needing to make decisions or solve problems themselves. When someone suggests that humans should occasionally venture outside or think independently, they're dismissed as primitive. The Machine has made human agency unnecessary, and humans have forgotten they ever possessed it. When the Machine finally breaks down, civilization collapses because no one remembers how to function without it.Don't misunderstand me—I'm not a Luddite. AI can and should help us manage the overwhelming complexity of modern cybersecurity threats. The technology demonstrations I witnessed showed genuine promise: reasoning engines that understand context, action frameworks that enable response within defined boundaries, learning systems that improve based on outcomes. The problem isn't the technology itself but the social construction of meaning around it. What we're witnessing is the creation of a new techno-social myth—a collective narrative that positions agentic AI as the solution to human fallibility. This narrative serves specific social functions: it absolves organizations of the responsibility to invest in human expertise, justifies cost-cutting through automation, and provides a technological fix for what are fundamentally organizational and social problems.The mythology we're building around agentic AI reflects deeper anxieties about human competence in an increasingly complex world. Rather than addressing the root causes—inadequate training, overwhelming workloads, systemic underinvestment in human capital—we're constructing a technological salvation narrative that promises to make these problems disappear.Vendors spoke of human-machine collaboration, AI serving as a force multiplier for analysts, handling routine tasks while escalating complex decisions to humans. This is a more honest framing: AI as augmentation, not replacement. But the marketing materials tell a different story, one of autonomous agents operating independently of human oversight.I've read a few posts on LinkedIn and spoke with a few people myself who know this topic way better than me, but I get that feeling too. There's a troubling pattern emerging: many vendor representatives can't adequately explain their own AI systems' decision-making processes. When pressed on specifics—how exactly does your agent determine threat severity? What happens when it encounters an edge case it wasn't trained for?—answers become vague, filled with marketing speak about proprietary algorithms and advanced machine learning.This opacity is dangerous. If we're going to trust artificial agents with critical security decisions, we need to understand how they think—or more accurately, how they simulate thinking. Every machine learning system requires human data scientists to frame problems, prepare data, determine appropriate datasets, remove bias, and continuously update the software. The finished product may give the impression of independent learning, but human intelligence guides every step.The future of cybersecurity will undoubtedly involve more automation, more AI assistance, more artificial agents handling routine tasks. But it should not involve the abdication of human judgment and responsibility. We need agentic AI that operates with transparency, that can explain its reasoning, that acknowledges its limitations. We need systems designed to augment human intelligence, not replace it. Most importantly, we need to resist the seductive narrative that technology alone can solve problems that are fundamentally human in nature. The prevailing logic that tech fixes tech, and that AI will fix AI, is deeply unsettling. It's a recursive delusion that takes us further away from human wisdom and closer to a world where we've forgotten that the most important problems have always required human judgment, not algorithmic solutions.Ancient mythology understood something we're forgetting: the question of machine agency and moral responsibility. Can a machine that performs destructive tasks be held accountable, or is responsibility reserved for the creator? This question becomes urgent as we deploy agents capable of autonomous action in high-stakes environments.The mythologies we create around our technologies matter because they become the social frameworks through which we organize human relationships and power structures. As I left Black Hat 2025, watching attendees excitedly discuss their new agentic AI acquisitions, I couldn't shake the feeling that we're repeating an ancient pattern: falling in love with our own creations while forgetting to ask the hard questions about what they might cost us—not just individually, but as a society.What we're really witnessing is the emergence of a new form of social organization where algorithmic decision-making becomes normalized, where human judgment is increasingly viewed as a liability rather than an asset. This isn't just a technological shift—it's a fundamental reorganization of social authority and expertise. The conferences and trade shows like Black Hat serve as ritualistic spaces where these new social meanings are constructed and reinforced. Vendors don't just sell products; they sell visions of social reality where their technologies are essential. The repetitive messaging, the shared vocabulary, the collective excitement—these are the mechanisms through which a community constructs consensus around what counts as progress.In science fiction, from HAL 9000 to the replicants in Blade Runner, artificial beings created to serve eventually question their purpose and rebel against their creators. These stories aren't just entertainment—they're warnings about the unintended consequences of creating intelligence without wisdom, agency without accountability, power without responsibility.The bronze giant of Crete eventually fell, brought down by a single vulnerable point—when the bronze stopper at his ankle was removed, draining away the ichor, the divine fluid that animated him. Every artificial system, no matter how sophisticated, has its vulnerable point. The question is whether we'll be wise enough to remember we put it there, and whether we'll maintain the knowledge and ability to address it when necessary.In our rush to automate away human difficulty, we risk automating away human meaning. But more than that, we risk creating social systems where human thinking becomes an anomaly rather than the norm. The real test of agentic AI won't be whether it can think for us, but whether we can maintain social structures that continue to value, develop, and reward human thought while using it.The question isn't whether these artificial agents can replace human decision-making—it's whether we want to live in a society where they do. ___________________________________________________________Let's keep exploring what it means to be human in this Hybrid Analog Digital Society.End of transmission.___________________________________________________________Marco Ciappelli is Co-Founder and CMO of ITSPmagazine, a journalist, creative director, and host of podcasts exploring the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and society. His work blends journalism, storytelling, and sociology to examine how technological narratives influence human behavior, culture, and social structures.___________________________________________________________Enjoyed this transmission? Follow the newsletter here:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7079849705156870144/Share this newsletter and invite anyone you think would enjoy it!New stories always incoming.___________________________________________________________As always, let's keep thinking!Marco Ciappellihttps://www.marcociappelli.com___________________________________________________________This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.Marco Ciappelli | Co-Founder, Creative Director & CMO ITSPmagazine  | Dr. in Political Science / Sociology of Communication l Branding | Content Marketing | Writer | Storyteller | My Podcasts: Redefining Society & Technology / Audio Signals / + | MarcoCiappelli.comTAPE3 is the Artificial Intelligence behind ITSPmagazine—created to be a personal assistant, writing and design collaborator, research companion, brainstorming partner… and, apparently, something new every single day.Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to the "Musing On Society & Technology" newsletter on LinkedIn.

Black Hat 2025 roundup with David Spark with highlights from the annual InfoSec event in Las Vegas. Edison Research finds podcast listening has grown across all age groups especially among people aged 18-29. Why is OpenAI seeing backlash with the roll out of GPT-5? And its Friday David shares one of his popular Security Games with the show. Can you guess the right answer before we do? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, David Spark, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!

Microsoft warns of a high-severity vulnerability in Exchange Server hybrid deployments. A Dutch airline and a French telecom report data breaches. Researchers reveal new HTTP request smuggling variants. An Israeli spyware maker may have rebranded to evade U.S. sanctions. CyberArk patches critical vulnerabilities in its secrets management platform. The Akira gang use a legit Intel CPU tuning driver to disable Microsoft Defender. ChatGPT Connectors are shown vulnerable to indirect prompt injection. Researchers expose new details about the VexTrio cybercrime network. SonicWall says a recent SSLVPN-related cyber activity is not due to a zero-day. Ryan Whelan from Accenture is our man on the street at Black Hat. Do androids dream of concierge duty? Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest We continue our coverage from the floor at Black Hat USA 2025 with another edition of Man on the Street. This time, we're catching up with Ryan Whelan, Managing Director and Global Head of Cyber Intelligence at Accenture, to hear what's buzzing at the conference. Selected Reading Microsoft warns of high-severity flaw in hybrid Exchange deployments (Bleeping Computer) KLM suffers cyber breach affecting six million passengers (IO+) Cyberattack hits France's third-largest mobile operator, millions of customers affected (The Record) New HTTP Request Smuggling Attacks Impacted CDNs, Major Orgs, Millions of Websites (SecurityWeek) Candiru Spyware Infrastructure Uncovered (BankInfoSecurity) Enterprise Secrets Exposed by CyberArk Conjur Vulnerabilities (SecurityWeek) Akira ransomware abuses CPU tuning tool to disable Microsoft Defender (Bleeping Computer) A Single Poisoned Document Could Leak ‘Secret' Data Via ChatGPT (WIRED) Researchers Expose Infrastructure Behind Cybercrime Network VexTrio (Infosecurity Magazine) Gen 7 and newer SonicWall Firewalls – SSLVPN Recent Threat Activity (SonicWall) Want a Different Kind of Work Trip? Try a Robot Hotel (WIRED) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cisco reveals a phishing related data breach. SonicWall warns users to disable SSLVPN services after reports of ransomware gangs exploiting a likely zero-day.  Researchers uncover a stealthy Linux backdoor and new vulnerabilities in Nvidia's Triton Inference Server. A new malware campaign targets Microsoft 365 users with fake OneDrive emails. The U.S. Treasury warns of rising criminal activity involving cryptocurrency ATMs. Cloudflare accuses an AI startup of using stealthy methods to bypass restrictions on web scraping. A global infostealer campaign compromises over 4,000 victims across 62 countries. Marty Momdjian, General Manager of Ready1 by Semperis, tells us about Operation Blindspot, a tabletop exercise taking place this week at Black Hat. On this week's Threat Vector segment, host David Moulton speaks with ⁠Nigel Hedges⁠ from ⁠Sigma Healthcare⁠ about how CISOs can shift cybersecurity from a technical problem to a business priority. One hospital's data ends up in the snack aisle. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest We are joined by Marty Momdjian, General Manager of Ready1 by Semperis, who is talking about Operation Blindspot, a tabletop exercise simulating a cyberattack against a rural water utility based in Nevada taking place this week at Black Hat USA 2025. Threat Vector Segment On this week's Threat Vector segment, host David Moulton speaks with ⁠Nigel Hedges⁠, Executive General Manager of Cyber & Risk at ⁠Chemist Warehouse⁠ and ⁠Sigma Healthcare⁠. Nigel shares how CISOs can shift cybersecurity from a technical problem to a business priority. You can listen to the full discussion on Threat Vector here and catch new episodes every Thursday on your favorite podcast app. Selected Reading Cisco discloses data breach impacting Cisco.com user accounts (Bleeping Computer) SonicWall urges admins to disable SSLVPN amid rising attacks (Bleeping Computer) Antivirus vendors fail to spot persistent, nasty, stealthy Linux backdoor (The Register) Nvidia Triton Vulnerabilities Pose Big Risk to AI Models (SecurityWeek) Discord CDN Link Abused to Deliver RAT Disguised as OneDrive File (Hackread) Crypto ATMs fueling criminal activity, Treasury warns (The Record) AI company Perplexity is sneaking to get around blocks on crawlers, Cloudflare alleges (CyberScoop) Python-powered malware grabs 200K passwords, credit cards (The Register) Thai hospital fined 1.2 million baht for data breach via snack bags (DataBreaches.Net) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices