On this week's episode of The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by Stella Aghakian and Holly Burmaster. They explore the intrigue of watching threat actors and their techniques and walk through these techniques and how they are educational and critical in threat intelligence work. They also discuss their experiences at Microsoft Ignite, insights into the cyber threat actor Octo Tempest, and personal reflections on threat intelligence and favorite threat actors. Both Stella and Holly discuss how they thrive on the uncertainty and variety of their work despite the long hours and high pressure but appreciate the supportive team environment that helps them.  

In this episode you’ll learn:      

• Challenges of incident response when dealing with destructive threat actors 
• Difficulty in managing the emotional aspects of incident response 
• The unpredictability and dynamic nature of incident response work 

Some questions we ask:       

• How is the workflow structured in incident response teams? 
• What traits are crucial for excelling in the high-pressure world of incident response? 
• Do Dart and Mystic teams collaborate in incident responses? 

Resources:  

View Stella Aghakian on LinkedIn  

View Holly Burmaster on LinkedIn  

View Sherrod DeGrippo on LinkedIn  

Octo Tempest Threat Actor profile 

Protecting credentials against social engineering 

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.