CyberWire Daily Cyber defenders pulled into deportation duty.
Oct 9, 2025
In this discussion, Sarah Graham, a researcher with the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, dives into the murky waters of the global spyware market. She highlights the intriguing distinction between commercial spyware and state intelligence operations, pointing out the opacity created by resellers and brokers. Sarah also emphasizes the challenges of holding spyware firms accountable due to their evasive tactics. The conversation touches on the rising U.S. investment trends and the pressing need for transparency in this shadowy industry.
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Episode notes
Cyber Staff Reassigned, Mission Impacted
- DHS reassigned CISA cyber specialists to immigration duties, disrupting core cyber defenses and capacity-building work.
- Staff morale fell and critics warned the U.S. is more vulnerable to nation-state cyber threats.
Record DDoS Exposes Gaming Weaknesses
- A coordinated DDoS powered by the AirSuru botnet peaked at 29.69 Tbps and disrupted major gaming platforms.
- The scale and simultaneity exposed growing vulnerabilities in global gaming infrastructure.
Discord Rejects Ransom After Support Breach Claim
- Discord refused to pay a ransom after attackers claimed to steal user data via a third-party Zendesk support system.
- Discord said only ~70,000 government ID photos were exposed and that its internal systems were not breached.
