#510: 20–30% Of Attacks Use AI: John Hammond details today’s hybrid attacks

Sep 11, 2025

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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. In this 2025 deep-dive, David Bombal sits down with John Hammond to map the real state of hacking: classic ransomware/infostealers meet AI-assisted malware (including code that leverages LLMs). We unpack the ClickFix and FileFix social-engineering patterns, fake CAPTCHA and “save/upload” flows that trick users into running payloads, and the practical Windows mitigations (policy/registry ideas) you should know. John shares why he estimates 20–30% of attacks now have some AI touch, how social engineering scales, and where defenders can push back. For your career, he argues opportunities are expanding: use CTFs, show your work on GitHub/video, and consider OSCP for signaling. He also introduces Just Hacking Training (JHT), handson hack-alongs, archived CTFs, free upskill challenges, and pay-what-you-want courses with industry all-stars. What you’ll learn: • How ClickFix/FileFix actually trick users • Realistic mitigation tactics you can apply • The current role of AI in malware • Career roadmap: CTFs → OSCP → portfolio • Where to get hands-on: JHT resources // John Hammond’s SOCIALS // YouTube: / @_johnhammond X: https://x.com/_johnhammond LinkedIn: / johnhammond010 Discord: / discord Instagram: / _johnhammond TikTok: / johnhammond010 GitHub: https://github.com/JohnHammond Humble Bundle: https://www.humblebundle.com/?partner... Just Hacking Training: https://www.justhacking.com/ ClickFix Website: https://clickfix-wiki.github.io/ // YouTube video REFERENCE // Linux got hacked with this AI Image: • Linux got Hacked with this AI image! Hackers trick everyone to run malware (FileFix): • hackers trick everyone to run malware (Fil... OSINT Tools to track you down: • OSINT tools to track you down. You cannot ... // 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 0:58 - Intro & Current State of Hacking 03:42 - Brilliant Advert 05:14 - The Wave of AI Attacks 07:43 - Click(Fix) Hack 10:10 - FileFix: The Future Hacks 11:14 - Current Affairs & Social Engineering 15:17 - Raising Awareness 19:18 - Security Research 20:51 - Is There a Future for Younger People in This Industry? 22:54 - What Should I Do to Get There? 24:11 - Recommended Certifications 26:34 - Where Do I Start? 28:26 - About John Hammond’s Work 31:12 - 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.