

Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks and N2K Networks
Threat Vector is the hit podcast from Palo Alto Networks, with over 1 million downloads and growing. Get inside the minds of top cybersecurity leaders as they break down real threats, smart defenses, and what's coming next.Each episode features insights from industry experts, customers, and Palo Alto Networks teams. It is built for security pros who want to stay ahead.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 29, 2026 • 39min
Is Your AI Well-Engineered Enough to Be Trusted?
Can you trust your AI systems with your business, or are they just another attack surface waiting to be exploited?
Aaron Isaksen leads AI Research and Engineering at Palo Alto Networks, where he advances state-of-the-art AI in cybersecurity. In this episode of Threat Vector, host David Moulton sits down with Dr. Aaron Isaksen to explore why engineering excellence must precede ethical AI debates, how adversarial AI is reshaping cybersecurity, and what it actually takes to build AI systems resilient enough to operate in hostile environments.
You'll learn:
Why well-engineered AI must be the prerequisite before discussing AI ethics
How prompt injection attacks are becoming the "SQL injection of the AI era," and why they may never be fully solved
What defending the Black Hat USA NOC with AI-powered security taught about real-world AI resilience
How machine learning transforms attack surface management from manual inventory chaos to automated risk reduction
Why game development experience creates better cybersecurity AI researchers (and what curiosity has to do with it)
Before Palo Alto Networks, Aaron spent 15+ years building products across wildly different domains. From co-founding mobile gaming companies and funding independent game developers through Indie Fund, to leading ML engineering at ASAPP where his teams prototyped state-of-the-art neural networks for NLP. With a PhD from NYU (automated software design), a Master's from MIT (light field rendering), and a BS from UC Berkeley, Aaron brings a unique perspective: AI security isn't about philosophical debates. It's about rigorous engineering, continuous red teaming, and building systems that can withstand determined adversaries.
This episode is essential listening if you're: deploying AI in production systems, building security programs around generative AI tools, leading attack surface management initiatives, trying to separate AI security theater from actual resilience, or wondering whether your AI agents can operate safely on the open web. #AI
Related Episodes:
Identity: The Kill Switch for AI Agents
Securing AI in the Enterprise
Inside AI Runtime Defense
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.

Jan 22, 2026 • 38min
The Kill Switch for AI Agents
Can AI agents be trusted when 80% of today's breaches start with compromised identities?
Carey Frey, Chief Security Officer at TELUS, joins Threat Vector host David Moulton to tackle the most overlooked security challenge in the AI revolution: identity. With 20+ years protecting everything from Canada's Communication Security Establishment to one of North America's largest telecommunications companies, Carey brings hard-won wisdom about why identity isn't just important—it's the foundation that determines whether agentic AI becomes a force multiplier or an attack surface disaster.
You'll learn:
Why 95% of organizations haven't thought about AI agent identity (and what happens when they deploy anyway)
The single data layer CISOs need to build before AI agents can operate safely at scale
How threat actors have already abandoned malware for something far simpler—and why AI makes it exponentially worse
What "delegated authority" means for AI agents and why Gmail's EA permissions model points the way forward
The maturity model that tells you if your identity foundation will crumble under agentic AI
Carey leads security programs protecting TELUS's global assets while delivering managed cybersecurity services to 450+ customers across Canada. As a member of the Security Innovation Network (SINet), he co-authored practitioner guidance defining what "AI-native identity fabric" actually means—and why solving identity before deploying agents isn't optional. His insights bridge 20 years of government intelligence work with real-world enterprise security at telecommunications scale.
Read Carey's work on identity and AI:
The AI Revolution: Identity Will Unleash Its Full Power
SINet Identity Working Group Strategic Guide
This episode is essential listening if you're: evaluating AI agent platforms, struggling with fragmented IAM systems across cloud and on-prem, implementing Zero Trust for non-human identities, or trying to understand why identity suddenly became the CISO's #1 priority after being the "third rail" for decades.
Related Episodes:
Transform Your SOC And Get Ahead Of The Threats
Securing AI in the Enterprise
How to Scale Responsible AI in the Enterprise
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.

Jan 15, 2026 • 40min
Securing AI Without Slowing Business
What does it take to lead the world's largest cybersecurity company through the AI revolution—without breaking things?
Nikesh Arora, Chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks, doesn't sugarcoat it: security always becomes an afterthought during innovation cycles. In this special 100th episode of Threat Vector, Nikesh sits down with host David Moulton to share how he transformed Palo Alto Networks from a $2.7B firewall company into the world's largest cybersecurity platform—and why the AI inflection point requires a completely different playbook.
You'll learn:
Why security inevitably lags innovation (and the psychology behind "Jerry-rigging production")
The three-part strategic framework that separates winners from losers during inflection points
How "deep laziness" drives first-principles thinking and better decision-making
Why enterprises will need 3-5x more data consumption to properly train AI
How Palo Alto Networks reduced mean time to detect from 4 days to 1 minute through architectural reinvention
What 11 pages of written business principles look like in practice
Before Palo Alto Networks, Nikesh served as President and COO at SoftBank and spent nearly a decade at Google as Chief Business Officer. He's seen consumer tech explosions, enterprise transformations, and now leads cybersecurity's response to AI—giving him a rare vantage point on how companies actually navigate technological shifts.
The conversation ranges from rapid-fire questions about cricket and family time to deep strategic thinking about looking around corners, normalizing pressure, and the radical bets required to transform a company. Nikesh shares how intent matters more than perfection, why automation will eventually require AI to execute on our behalf, and what he wants his legacy to be.
This episode is essential listening if you're: navigating AI adoption without clear playbooks, leading teams through uncertainty, trying to balance innovation velocity with security discipline, or building long-term strategy when the ground keeps shifting beneath you.
Related Episodes:
Why Security Platformization Is the Future of Cyber Resilience
Securing the AI Frontier
Transform Your SOC and Get Ahead of the Threats
#Leadership #AI
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.

Jan 8, 2026 • 36min
Securing the AI Supply Chain
AI security is no longer optional, it’s urgent. In this episode of Threat Vector, David Moulton sits down with Ian Swanson, former CEO of Protect AI and now the AI Security Leader at Palo Alto Networks. Ian shares how securing the AI supply chain has become the next frontier in cybersecurity and why every enterprise building or integrating AI needs to treat it like any other software pipeline—rife with dependencies, blind spots, and adversaries ready to exploit them. They also explore "vibe coding" the practice of developers relying on instinct and intuition rather than rigorous review when coding with or around LLMs. It's a fun name for a very real risk. Whether you're a CISO, a developer, or anyone helping shape AI in your organization, this conversation is your guide to locking down AI before it locks you out.
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.

Jan 1, 2026 • 23min
Encore: Confronting China’s Expanding Cyber Threats
While our team is out on winter break, please enjoy this encore episode of Threat Vector .
In this episode of Threat Vector, host David Moulton talks with Wendi Whitmore, Chief Security Intelligence Officer at Palo Alto Networks, about the increasing scale of China-linked cyber threats and the vulnerabilities in outdated OT environments.
Wendi shares critical insights on how nation-state threats have evolved, why AI must be part of modern defense strategies, and the importance of real-time intelligence sharing. They also dive into scenario planning as a key to resilience. If you want to know how cybersecurity leaders are preparing for the next wave of threats, this episode is a must-listen.
From the show:
ASEAN Entities in the Spotlight: Chinese APT Group Targeting
Preparing for a Secure Paris 2024
Unit 42 Predicts the Year of Disruption and Other Top Threats in 2025
FBI talks about how China is testing AI in cyberattacks
Hear more from Wendi Whitmore on Threat Vector:
Episode 5: From Nation States to Cybercriminals
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com

Dec 25, 2025 • 38min
Encore: What Happened to Hacker Culture?
While our team is out on winter break, please enjoy this encore episode of Threat Vector .
Join David Moulton, Senior Director of Thought Leadership for Unit 42, as he sits down with Kyle Wilhoit,Technical Director of Threat Research at Unit 42, for an intimate conversation about the evolution of hacker culture and cybersecurity. From picking up 2600: The Hacker Quarterly magazines at Barnes & Noble and building beige boxes to leading threat research at Palo Alto Networks, Kyle shares his personal journey into the security community. This conversation explores how AI and automation are lowering barriers for attackers, the professionalization of cybersecurity, and what's been lost and gained in the industry's maturation. Kyle offers practical advice for newcomers who don't fit the traditional mold, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, soft skills, and intellectual humility.
Kyle Wilhoit is a seasoned cybersecurity researcher, with more than 15 years of experience studying cybercrime and nation-state threats. He's a frequent speaker at global conferences like Black Hat, FIRST, and SecTor, and has authored two industry-respected books: Hacking Exposed Industrial Control Systems and Operationalizing Threat Intelligence.
As a long-standing member of the Black Hat US Review Board and an adjunct instructor, Kyle is deeply involved in shaping both cutting-edge research and the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn
Previous appearances on Threat Vector:
Inside DeepSeek’s Security Flaws (Mar 31, 2025) https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/podcasts/threat-vector-inside-deepseeks-security-flaws
War Room Best Practices (Nov 07, 2024)https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/podcasts/threat-vector-war-room-best-practices
Cybersecurity in the AI Era: Insights from Unit 42's Kyle Wilhoit, Director of Threat Research (Jan 11, 2024)https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/podcasts/threat-vector-cybersecurity-in-the-ai-era-insights-from-unit-42s-kyle-wilhoit-director-of-threat-research
Learn more about Unit 42's threat research at https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/.
Related episodes: For more conversations about AI's impact on cybersecurity, career development in security, and insights from Unit 42 researchers, explore past episodes at https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/podcasts/threat-vector.
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: http://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/palo-alto-networks/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector, Palo Alto Networks podcast, is your premier destination for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com

Dec 18, 2025 • 36min
Lessons from the Underground
In this episode of Threat Vector, David Moulton is joined by Keith Mularski, Chief Global Ambassador at Qintel and former FBI cybercrime investigator, to explore how threat intel forged in the underground is reshaping today’s SOC. Keith shares lessons from his legendary career—undercover operations, dismantling DarkMarket, and leading some of the FBI’s most successful cybercrime takedowns. Together, they dig into how security operations centers can evolve by adopting the mindset of the adversary. You’ll hear why today’s SOC needs to prioritize threat context over alert volume, how collaboration across sectors drives real transformation, and why the next leap in SOC maturity won’t be technical—it’ll be strategic.
You can also find Keith as one of the hosts of N2K CyberWire's Only Malware in the Building podcast that publishes the first Tuesday of each month. Check it out.
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.

Dec 11, 2025 • 29min
The Adversarial Hacker Mindset
In this episode of Threat Vector, host Michael Heller, Managing Editor for Cortex and Unit 42 and Executive Producer of the podcast, sits down with long-time security leaders Greg Conti and Tom Cross to unpack the hacker mindset and the idea of “dark capabilities” inside modern technology companies. Greg, Principal at Kopidion Cybersecurity and a former Army Cyber Institute founder, and Tom, Head of Threat Research at GetReal and Senior Associate at Kopidion, explain why the real risk is not just what a product is supposed to do, but everything it is technically capable of doing in the hands of insiders, governments, or determined adversaries. Drawing on their DEF CON trainings in adversarial thinking and recent talks on effects based operations for tech companies, they explore how security leaders can systematically map their organization’s hidden capabilities, stress test them with an “if we decided to be evil” lens, and then build the technical and institutional guardrails that keep both people and platforms aligned with ethical and strategic goals. This conversation is especially important for decision makers tasked with securing the workforce in an era of AI, pervasive sensors, and increasingly blurred lines between defense and offense.
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.

Dec 4, 2025 • 36min
Securing the Modern Workforce - Lessons from Medallia’s CISO
In this episode of Threat Vector, host David Moulton, Senior Director of Thought Leadership at Unit 42, speaks with Jiphun Satapathy, SVP and CISO of Medallia. They discuss how security and user experience must coexist in today’s hybrid and AI-driven workplace. Satapathy explains how Medallia secures its global workforce, manages SaaS adoption, and uses enterprise browsers to protect users without adding friction. The conversation explores GenAI risk, shadow AI, endpoint visibility, and how SASE architecture enables smarter, safer workflows. Learn how CISOs can rethink old processes to keep innovation and protection in balance.
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.

Nov 27, 2025 • 47min
Hacker Movies Then vs Now
We dive into a nostalgic yet revealing journey through classic hacker films, from WarGames to The Net and beyond, to assess what they got right, what they wildly imagined, and what those stories say about culture, fears, and cyber reality today. David Moulton, Senior Director of Thought Leadership for Unit 42 talks with Ben Hasskamp, Global Content Leader at Palo Alto Networks, who has been writing deeply on this intersection of media, tech, and risk. Together, we’ll examine how cinematic depictions of hacking have shaped public perception, influenced policy, and sometimes eerily foreshadowed modern cyber threats. Expect a blend of film critique, security insight, and cultural reflection.
Join the conversation on our social media channels:
Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
Threat Research: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/
YouTube: @paloaltonetworks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks
About Threat Vector
Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.
The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.
Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. http://paloaltonetworks.com.


