Security Intelligence

Do you think you could get scammed by a chatbot? Neither did IBM Chief People Hacker Stephanie Carruthers—until she went toe to toe with one. In this episode of Security Intelligence, we take you inside the John Henry Competition at DEF CON 2024, where Carruthers competed with an AI-powered vishing bot to see who was the better con artist. The results just might surprise you. Along the way, we explore how generative AI is transforming social engineering, why vishing and voice cloning attacks are surging and what it all means for defenders who’ve spent years training people to spot phishing emails—but not phone calls that sound exactly like their boss. All that and more—on Security Intelligence. The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.  Follow the Security Intelligence podcast on your preferred platform: https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence 

AI-generated malware has officially arrived. But does it matter all that much? This week on Security Intelligence, Suja Viswesan, Dave Bales and Dustin Heywood join us to discuss VoidLink, which might just be the first thoroughly documented case of a malware framework generated with significant AI help. The question is: What really changes when malware is no longer the handiwork of human hackers? We also explore the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, where CEOs and CISOs are split on what they fear most: cyber fraud or ransomware? Then we cover the debate over data protection vs. service resilience, and we dig into the takedown of RedVDS, a major player in the cybercrime-as-a-service supply chain. Finally, we reflect on the 40th anniversary of “The Hacker Manifesto,” asking what’s changed—and what hasn’t—in hacker culture. All that and more on Security Intelligence 00:00 -- Introduction01:40 -- CEOs vs. CISOs: 2026 cyberthreats  11:10 -- VoidLink: Documented AI malware  19:28 -- Are we too worried about our data?  27:28 -- Cybercrime supply chains  34:05 -- 40 years of hacking culture  The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.  Explore the podcast → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence Learn more about cybersecurity → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers#tabs-fw-44e285b2cc-item-df35f5fbab-tab  

AI has changed the speed of cyberattacks. But it hasn’t changed the most important variable: people. In this episode of Security Intelligence, panelists Jake Paulson, Stephanie Carruthers and Matt Cerny dig into how AI-driven threats—phishing, deepfakes and disinformation—are reshaping the cyberthreat landscape. Organizations, too, are adopting AI tools to help detect these attacks. But even in the era of AI, people are ultimately our first and last lines of defense. And all too often, we don’t give them what they need to succeed. How do we help human beings adapt to the increased speed, scale and impact of AI threats? The answer, our panel argues, isn’t more checkbox training or prettier slides. It’s realistic, immersive training that builds muscle memory, confidence under stress and decision-making skills for moments when things don’t go according to plan. We talk about: 00:00 -- Introduction 01:48 -- AI phishing, deepfakes and modern social engineering tactics 09:19 -- Why humans are still the primary attack surface—and the strongest defense 17:03 -- The difference between tabletop exercises and cyber range training 22:00 -- How immersive simulations prepare teams for real incident response pressure 42:00 -- Why preparedness matters more than awareness in the age of AI attacks Because when AI accelerates attacks, training determines the outcome. All that and more on Security Intelligence. The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity. #cybersecuritytraining #AIcyberthreats #AIphishing #AIcyberattacksExplore the podcast → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligenceLearn more about the cyber range → https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/cyber-rangeDiscover how AI training can support your business → https://www.ibm.com/services/xforce-cyber-range

Between LockBit, RansomHub and BlackSuit, law enforcement racked up some big wins against ransomware gangs last year. So why aren’t the attacks letting up?   In this episode of Security Intelligence, panelists JR Rao, Jeff Crume and Michelle Alavarez unpack what the state of ransomware in 2025 really looked like, and why things haven’t slowed things down as much as we might hope.    Then, we turn to identity security and cloud breaches as we consider the striking case of Zestix, the lone threat actor linked to breaches at 50 global enterprises. And all he needed were some passwords.    From there, we look at what the future of hacking might hold. Palo Alto’s Wendi Whitmore issued a warning about how AI agents could become devastating insider threats, and security researchers at GEEKCon demonstrated how AI-powered robots can be hijacked using voice commands alone, turning prompt injection into a physical-world security risk.   It’s a niche scenario today. But is it also a preview of what happens when AI, robotics and operational technology collide?  Listen to Security Intelligence to find out.   00:00 -- Introduction 01:05 -- Ransomware in 2026  09:26 -- Zestix linked to 50 hacks  18:42 -- AI agents as insider threats  31:20 -- Hacking humanoid robots  The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.  Subscribe to the IBM Think newsletter → https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=news-urx-52120 Explore the podcast → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence  

Explore the podcast → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligenceSay your cloud storage service gets hacked. Say the attackers broke in by exploiting a vulnerability in an open-source library your organization used to build the service. Who owns that vulnerability?  Microsoft is trying to clear some of the smog obscuring the software supply chain by expanding its bug bounty program to include some third-party code that affects it services. In this episode of Security Intelligence, panelists Jeff Crume, Nick Bradley and Claire Nuñez discuss what that move means for cybersecurity responsibility models going forward.  We also analyze how a three-year-old LastPass breach is still giving cybercriminals new credentials to steal. Turns out “harvest now, decrypt later” isn’t just a quantum concern. Plus: OpenAI fights prompt injections with an automated, AI-powered red team, hackers have a new tool to make ClickFix attacks even easier and we share the New Year’s Resolutions we hope organizations will make in 2026. All that and more on Security Intelligence. 00:00 -- Introduction 1:11 -- Cybersecurity resolutions 6:51 -- Microsoft’s new bug bounties 14:00 -- The LastPass breach’s long tail 26:07 -- Automated red teaming 33:22 -- ClickFix-as-a-service The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity. Subscribe for AI and security updates → https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=news-urx-52120

Why does it cost so much more to get hacked in the United States than anywhere else in the world? In this special bonus episode of Security Intelligence, we sit down with Michelle Alvarez, Manager of Strategic Threat Analysis at IBM X-Force, for a deep dive into IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach report—and one of its most surprising findings: global breach costs are falling, but US breach costs just hit a record high. What’s driving the gap? In this episode, we unpack: Why faster detection and containment are lowering breach costs globally Why shadow AI is quietly increasing breach risk and driving up response costs Why regulatory fines, global operations and organizational scale hit US companies especially hard And how supply chain breaches, cloud complexity and shadow IT amplify the damage We also explore a critical inflection point ahead: AI isn’t a major attack target yet—but once adoption crosses key market concentration thresholds, attackers will follow the ROI. All that and more on Security Intelligence The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.  Follow the Security Intelligence podcast on your preferred platform: https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence Read the Cost of a Data Breach report: https://ibm.biz/BdbkLt

Explore the podcast → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence In this special year-end episode of Security Intelligence, we reflect on 2025, a year of new attack methods (ClickFix), new vulnerabilities (vibecoding) and new worries on the horizon (shadow agents). From hijacked AI agents to massive supply chain breaches, 2025 forced security leaders to confront a sobering reality: trust might just be our biggest attack surface.  Join hosts Matt Kosinski and Patrick Austin for a jam-packed look back at the biggest cybersecurity trends and cyberattacks of 2025, the lessons we can learn from them and what the road ahead looks like. Featuring: 00:00 – Introduction4:10 – AI and data security with Michelle Alvarez and Jeff Crume 22:42 – Biggest cyberattacks of 2025 with Dave Bales and Nick Bradley 38:18 – Major lessons, innovations and failures of cybersecurity in 2025 with Suja Viswesan and Sridhar Muppidi All that and more on Security Intelligence. The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.  Learn more about cybersecurity → https://www.ibm.com/think/security 

AI browsers are neat—but are they more trouble than they’re worth?  In this episode of Security Intelligence, Austin Zeizel, Evelyn Anderson and Ryan Anschutz discuss Gartner’s recent advisory warning organizations to ban AI browsers from the workplace for the time being. Is there anything we can do to make them safe enough to use? And that leads to a broader conversation about the relationship between AI model providers and the cybersecurity community. In the wake of some high-profile attacks using AI models—like the spy ring Anthropic busted—cybersecurity pros are split on whether AI vendors are pulling their weight in threat intel circles. This one has it all: spam bombing, social engineering and malicious virtual machines. All that and more on Security Intelligence.  00:00 – Introduction 01:14 -- Gartner: No AI browsers at work 13:38 -- Should AI vendors share threat intel? 23:11 -- MITRE’s top 25 most dangerous software flaws 33:15 -- Are social logins safe? 41:54 -- Bring-your-own-VM attacks The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity. Learn more about cybersecurity → https://www.ibm.com/think/security 

Just how big a deal is React2Shell? Depending on who you ask, it’s either a Log4Shell-level event or just another average, everyday application security vulnerability. Patch and move on. This week, on Security Intelligence, panelists Sridhar Muppidi, Claire Nuñez and Ian Molloy weigh in on the contentious debate React2Shell has sparked. However it shakes out, one thing is for sure: The response to this vulnerability has been anything but typical. We also dive into: 13:01 -- Whether malicious LLMs like WormGPT live up to the hype 23:40 -- How hackers can lock you out of your Gmail account by changing your age 34:09 -- What happens when two different threat actors attack you at the same time 42:37 -- Why cybersecurity pros should care about solar radiation grounding 6,000 flights All that and more on Security Intelligence.  The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.  Explore the podcast → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence Subscribe for AI and security updates → https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=news-urx-52120