The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast

On this episode of The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast we speak with Erik Bloch, VP of Security at Illumio, about better tools to combat burnout rate and discuss the reality of AI in security.Erik Bloch has 30+ years of information and cyber security experience, both as an IC and as a leader of teams. “People first” has always been his approach. He has led entire security and IT functions at smaller companies, and been the CISOs leading big teams at larger orgs. Erik also spent time on the product side, trying to make better tooling for people like him. With a mix of security, IT and product under his belt, Erik is at a place where connections, making meaningful change and driving impact in peoples lives, mean a lot to him. The smartest person he knows once said "Problems are really opportunities in disguise"​, and that's something Erik always tries to see.Support our show by sharing your favorite episodes with a friend, subscribe, give us a rating or leave a comment on your podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by LimaCharlie, maker of the SecOps Cloud Platform, infrastructure for SecOps where everything is built API first. Scale with confidence as your business grows. Start today for free at limacharlie.io.

Dr. Cunningham created the influential Zero Trust Extended (ZTX) Framework at Forrester Research, playing a key role in accelerating global adoption of Zero Trust principles across industries and governments worldwide.

On this episode of The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast we speak with Michael Baker, VP, Global Chief Information Security Officer at DXC Technology, about his optimistic outlook on the impact of AI in cybersecurity.Michael Baker is an accomplished cyber security executive with more than 24 years of experience in the field. He is passionate about building high-performing teams and transforming the way cyber risk is managed within businesses. Currently, Michael serves as the Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for DXC Technology. In this capacity, he is responsible for protecting the brand and reputation of DXC Technology, a $14 billion global technology enterprise with 130,000 employees located across 80+ territories.Before joining DXC Technology, he held various leadership positions, including CISO, within the US government contracting and aerospace and defense industry, along with a long career serving clients as a cyber security and risk management consultant. Michael is known for his strategic vision, global program management, and ability to drive operational excellence across end-to end cyber services that provide measurable business value. Visit dxc.com for more info.Support our show by sharing your favorite episodes with a friend, subscribe, give us a rating or leave a comment on your podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by LimaCharlie, maker of the SecOps Cloud Platform, infrastructure for SecOps where everything is built API first. Scale with confidence as your business grows. Start today for free at limacharlie.io.

In this episode of The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast, we discuss some intel being shared in the LimaCharlie community.Google’s Threat Intelligence Group has observed a significant shift in 2025, threat actors are no longer using AI to just speed up operations, they are now integrating LLMs directly into the malware.Unit 42 has identified a previously undocumented Android spyware family, named LandFall, discovered during an investigation into iOS exploit chains involving malicious DNG images.Microsoft’s November Patch Tuesday rollout includes fixes for over 60 vulnerabilities, one of which is a zero-day privilege escalation flaw in the Windows kernel that has already been exploited in the wild.Former executive at L3Harris Trenchant, Peter Williams, has pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to selling 8 trade secrets valued at over 1.3 million to a Russian-based software broker involved in the zero-day exploit market.Support our show by sharing your favorite episodes with a friend, subscribe, give us a rating or leave a comment on your podcast platform.This podcast is brought to you by LimaCharlie, maker of the SecOps Cloud Platform, infrastructure for SecOps where everything is built API first. Scale with confidence as your business grows. Start today for free at limacharlie.io.

In this episode of Defender Fridays, we talk to Alec Fenton, VP Security Operations at Foresite Cybersecurity, practical career advice for defenders, SOC metrics that actually matter and AI in security operations.Join the Defender Fridays community, live every Friday, to discuss the dynamic world of information security in a collaborative space with seasoned professionals.Alec is a seasoned Cyber Security professional with over 15 years of extensive experience across many IT domains. With a career spanning more than a decade, Alec has honed his expertise in addressing a broad spectrum of cybersecurity challenges, leveraging his analytical prowess and hands-on approach to leadership.Throughout his career, Alec has navigated the intricate landscape of IT security, working across various sectors including managed service providers and private companies. His tenure as an analyst in the cybersecurity space has not only equipped him with a deep understanding of emerging threats and vulnerabilities but has also shaped his leadership philosophy of "lead from the front."Support our show by sharing your favorite episodes with a friend, subscribe, give us a rating or leave a comment on your podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by LimaCharlie, maker of the SecOps Cloud Platform, infrastructure for SecOps where everything is built API first. Scale with confidence as your business grows. Start today for free at limacharlie.io.

On this episode of The Cybersecurity Defenders Podcast we speak with Navroop Mitter, CEO of ArmorText, about the role of Out-of-Band (OOB) communication in cyber incident response.ArmorText Named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Secure Communications Solutions, Q3 2024Cyber Resilience: Incident Response Tabletop ExercisesNavroop Mitter is the CEO of ArmorText, a mobile security and privacy company based in the Washington, D.C. area.Before founding ArmorText, Navroop was a Senior Manager in Accenture’s North American Security Practice, where he built and led information security programs across multiple regions. He helped double Accenture’s Scandinavian security practice within a year and established the firm’s first near-shore security delivery center in Argentina, hiring and training over 30 practitioners in under 30 days.Navroop has led large-scale international security engagements, working across cultures and time zones to strengthen teams in the U.S., India, and abroad. Recognized for his entrepreneurial mindset and expertise in identity and access management, he became one of Accenture’s most sought-after leaders for complex, multi-country security initiatives.Support our show by sharing your favorite episodes with a friend, subscribe, give us a rating or leave a comment on your podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by LimaCharlie, maker of the SecOps Cloud Platform, infrastructure for SecOps where everything is built API first. Scale with confidence as your business grows. Start today for free at limacharlie.io.

Explore a newly discovered threat exploiting AWS Simple Email Service with stolen credentials to launch Business Email Compromise scams. Discover a critical vulnerability in the React Native Community CLI that requires immediate attention. Learn about SesameOp, a novel backdoor using OpenAI’s Assistants API for command and control. Uncover Operation SkyCloak, a sophisticated malware campaign targeting defense organizations through clever phishing tactics. Dive into the future of cloud security and attack vectors!

Julie Agnes Sparks, a security engineer at Datadog, brings her expertise in detection engineering and SaaS threat hunting to the table. She discusses the rising incidence of SaaS breaches and the critical need for effective audit logging. The conversation dives into the challenges of inconsistent vendor logs and typical incident workflows that hinder visibility. Julie also highlights notable attack patterns like identity provider pivoting and the role of AI in enhancing detection strategies, making a case for clearer audit log quality to combat evolving threats.

The podcast explores the chilling details of the BlackBasta ransomware attack on Capita and its operational failures. North Korea's BlueNoroff campaigns utilize social engineering and AI-assisted malware for nefarious gains. A zero-day vulnerability tied to Operation ForumTroll raises alarms over cyber-espionage efforts targeting Russian entities. There's a deep dive into the newly emerged Aisuru IoT botnet responsible for massive DDoS attacks, highlighting the urgent need for better home IoT security and proactive protective measures.

Dr. Anton Chuvakin, a Security Advisor at Google Cloud and a leading expert in SIEM and log management, delves into the essentials of an AI-ready security operations center (SOC). He discusses the risks of adopting technology prematurely and highlights key pillars for effective AI integration, including data quality and process maturity. Anton stresses the importance of cultural readiness for balancing human roles with AI capabilities and shares insights on using AI to enhance threat detection and operational efficiency. A must-listen for cybersecurity enthusiasts!