Packet Protector
Packet Pushers
Join us at the intersection of networking and security! Whether you’re fending off ransomware attacks, securing remote workers, hunting for rogue IoT devices, or gearing up for your latest compliance audit, Packet Protector provides practical information that IT and infrastructure pros can put to work. Every episode covers the latest security headlines and then drills into essential topics to provide technical and strategic insights on wired and wireless network security, access control, cloud security, pen testing and red/blue teaming, security hardware and software, and more. Whether security is your full-time job or one of your many responsibilities, Packet Protector is your go-to cybersecurity resource.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 9, 2025 • 37min
PP077: News Roundup–Drift Breach Has Long Reach; FCC Investigates Its Own IoT Security Program
Is any publicity good publicity? On today’s News Roundup we talk about how Salesloft, which makes the Drift chat agent that’s been used as a jumping-off point for credential harvesting and data breach attacks against a bunch of big-name companies, is testing that proposition. We also discuss bugs affecting industrial refrigeration controllers, and Microsoft making... Read more »
Sep 2, 2025 • 60min
PP076: RF Risks and How to See Unseen Threats
Our airwaves are alive with radio frequencies (RF). Right now billions of devices around the world are chattering invisibly over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and other protocols you might not have heard of. On today’s show we peer into the invisible world to better understand the RF threat environment. Our guest is Brett Walkenhorst, CTO of... Read more »
Aug 19, 2025 • 44min
PP075: Kernel Vs. User Mode In Endpoint Security Software
Microsoft is rethinking allowing endpoint security software to run in the Windows kernel (including third-party and Microsoft’s own endpoint security software). While there are benefits to running security software in the kernel, there are also serious downsides (see the CrowdStrike outage). Dan Massameno joins JJ and Drew on Packet Protector to talk about the role... Read more »
Aug 12, 2025 • 43min
PP074: News Roundup – Microsoft Dumps Digital Escorts; Palo Alto Bundles Billions Aboard CyberArk
Packet Protector goes global for today’s security news roundup. Microsoft discontinues a program in which engineers in China supported the US Department of Defense’s cloud infrastructure (with the help of US ‘digital escorts’), Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC fires several employees over allegations of attempted theft of sensitive tech, an Arizona woman gets 8 years in prison... Read more »
Aug 5, 2025 • 40min
PP073: Identify Yourself: Authentication From SAML to FIDO2
From SAML to OAuth to FIDO2 to passwordless promises, we unpack what’s working—and what’s broken—in the world of identity and authentication. Today on the Packet Protector podcast, we’re joined by the always thoughtful and occasionally provocative Wolf Goerlich, former Duo advisor, and now a practicing CISO in the public sector. We also talk about authorization... Read more »
Jul 29, 2025 • 47min
PP072: Mobile Device Threat Management
Mobile devices blur the boundaries between personal and work devices and are packed with sensitive information, making them popular targets for malware, spyware, and data collection. On today’s Packet Protector we dig into strategies for managing threats to mobile devices with guest Akili Akridge. Akili started his career pulling burner phones off suspects as a... Read more »
Jul 22, 2025 • 46min
PP071: SSE Vendor Test Results; Can HPE and Juniper Get Along?
CyberRatings, a non-profit that performs independent testing of security products and services, has released the results of comparative tests it conducted on Secure Service Edge, or SSE, services. Tested vendors include Cisco, Cloudflare, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, Skyhigh Security, Versa Networks, and Zscaler. We look at what was tested and how, highlight results, and discuss... Read more »
Jul 15, 2025 • 44min
PP070: News Roundup – Scattered Spider Bites MSPs, Microsoft Rethinks Kernel Access, North Koreans Seem Good at Their Illicit Jobs
There’s lots of juicy stories in our monthly security news roundup. The Scattered Spider hacking group makes effective use of social engineering to target MSPs, Microsoft pushes for better Windows resiliency by rethinking kernel access policies for third-party endpoint security software, and the US Justice Department files indictments against alleged operators of laptop farms that... Read more »
Jul 1, 2025 • 42min
PP069: A Quantum Primer: It’s More Than Cracking Crypto
Quantum computing is here, and it’s being used for more than cracking encryption. On today’s Packet Protector we get a primer on quantum, how it differs from classical computing, its applications for difficult computing problems, why quantum will be the death of blockchain, and how to think about quantum risks. Our guest, Johna Johnson, is... Read more »
Jun 24, 2025 • 39min
PP068: Common Kubernetes Risks and What to Do About Them
Today’s Packet Protector digs into risks and threats you might encounter in a Kubernetes environment, what to do about them, and why sometimes a paved path (or boring technology) is the smartest option. My guest is Natalie Somersall, Principal Solutions Engineer for the Public Sector at Chainguard. We talk about risks including identity and access... Read more »
