Talos Takes

Network segmentation is a fundamental security practice, yet many organizations struggle to move past the conceptual stage. Craig Jackson from Talos IR joins Amy to explain how to build a segmentation strategy that serves both as a preventative barrier and a functional tool for incident response.
We also cover the rising industry interest in AI kill switches, looking at how security teams can plan to stop erratic AI applications or AI-augmented malware before they cause widespread operational damage.
The Fine Art of Frustrating the Adversary: https://blog.talosintelligence.com/the-fine-art-of-frustrating-the-adversary/

It’s time to start having fun and messing with your attackers. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Martin Lee joins Amy to discuss the fine art of making life on your network a complete nightmare for adversaries. Simple, low-maintenance decoys — like fake credentials, empty honeypots, and ghost systems — can turn your infrastructure into a minefield that keeps attackers guessing and wastes their resources.
Join us to learn how to turn the tables, gain threat intel on who is trying to get into your network, and have a bit of a laugh at their expense. (And trust us, you don't want to miss Martin's Winston Churchill impression.)

In this episode of Talos Takes, Amy sits down with researcher Vanja Svajcer to break down a sophisticated, multi-stage infection chain that leverages a combination of ClickFix social engineering, WebDAV, and decentralized infrastructure.
Vanja walks us through how threat actors are repurposing legitimate user behaviors — like solving CAPTCHAs — to gain unauthorized access, and how they utilize blockchain smart contracts as bulletproof storage for malicious code. We also explore the divergence in final payloads, ranging from remote access tools to crypto-stealing malware. Tune in for actionable behavioral patterns that your security teams can monitor to detect these incidents before they progress.
Vanja's blog: https://blog.talosintelligence.com/clearfake-webdav-infection-chain/

Ah, the crisp fall air, brand-new books and backpacks, and the quiet irony of cybercriminals turning on each other to steal a few extra bucks.
Security Engineer Sean Gallagher joins Amy to break down a scam where threat actors are weaponizing greed to turn amateur cybercriminals against themselves. This browser-based attack tricks targets into injecting malicious code into their own sessions under the guise of exploiting a fictional vulnerability to earn crypto-profits.
While this current operation mostly targets the amateur dark-web circuit, the underlying use of the Google Visualization API as a command-and-control channel is a red flag for the future of web security. Tune in to hear why it’s only a matter of time before these techniques turn from petty crypto-scams toward our enterprise supply chains, and how to protect your organization.
Blog: https://blog.talosintelligence.com/clickfix-moves-into-the-browser/

As the new academic year begins, school districts face a surge in cybersecurity threats, from phishing attacks and ransomware to student experimentation with network devices. In this episode, Amy sits down with Cisco Talos expert Pierre Cadieux to discuss practical strategies for IT practitioners. 
How do you strengthen your defenses while managing the delicate balance between security and classroom usability? Here are the most high-priority steps to keep your district safe this semester.
Prioritizing patches episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2018149/episodes/19360999