The success of crypto inspired dozens of other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Tether, and Dogecoin. Today, people worldwide use cryptocurrencies to buy things, sell things, and make investments. One thing is certain; digital currencies are here to stay, no matter how many times you have to explain what a bitcoin is. Unfortunately, it also created the world of cryptojacking, a form of cybercrime that remains completely hidden from the target and can infect millions of computers with...

Ransomware attacks have never been so successful. The returns from these attacks are soaring and only becoming easier to conduct. In chapter two of the Microsoft Digital Defense Report, the growing threat of cybercrime is covered in great detail. As we continue to go over the MDDR, it's more apparent than ever that the cybercrime economy and services it provides are stronger and more complex than ever. Cryptocurrency, malware, and adversarial machine learning are just a few of the topics we...

Everything is exciting and new when you're a kid, and curiosity inspires many of us to branch out and try new things. For some, that means drawing from our imagination or trying all kinds of sports. And for others it means spending days at the library, checking out books on modem communications, and eventually hacking into the local dial-up community service. That's just a random example, of course... Either way, curiosity can be a powerful tool, even at a young age. To the point that it may...

Disinformation refers to the calculated use of false information to influence others and has been a steadily growing form of information warfare. Unfortunately, disinformation is everywhere these days, often hidden in plain sight. Criminals will also adapt and take advantage of technologies, such as AI and deepfakes, to increase the effectiveness of disinformation campaigns. Of course, there are ways to combat these types of attacks, and we cover recommendations for protecting the enterprise...

Microsoft works around the clock to protect their customers, no matter what product they’re using, Microsoft or otherwise. In some instances Microsoft teams up with other companies, creating an all-star cybersecurity team, to handle newly discovered vulnerabilities. It helps everyone stay more secure, and of course, that's the ultimate goal, right?     In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are re-joined by Jonathan Bar Or, Principal Security Researcher...

In December 2020, Microsoft began sharing information with the cybersecurity industry on a group of Russia-based hackers who gained access to multiple enterprises through vulnerable software code, stolen passwords, compromised on-premises servers, and minted SAML tokens. In this supply chain attack, hackers could access the SolarWinds code, slip malicious code into a piece of the software, and use the vendor’s legitimate software updates to spread malware to customer systems.    Security...

We are back, covering more of the 2021 Microsoft Digital Defense Report, and this time we’re taking a deep dive into chapter five on Hybrid Workforce Security and Zero Trust. Zero Trust means precisely what it sounds like, never assuming any device or identity is secure; it's like having major trust issues, but in a professional way. With most businesses moving to remote work because of the pandemic, cybercriminals, of course, found new ways to take advantage, especially since most people are...

The way most people operate online these days, what would you even consider private anymore? We are so quick to share details about our job, home, friends, and family without even thinking about how much personal info we're giving away. Privacy and user agreements are a part of almost everyone's life at this point, and what do you know about them? For the most part, we often see a user agreement pop up, click agree and move on, but do you know what you just agreed to? Privacy choices...

The newfound popularity of the internet in the nineties spurned an obsession with hacking. Unfortunately, most movies believed that it wasn't possible to show real hacking and still be entertaining; hence all the awkward video game graphics and characters living in sketchy basements regularly yelling out, "We're in!" while pounding on their keyboards. I'd also like to address their outfit choices but now is not the appropriate time. The point is, hackers have been portrayed as the same...

Okay, look, we know you plan on reading the entire 2021 MDDR at some point. But you're busy. Life gets in the way. We get it. Who has the time! Well, we've got the time, but that's beside the point, and honestly... fortunate for you. We've read the report front to back and have decided to cover some of it today on the podcast, but you'll still need to read all 134 pages yourself if you truly want to grasp the entire piece. Unless you want to be that person who listens to a single podcast and...

What would you say is the most personal possession that you own? Most would say their cell phone... unless you still have a few journals from high school. And if you do, this is your reminder that it might be time to let those go. It's become increasingly apparent lately how much info our phones collect from us, from the first app you check in the morning after waking up, recent calendar entries, and your actual heart rate by 9 am. The crazy part is most people don't give it a second thought....

You're back home celebrating the holidays with friends and family, sharing stories, catching up, and discussing your plans for the year ahead. Next thing you know, that cousin who wouldn't stop sending you emails about the "future of bitcoin" and coin mining kicks the door open, and he's ready to spread some holiday knowledge. Oh yeah, he's also going to cut you in on a sweet deal he has going on with his buddy Carl, who he met at dollar wing night. Unfortunately, Carl is one of the bad guys....

Do you have a data science or engineering background? If so, you're in luck. If not, you're also in luck because today's guest found a way to make a few complex subjects understandable for everyone. The first of many topics... Fuzzy hashing. It might sound like an adorable, adventurous Muppet character, but I promise you the reason behind it is not cute at all. The short explanation is "fighting crime with math," and honestly, the short version is all I've got for you. So, sit back and pay...

Juan Hardoy leads an international team of investigators, analysts, and lawyers inside the Digital Crimes Unit who share a joint mission to protect customers and promote trust in Microsoft technologies. Hearing that might take your imagination to a place where Juan is deputized to fight crime in digital space, and you wouldn't be completely wrong. Still, unfortunately, he's not sitting at his desk with a sheriff's badge and a cowboy hat. It's not as simple as the days in the west, where you...

Have you ever thought about a career in threat intelligence or cyber security? Possibly finishing school with a degree in computer programming and feel overwhelmed with what to do next? Don't worry; we've all experienced this. Maybe not specifically with computer programming, but the figuring it out aspect. You could be ending active military service and working in cyber operations, helping offensive and defensive cyberspace operations, wondering about the next step. The thought of making the...

It's finally Friday. You successfully made it through another week and the weekend is so close you can taste it. You pour yourself a bowl of your favorite cereal, but before you can get that first bite your phone rings. It's a random number, but for some reason you're feeling chatty and decide to answer. Unfortunately, it's a robot that somehow knows your name and is asking for your social security number, home address, and password from that first AOL account you made in 1998!  It’s easy to...

Picture this: you’re working on a new software that will revolutionize your industry. You’ve got your work cut out for you, from design to programming to integration. But what about security? Keeping your software secure should be in the conversation from day one, but not all developers are well-versed in application security. The good news is that you’re not alone, and even if this picture that we’ve painted isn’t of you, there are still very accessible ways to learn about application...

Electricity is all around us. In fact, you’re using it to read this right now. It powers (no pun intended) our everyday lives, and it works without us having to think about it. It’s kind of like breathing. I mean, you don’t have to tell your lungs “Hey! Start breathing right now!” But just like with breathing, the problems that can follow an interruption of electricity can be deadly. It shouldn’t be shocking (pun intended) that keeping power grids secure is an international priority. In this...

8 trillion. It’s kind of a big number, right? That’s how many signals are collected, processed, and analyzed by Microsoft’s security team every single day. Those signals are travelling from the cloud, coming through endpoints, coming through Bing, coming through Xbox. All of these signals are turned into intelligence, and if you’re a cloud user, that intelligence is an asset to your security. By making the leap to the cloud, the power, size, and flexibility of Microsoft’s threat intelligence...

How likely are you to fall for a scam? Survey Says… depends on your demographic. Scammers are evolving, from cold calls on the phone, to computer desktop pop-ups with nagging alarm sounds, to buying out search terms like “email support.” Tech support scams have become an ever-present threat in our online world with 3 out of 5 people globally experiencing them and 1 out of 6 people actually giving their money or personal information to the scammers. Even though there are some honorable people...

Every occupation has its unique jargon that allows professionals to speak their own language and understand each other’s shorthand.  Those of us in the world of cybersecurity are no exception as we frequently toss around acronyms and abbreviations, but how can we cybersecurity professionals communicate all of this crucial ingrained knowledge to people who haven’t the faintest idea about technology, security, or what our conversational shorthand even means?   In this episode of Security...

Ready for a riddle? What do 40 hypothetical high school students and our guest on this episode have in common? Why they can help you understand complex cyber-attack methodology, of course!  In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Nic Fillingham and Natalia Godyla are brought back to school by Principal Security Researcher, Jonathan Bar Or who discusses vulnerabilities in NETGEAR Firmware. During the conversation Jonathan walks through how his team recognized the vulnerabilities and worked...

There used to be a time when our appliances didn’t talk back to us, but it seems like nowadays everything in our home is getting smarter. Smart watches, smart appliances, smart lights - smart everything! This connectivity to the internet is what we call the Internet of Things (IoT). It’s becoming increasingly common for our everyday items to be “smart,” and while that may provide a lot of benefits, like your fridge reminding you when you may need to get more milk, it also means that all...

Is it just me, or do you also miss the good ole days of fraudulent activity? You remember the kind I’m talking about, the emails from princes around the world asking for just a couple hundred dollars to help them unfreeze or retrieve their massive fortune which they would share with you. Attacks have grown more nuanced, complex, and invasive since then, but because of the unbelievable talent at Microsoft, we’re constantly getting better at defending against it.   On this episode of Security...