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Artwork for DISCARDED: Tales From the Threat Research Trenches

DISCARDED: Tales From the Threat Research Trenches

Proofpoint
Cybersecurity
Ransomware
Malware
Proofpoint
Social Engineering
Phishing
Cybercrime
Artificial Intelligence
Operation Endgame
Credential Phishing
Investigative Journalism
Cryptocurrency
Pig Butchering
Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report
Election Security
Threat Intelligence
Star Wars
Business Email Compromise
Initial Access Brokers
TA4903

DISCARDED: Tales from the Threat Research Trenches is a podcast for security practitioners, intelligence analysts, and threat hunters looking to learn more about the threat behaviors and attack patterns. Each episode you’ll hear real world insights from our researchers about the latest trends in malware, threat actors, TTPs, and more.Welcome to DISCARDED

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes113Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Artwork for DISCARDED: Tales From the Threat Research Trenches

Latest Episodes

Send us fan mail!

Hello to all our cyber party pals!  

This week, Selena is joined by co-host Sarah Sabotka (and several very persistent, very uninvited pod crashers) to talk about a threat that's landed in a lot of listeners' personal inboxes late... more

Send us fan mail!

Hello to all our cybernauts!

This week Selena is joined by not one, not two, but three guests — Mark Kelly, Julia Paluch, and Dave Galazin — to unpack Proofpoint's latest research. Mark walks through how it started: on August 28, ... more

Send us fan mail!

Hello to our Cyber Pals! 

This week, Selena hands the mic over to a recording of Proofpoint's Intercepted webinar — a monthly video series she co-hosts with Sarah Sabotka — for a deep dive into how cloud brute force attacks are qu... more

Send us fan mail!

Hello to all our cyber stars!

Host Selena Larson is joined by co-host Sarah Sabotka, along with returning guest Greg Lesnewich, Principal Threat Research Engineer, and Staff Threat Researcher Mark Kelly, for a follow-up to last ep... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Rachel Rabin
Threat researcher on the cloud team focusing on identity and cloud security
Proofpoint
Episode: Intercepted: How Hackers Take On the Cloud
Mark Kelly
Staff Threat Researcher, Proofpoint
Proofpoint
Episode: Half-Click is so Hot Right Now: How Russian and Chinese Attackers Exploit Mailservers
Greg Lesnewich
Principal threat researcher, Proofpoint Threat Research Team
Proofpoint Threat Research Team
Episode: Half-Click, Full Compromise: Inside Russia's TA458 and TA488 Espionage Playbook
Golo Mühr
Malware reverse engineer
IBM X-Force
Episode: StealC Exposed: Tracking, Emulating, and Disrupting a Top Info Stealer
Sean Farrell
Assistant General Counsel of Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit
Microsoft
Episode: From Phishing to Court Cases: How Microsoft Fights Back Against Hackers
Alex Pinto
Chief architect and Associate Director of Threat Intelligence, Verizon Business
Verizon
Episode: Diving Into the DBIR: Vulnerabilities, AI, and Supply Chain
Sean Zadig
Chief Information Security Officer at Yahoo, also known as Chief Paranoid
Yahoo
Episode: "Always Intentional": A CISO's Pragmatic Take on the Agentic Era
Jake Gionet
Threat researcher at Proofpoint specializing in credential phishing
Proofpoint
Episode: A Device Code Explosion: The New Era of AI-Enabled Phishing
Jared Peck
Senior threat researcher at Proofpoint, focusing on Latin American threats
Proofpoint
Episode: Regional Threats, Global Impact: A TA2725 Case Study

Hosts

Selena Larson
Host of the episodes; Threat Research Team at Proofpoint
Sarah Sabotka
Host of the podcast; Threat researcher guest co-host
Tim Kromphardt
Co-host

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 106 ratings
  • Love this pod!

    Selena and Crista dives into intriguing topics that are often overlooked, serving up fresh insights in a compelling manner. It feels like a refreshing conversation with a wise friend, always leaving you eager for the next episode.

    From Bona and Team Capsho

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bona and Team Capsho
    United States3 years ago
  • Great Podcast

    Very good podcast Brian a lot from listening to it.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    JonDvid
    United States3 years ago
  • Cyber! Cyber! Cyber!

    This is the best podcast by CTI practitioners diving into detail about current threats. This podcast would win a fight against other similar podcasts. Let’s have a podcast fight club. Oops this pod is already the champ.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GPSWKEKT1640
    United States3 years ago
  • Top Notch

    Timely and informative content!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ASVPGLES
    United States4 years ago
  • Top Cyber Threat Podcast

    This podcast has some of the smartest people I’ve ever heard talk about computers. True thought leaders that are titans in the industry bringing the hottest cyber threats to your ears. Highly recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JM123456789123456789
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the show for deep technical dives and practical takeaways.
Guests are consistently described as leaders in security with cutting-edge insights.
Episodes are noted for strong host chemistry and tangible industry context.
The content is frequently cited as among the most informative in its niche.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Half-Click, Full Compromise: Inside Russia's TA458 and TA488 Espionage Playbook
Q: Can you explain half-click exploits in simple terms and how they differ from traditional phishing?
Half-click exploits embed JavaScript in the webmail HTML that runs in the background when the email is opened, allowing the attacker to exfiltrate data and establish persistence without requiring the user to click links or open attachments, unlike traditional phishing which relies on user actions to trigger exploitation.
StealC Exposed: Tracking, Emulating, and Disrupting a Top Info Stealer
Q: First of all, what is an emulator? And two, how did you make it?
An emulator simulates the malware client to make the C2 think it is communicating with a real infected system, allowing researchers to send legitimate traffic and retrieve payloads for analysis, thereby improving threat intelligence and understanding of active infrastructure.
From Phishing to Court Cases: How Microsoft Fights Back Against Hackers
Q: Can you walk us through the Tycoon 2FA disruption and the role of partner collaborations in that action?
Tycoon 2FA was a high-volume MFA phishing-as-a-service operation. The disruption combined private-sector expertise (Proofpoint, Cloudflare, Health ISAC), Europol-led coordination, and civil actions to seize domains and disrupt the attacker's infrastructure. The effort involved mapping the network, identifying control panels, and sharing intelligence with global partners, culminating in a significant reduction in Tycoon activity and setting the stage for further law-enforcement actions.
From Phishing to Court Cases: How Microsoft Fights Back Against Hackers
Q: What is Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit and how does it operate to enable threat actor takedowns?
The DCU sits within Microsoft's legal group and uses civil actions, in coordination with law enforcement, to disrupt threat actors. They pursue civil claims (e.g., RICO, CFAA) to take down infrastructure, seize domains, and issue equitable relief, while also providing criminal referrals and sharing intelligence with partners to align actions with investigations.
"Always Intentional": A CISO's Pragmatic Take on the Agentic Era
Q: How do you balance AI speed with human judgment to avoid overreliance on automated outputs?
The approach emphasizes human-in-the-loop skepticism, using AI to reduce toil but ensuring analysts validate outputs, understand context, and can intervene when outputs don't look right.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A security-focused series that brings threat researchers and industry practitioners into candid conversations about real-world attacker behavior, malware trends, and defense strategies. Episodes often center on threat intelligence, incident response, and practical detection methods, with guests ranging from researchers at Proofpoint to security leaders at major tech firms. Listeners can expect technically rich insights, ecosystem-wide context, and actionable takeaways for building resilient security programs, understanding attacker playbooks, and improving detection and response. The show is notable for its hands-on storytelling, cross-team collaboration, and a human-centered approach to complex cybersecurity topics, making it valuable for ... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. CyberWire Daily
2. SANS Internet Stormcenter Daily Cyber Security Podcast (Stormcast)
3. Risky Bulletin
4. Defense in Depth
5. Cybersecurity Headlines

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this podcast launched 5 years ago and published 113 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Rachel Rabin
2. Mark Kelly
3. Greg Lesnewich
4. Golo Mühr
5. Sean Farrell
6. Alex Pinto
7. Sean Zadig
8. Jake Gionet

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