Tales From The SOC

Are the shiniest new threats worse than the disruptive disorder of history?  Paul Ducklin and David Emerson are in great form, as always - thoughtfully outspoken but infectiously good humored at the same time.

Co-hosts Duck and David have more Classic Crypto tales, way back in Shakespeare's time! Insider threats, social engineering, scammer trickery, state-sponsored actors, cryptographic cracking, forged authentication - today's cybersecurity woes, more than 400 years ago.

Co-hosts Duck and David tell the GUNMAN story, a fascinating Cold War tale of USA versus USSR. Learn how the KGB sidestepped American cryptography with a keylogger that demands technical respect (and teaches valuable lessons) to this day, and how the NSA fought back.

Co-hosts Duck and David take a look at B2B. But they don't mean business-to-business, they mean BACK TO BASICS. Because some cybersecurity problems aren’t best solved by technology. (With humor and good grace throughout!)

Co-hosts Duck and David ask some tricky cybersecurity questions, including, "How do you know you're doing the right things to start with?"

Co-hosts Duck and David take an informed and entertaining look at "the sins of the past" - long-standing bugs that we could so easily have avoided, but didn't.

Ready to avoid Yet Another Year-End Cybersecurity Threat Report? Join co-hosts Duck and David for a Treat instead! Our plain-speaking duo celebrate Sysmas - because 'tis the season to be thankful for the Sysadmins, IT staff, and SOCstars everywhere who keep us safe, even in the holidays when many of us are busy with, well, with *not* being busy with cybersecurity 🎉

Cybersecurity snake-oil is alive, and social media sites are helping it thrive. Duck and David bring their usual strong opinions and good humor to explain why and how to stop it. They're outspoken enough to inspire you to act, while also amusing enough to keep things upbeat and optimistic throughout. Listen now. And tell your friends!

As cybersecurity battle cries go, "Assume breach" isn't very convincing. Duck and David explain how to adopt a more positive, proactive mindset.

How to stay secure in an AI attackers' world. Practical and actionable advice as co-hosts Duck and David reassure you that it's not as hard as some people think.

What if your attackers don't need any technical skills? What if you let them in yourself, simply by being too helpful? Co-hosts Duck and David tackle the tricky problem of treacherous criminals who don't need vulnerabilities, exploits, hacking abilities, or malware.

Cybersecurity is a journey, not a destination. Engaging with an MSSP cannot simply be, "Sign the paperwork, walk away, and leave the journey to someone else." Co-hosts Duck and David bring their gentle wit, their thoughtful advice, and just a tiny touch of literary flair to this vital question.

Will we ever conquer the scourge of ransomware? Can rules and regulations help? Should we be allowed to pay off cybercriminals at all? Co-hosts Duck and David attack these troublesome questions with their usual mix of insight and humor.

Why does it sometimes sound as though no one ever thought of using AI in cybersecurity until now, even though it's been an important part of the industry for years? Is the endless hype helping or hindering our fight against cybercrime?

Mobile devices have many useful security features - but they aren't impervious to attackers or malware. And they can't protect you from yourself. Co-hosts Duck and David offer their usual mix of gentle humor and solid advice to help you stay safe.

When governments insist that we need to regulate encryption algorithms, is that a practical step, or just intellectual laziness? Co-hosts Duck and David tell it like it is! 

Co-hosts Duck and David tell it like it is!  Why dramatic threat names and cybersecurity FUD serve marketing but not society, and what we can do about it.

There's an ever-increasing cost in collecting more and more data just in case. But is there any real value in doing things that way? Co-hosts Duck and David offer their usual mix of gentle humor and sound advice to stop you getting lost on Butter Mountain, or drowned in Data Lake.

How do you keep software engineering safe and secure? How you do stop the endless upselling? Do you *really* need those heated seats? Co-hosts Duck and David offer their usual mix of gentle humor and sound advice to help you get cybersecurity right.

How many strudels do you need in your password? Why does MVP refer to a sports player who's the best in the team, but to software that wouldn't even make it into the squad? And why do we call them APTs when most of them are just plain old Ts? Co-hosts Duck and David offer their usual mix of gentle humor and sound advice to help you get cybersecurity right.

You've put a lock on your door. Why not add eight more, just to be sure? You've installed a VPN, but why stop at one? The cybersecurity industry will sell you as many tools as you are willing to buy, so why not run them all?  Co-hosts Duck and David offer their usual mix of gentle humor and sound advice to help you Beware The Snow Of Marketing.

What if we look beyond cybersecurity automation and algorithms? What if we start out with a focus on cybersecurity culture, not on rules and rote? Co-hosts Duck and David ask the intriguing question, "Should we do it for humanity?"

Does cybersecurity really need as much esoteric jargon and as many complex components as it now has? Or is the burden of "more tools! more tools!" weighing us down? Co-hosts Duck and David investigate.

Just how far can you trust automated cybersecurity advice? Co-hosts Duck and David dig into the problem of "the malware that comes before the malware." Even if a threat seems mundane and uninteresting at first glance, is it OK to let AI try to mop it up on its own?

Grab the very first episode of our brand new series "Tales from the SOC." Co-hosts Duck and David open the pod bay doors on this go-to podcast that explores the weird and wonderful world of the Security Operations Center.