Ransomware costs billions, cybercrime leads to real violence, three arrested for hacking tools
Ransomware payments pass $4.5 billion Cybercrime networks orchestrate real-world violence Three arrested over possessing hacking tools Huge thanks to our episode sponsor, Adaptive Security This episode is brought to you by Adaptive Security, the first cybersecurity company backed by OpenAI. Attackers don't need malware anymore; they need trust. Tip: set a simple passphrase for high-risk actions, like wire requests or "urgent" account recovery â especially within finance teams and families. If the caller can't answer it, pause and verify. Adaptive runs deepfake and vishing simulations so employees practice this before it's real. adaptivesecurity.com. Â
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Department of Know: CISO hiring warning, critical threat actor law, Microsoft Defender outage
Link to episode page This week's Department of Know is hosted by Sarah Lane with guests Jason Shockey, CISO, Cenlar FSB, and Mike Lockhart, CISO, Eagleview Thanks to our show sponsor, Adaptive Security This episode is brought to you by Adaptive Security, the first cybersecurity company backed by OpenAI. AI is rewriting the cybersecurity rulebook, because attackers can now scale persuasion as easily as they scale code. The real target isn't just your systems anymore; it's human trust. If you aren't actively testing your organization against AI-driven phishing, vishing, and deepfakes, you're leaving a gap criminals will exploit. Adaptive runs realistic simulations and delivers tailored, engaging training so teams respond correctly when it counts. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com. All links and the video of this episode can be found on CISO Series.com  Â
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Palo Alto VPN attacks, NATO cyberdefense exercise, Chinese exploit React2Shell
New wave of VPN login attempts on Palo Alto portals NATO holds its largest-ever cyberdefense exercise Chinese hackers exploiting React2Shell bug Huge thanks to our episode sponsor, Adaptive Security This episode is brought to you by Adaptive Security, the first cybersecurity company backed by OpenAI. Deepfakes aren't science fiction anymore; they're a daily threat. Quick tip: if your voicemail greeting is your real voice, switch it to the default robot voice. A few seconds of audio can be enough to clone you. Adaptive helps teams spot and stop these AI-powered social engineering attacks. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com. Find the stories behind the headlines at CISOseries.com.
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Predator spyware, Russia blocks FaceTime, US cyber strategy coming
Predator spyware spotted across several countries Russia blocks FaceTime Draft US cyber strategy set for January release Huge thanks to our episode sponsor, Vanta This message comes from Vanta. What's your 2 AM security worry? Is it "Do I have the right controls in place?" Or "Are my vendors secure?" Enter Vanta. Vanta automates manual work, so you can stop sweating over spreadsheets, chasing audit evidence, and filling out endless questionnaires. Their trust management platform continuously monitors your systems, centralizes your data, and simplifies your security at scale. Get started at Vanta.com/CISO
Record-breaking DDoS attack React bug puts servers at risk RansomHouse attack Huge thanks to our episode sponsor, Vanta This message comes from Vanta. What's your 2 AM security worry? Is it "Do I have the right controls in place?" Or "Are my vendors secure?" Enter Vanta. Vanta automates manual work, so you can stop sweating over spreadsheets, chasing audit evidence, and filling out endless questionnaires. Their trust management platform continuously monitors your systems, centralizes your data, and simplifies your security at scale. Get started at Vanta.com/CISO