Talos Takes
by Cisco Talos
Latest episode
Hardening your environment: From segmentation to AI kill switches
Hardening your environment: From segmentation to AI kill switches
About this podcast
Every two weeks, host Amy Ciminnisi brings on a new guest from Talos or the broader Cisco Security world to break down a complicated security topic. We cover everything from breaking news to attacker trends and emerging threats.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 242 episodes
- Hardening your environment: From segmentation to AI kill switches · 21 minNetwork 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…
- Honey, I Trapped the Adversary · 21 minIt’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…
- ClickFix, EtherHiding, and the rise of malicious code in the blockchain · 19 minIn 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…
- Browser betrayal: When your tabs turn against you · 27 minAh, 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…
- Back-to-school cybersecurity: Protecting education networks from ransomware and threats · 23 minAs 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…
- Don't scan that! QR code phishing and cloud-native threats · 22 minWhat happens when a QR code leads to a major security incident? In this episode, Amy sits down with Senior Incident Response Consultant Terryn Valikodath to break down a recent…
- Q2 Talos IR Trends: Phishing and authentication abuse spike · 16 minIn this episode, Amy and analyst Lexi DiScola unpack the trends Talos IR saw on the frontlines in Q2 2026. From creative phishing lures that slip past email gateways to the…
- ARToken: How attackers are bypassing MFA and maintaining access · 18 minMFA and password resets aren't always enough. That’s terrifying for security teams today. In this episode of Talos Takes, we dive deep into ARToken, a sophisticated…
- From evasion to detection: A guide to analyzing COM-based threats · 19 minWhile the Component Object Model (COM) is a fundamental Windows technology that allows software to communicate and function, it's also a powerful tool for threat actors looking…
- Patching in the dark: Managing unknown threats in complex environments · 23 minIf you're tired of being told to "just patch," we understand. The threat landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, with AI-driven tools enabling adversaries to uncover and…
- When synthetic logs don’t lie: Generating coherent attack stories for better detection · 19 minAre your detection rules failing because your test data lacks the nuance of a real-world network? In this episode of Talos Takes, Amy sits down with David Bianco to discuss why…
- The trust paradox: How attackers weaponize legitimate SaaS platforms · 21 minIn this episode of Talos Takes, Amy Ciminnisi sits down with researcher Diana Brown to discuss the rise of "platform-as-a-proxy" (PAP) attacks. We explore how threat actors are…
- It's not you, it's your printer: State-sponsored and phishing threats in 2025 · 29 minIn this episode, we unpack state-sponsored and phishing trends from the 2025 Talos Year in Review. Amy and Martin Lee explore the alarming rise of internal phishing campaigns…
- 2025's ransomware trends and zombie vulnerabilities · 22 minIn this episode, Amy and Pierre Cadieux unpack the ransomware and vulnerability trends that defined 2025. From the persistent ransomware threats targeting the manufacturing…
- Cybersecurity’s double-header: 2025 insights from Talos and Splunk · 32 minIn this episode of Talos Takes, Amy is joined by William Largent (Cisco Talos) and Lou Stella (Splunk) for a "double-header" discussion. With the recent release of the Cisco…
- Modernizing your threat hunt · 23 minIn this episode of Talos Takes, David Bianco from Cisco Foundation AI joins Amy to demystify the world of proactive cyber defense. We explore the evolution of the PEAK Threat…
- Holding the line: Service provider security · 29 minService providers are the backbone of modern connectivity — but why are they such attractive targets for cyber actors, and what happens when critical networks go down? In this…
- IR Trends Q4 2025: Ransomware chills and phishing heats up · 14 minWhat separates organizations that successfully fend off ransomware from those that don’t? What were the top threats facing organizations? Can we (pretty please) get a sneak peek…
- Cracking the code: What encryption can (and can’t) do for you · 28 minStep into the fascinating world of cryptography. Host Amy Ciminnisi sits down with Yuri Kramarz from Cisco Talos Incident Response and Tim Wadhwa-Brown from Cisco Customer…
- Cybersecurity certifications and you · 28 minGet ready for a brand-new era of Talos Takes! In the first episode of the year, Amy Ciminnisi, Talos’ Content Manager and new podcast host, steps up to the mic with Joe Marshall…
