Cyber Security

A presentation special from the AVAR conference in Singapore, December 2022!

• What is the attack chain?
• Why is it good to test using full attack chains?
• And what are some of the alternative approaches, with their pros and cons?

Security Life Hack from Simon Edwards (SE Labs)!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

We explore how testers behave, or misbehave. And the different ways, some more honest than others, that security vendors engage with testing. 

• Can you trust security tests?
• What do their results actually mean?
• How honest are the testers and the security companies they test?

 Guests on this month's Cyber Security DE:CODED podcast include Richard Ford (Praetorian).

Plus a full bonus interview with Richard Ford.
Security Life Hack from Siggi Stefnisson (Gen)!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

Small business and Managed Service Provider special!

• Do small businesses face the same cyber threats as large organisations?
• Are your security solutions 100% effective? And how do you pick a good one?
• Where are the opportunities for MSPs to add value and make more money?

In June 2022 we set up a panel of security experts to help and advise companies selling managed security services. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) need to choose a set of security solutions that they can use or possibly resell to their small business clients, known as SMBs.

The clients face the same cyber threats as large organisations, but they’re far less equipped to handle them.

We answer all of these questions and more with special guests Martin Lee from Cisco, Chad Skipper from VMware, and Luis Corrons from Avast.

Security Life Hack from John Hawes (AMTSO)!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

Mental health is an important but often misunderstood area, full of prejudice and technical jargon. How can we look after ourselves better at work and in our personal lives?

• Post-pandemic, we take stock on the mental impacts of working from home and isolated environments. And now we’re facing hybrid working. Can we take control?
• Is this the right time to take stock and address any issues we can identify to stay happier?
• Protective factors can keep us going but, when they disappear, we can experience problems

We address all of these issues and more, with special guest Olly Church (The Eleos Partnership).

Security Life Hack from Luis Corrons (Avast)!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

Ransomware is feared by businesses all over the world. What happens during and after an attack? We give a unique insight into the experiences of ransomware victims.

• How do organisations react to a ransomware attack?
• We examine the grey area between good and bad apps

 Guests on this month's Cyber Security DE:CODED podcast include Jeremy Kirk (The Ransomware Files) and Dennis Batchelder (AppEsteem).

Plus a full bonus interview with Jeremy Kirk.
Security Life Hack from Brian Monkman (NetSecOPEN)!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

The 'cloud' is integrating with our lives at ever more useful (or intrusive!) levels. We look at what securing the cloud means in the real world.

• Securing the cloud and testing cloud security
• Cryptocurrency security tips
• What does a personal hack attack look like?

 Guests on this month's Cyber Security DE:CODED podcast include Eugene Kaspersky (Kaspersky) and Luis Corrons (Avast).

Plus a full bonus interview with Luis Corrons.
Security Life Hack from Chad Skipper (VMware)!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

What does it mean to test like a hacker? Can a well-intentioned tester behave the same as a real cybercriminal?

When you’re looking for a good security test, how can you tell the useful from the misleading?

Our email accounts sit at the centre of our digital lives. We look at ways to bullet-proof your most important internet account.

We discuss these questions, and more, with Frank Duff (ex-MITRE, now Tidal Cyber), Mike Sentonas (CrowdStrike) and Siggi Stefnisson (Avast).

Security Life Hack from Daniel Cuthbert!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

Is your firewall as fast as you think?
What does XDR mean and how does it work?
Do you need a personal VPN?

We talk to Brian Monkman (NetSecOPEN), Chad Skipper (VMware), Luis Corrons (Avast) and Daniel Cuthbert.

Security Life Hack from Dennis Batchelder (AppEsteem)!

(Full Show Notes available on our website.) 

Can Microsoft solve security? 
Do you need anti-virus on your smartphone? 
And are Macs more secure than PCs? 

We ask Eugene Kaspersky (Kaspersky) and Christian Seifert (Microsoft)

Security Life Hack from Mikko Mikko Hyppönen (WithSecure)

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)

Simon and Marc discuss and dissect 9 Hollywood hacker movies from the last 30+ years, including:

• Snowden
• Blackhat
• Die Hard 4.0 (Live Free or Die Hard)
• Who Am I
• Fast and Furious 8 (The Fate of the Furious)
• The Social Network
• Hackers
• Sneakers
• WarGames

Which are the most realistic? Or stupid? And why?

We don't take a totally nerdy approach to this. Reasonable latitude is given to artistic license. But we take a zero tolerance approach to loud keyboards.

Also featured:

The Net
Mr Robot

In this episode we’re going to look at what a computer breach, or hack, actually looks like. From both the attacker and defender’s points of view.

We welcome special guest St. John Harold, a cyber security veteran of 20 years experience in the armed forces, governmental organisations and commercial companies.

(Full Show Notes available on our website.) 

In this episode Simon and Marc focus on the basics of understanding and managing risk. They discuss insurance, how to assess the risk of anything (from dropping a cup of tea on an expensive server to animal attacks!) and touch on ransomware.

We look at the issues from the perspective of executives in large organisations and founders setting up their own startups.

(Full Show Notes available on our website.) 

Companies spend trillions on cyber security each year. But how do they decide which products and services are the best?

We dig down into the sometimes shady world of cyber security sales, market analysis and product testing. How do the relationships work between clients, salespeople, analysts, testers and the media?

Simon Edwards (SE Labs) talks to special guests Allison Elizondo (ex-NSS Labs, now SentinelOne) and Nabil Khokhar (ex-Glencore, now DarkGuard)

(Full Show Notes available on our website.) 

We continue our first series on cyber security by looking at the most basic concepts.

• Why can't we just lock everything up in a safe?
• Is cyber security for large businesses more complicated than it needs to be?
• How do governments and spy agencies approach the problem?
• How can we use these concepts to secure our businesses and our families?

(Full Show Notes available on our website.) 

Anti-virus seems to keep dying! Simon Edwards looks at why people keep repeating the claim and why it's important to understand the issues, even if you don't agree with them.

• What is "anti-virus" anyway?
• Naughty marketing claims
• Opinionated researchers with inside knowledge
• Outdated opinions
• Grumpy software developers

And the briefest history of computer anti-virus that we could manage.

(Full Show Notes available on our website.) 

Where can large and small businesses find good, basic cyber security advice?

We look at the options and discuss the UK's Cyber Essentials programme. Is it a good start or a non-starter?

(Full Show Notes available on our website.) 

How do attacker attack? We look at their tactics and explore your options to help recognise and evade them. We examine social engineering in a cyber security and physical context, as well as technical exploits.

(Full Show Notes available on our website.)