In this episode Michael and Sam are talking to malware researcher Dr. Marcus Botacin. Dr. Botacin discusses his journey from early work in sandboxing to advanced malware detection through machine learning, his recent efforts combining LLMs with GANs to create an iterative malware generation system that enhances evasion capabilities, and the importance of scaling defensive technologies to match the generative power of AI in offensive use cases.

Things Mentioned:

• With 'TPUXtract,' Attackers Can Steal Orgs' AI Models - https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/tpuxtract-attackers-steal-ai-models
• GPThreats-3: Is Automatic Malware Generation a Threat? - https://marcusbotacin.github.io/publication/2023-05-01-paper-gpt-number-27
• SoK: All You Need to Know About On-Device ML Model Extraction - The Gap Between Research and Practice - https://marcusbotacin.github.io/publication/2024-05-01-paper-model-extraction-32
• Prospective Students and Research Ideas - https://marcusbotacin.github.io/research/
• HOU.SEC.CON. 2024 Talk: https://youtu.be/5lk_xklzcMg?si=oYyqMMyBUhY0ZbsZ

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

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· CyberSunday

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· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

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· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Marcus Botacin

· Production and editing: Lauren Lynch

· Music by: August Honey

Today’s episode looks a little different as Michael and Sam are talking to the entire YOUTH.SEC.CON. team! Arthi Vasudevan, Reynaldo Gonzalez, and Mary DiFiore-Smith joined the podcast to discuss all aspects of our first event focused on 9th – 12th grade students. Listen now to learn about the talks and activities, eligibility, registration, safety, and more!

Things Mentioned:

· Arthi’s episode - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2215185/episodes/14638988

· YOUTH.SEC.CON. Clip - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7303136605781774336

· Learn more about YOUTH.SEC.CON. - https://www.houstonseccon.com/youthseccon

· Questions about YOUTH.SEC.CON. of group ticket? Reach out to our team at info@houstonseccon.com

· TAB Cyber Foundation - https://www.tabcyberfoundation.org

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

Keep up with HOU.SEC.CON:

· LinkedIn

· Twitter

· Facebook

· Instagram

· YouTube

· Bluesky

Check out our other show:

· CyberSunday

Check out our Conferences and Events:

· HOU.SEC.CON.

· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

· HSC User Group

Support or apply to our Scholarship Program:

· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Arthi Vasudevan

· Guest: Reynaldo Gonzalez

· Guest: Mary DiFiore-Smith

· Production and Editing by: Lauren Andrus Lynch

· Music by: August Honey

Sam and Michael are joined by Offensive Security Advisor, Darin Fredde! They discuss the need to move beyond compliance checkboxes, the importance of continuous pen testing, and the disconnect between marketing claims and real-world security implementations.

Things Mentioned:

• Having trouble with your OT.SEC.CON. or EXEC.SEC.CON. ticket? Reach out to us at info@houstonseccon.com
• Expired Domains Allowed Control Over 4,000 Backdoors on Compromised Systems - https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/expired-domains-allowed-control-over.html
• Watch Darin’s Talk: https://youtu.be/SAW0qdTgcWY?si=Z_Dc-gNWcPtjdVgi

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

Keep up with HOU.SEC.CON:

· LinkedIn

· Twitter

· Facebook

· Instagram

· YouTube

· Bluesky

Check out our other show:

· CyberSunday

Check out our Conferences and Events:

· HOU.SEC.CON.

· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

· HSC User Group

Support or apply to our Scholarship Program:

· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Darin Fredde

· Production and editing: Lauren Lynch

· Music by: August Honey

Michael and Sam are joined by Field CTO, Steven Schmidt! They discuss the early days of application security, the evolution of AppSec tools and processes, and challenges in balancing developer speed with security requirements.

Thank you to Snyk for sponsoring this episode! Learn more about building secure applications at https://snyk.io and chat with their team at EXEC.SEC.CON. on April 22nd!

Things Mentioned:

• Learn more about Snyk at https://snyk.io
• Meet with Snyk at EXEC.SEC.CON. - https://www.accelevents.com/e/execseccon
• Having trouble with your OT.SEC.CON. or EXEC.SEC.CON. ticket? Reach out to us at info@houstonseccon.com
• Managing security in the AI age - https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366620437/Managing-security-in-the-AI-age

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

Keep up with HOU.SEC.CON:

· LinkedIn

· Twitter

· Facebook

· Instagram

· YouTube

· Bluesky

Check out our other show:

· CyberSunday

Check out our Conferences and Events:

· HOU.SEC.CON.

· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

· HSC User Group

Support or apply to our Scholarship Program:

· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Steven Schmidt

· Production and editing: Lauren Lynch

· Music by: August Honey

In today’s episode Michael and Sam are catching up with Security Consulting Manager, ICS/OT at Accenture, Stuart Bailey! Stuart shares his journey from a career in social work to cybersecurity, the challenges of working on OT environments, and the importance of network monitoring for critical infrastructure.

Things Mentioned:

· Romanian energy supplier Electrica hit by ransomware attack - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/romanian-energy-supplier-electrica-hit-by-ransomware-attack/

· Stuart’s talk - https://youtu.be/wI-7q1RSVZU?si=CaKziboHBHtyberh

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

Keep up with HOU.SEC.CON:

· LinkedIn

· Twitter

· Facebook

· Instagram

· YouTube

· Bluesky

Check out our other show:

· CyberSunday

Check out our Conferences and Events:

· HOU.SEC.CON.

· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

· HSC User Group

Support or apply to our Scholarship Program:

· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Stuart Bailey

· Production and editing: Lauren Lynch

· Music by: August Honey

This week Michael and Sam are catching up with Bugcrowd CISO, Trey Ford. They chat about his evolution from consulting to the C-Suite, how to know if the CISO role is right for you, and what alignment between security leadership and the board should look like.

Things Mentioned:

· Key strategies to Enhance Cyber Resilience - https://www.csoonline.com/article/3618501/key-strategies-to-enhance-cyber-resilience.html

· Antifragile - https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680/ref=asc_df_0812979680?mcid=974641d08a3c3d7989da94238b95532d&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693465227026&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4969104965665577900&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027586&hvtargid=pla-435487045883&psc=1

· Trey’s HOU.SEC.CON. 2024 Talk - https://youtu.be/Of__3JR3NWM?si=wShMhnbXw6d2tS7w

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

Keep up with HOU.SEC.CON:

· LinkedIn

· Twitter

· Facebook

· Instagram

· YouTube

· Bluesky

Check out our other show:

· CyberSunday

Check out our Conferences and Events:

· HOU.SEC.CON.

· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

· HSC User Group

Support or apply to our Scholarship Program:

· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Trey Ford

· Production and editing: Lauren Lynch

· Music by: August Honey

Michael and Sam are gearing up for OT.SEC.CON. with keynote speaker, Marco Ayala! Marco is an ISA Fellow, and President of InfraGard Houston with over 30 years of experience in industrial automation controls and OT/IT security. They chat about some exciting OT Cybersecurity initiatives in Texas, the incident that led him to cybersecurity, and what to expect at his talk in April.

Things Mentioned:

· Governor Abbott Announces Texas Cyber Command An Emergency Item - https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-texas-cyber-command-an-emergency-item

· Marco’s Talk at S4: Normalization of Deviance - https://youtu.be/u1xmyJmGsS0?si=UrSlqVVfvyasvz68

· Marco’s panel at OTCEP in Singapore - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2023-otcep-embracing-new-perspectives-strengthening-ayala/?trackingId=OyeuSlWZQBSNUKgxBl%2BZmQ%3D%3D

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

Keep up with HOU.SEC.CON:

· LinkedIn

· Twitter

· Facebook

· Instagram

· YouTube

· Bluesky

Check out our other show:

· CyberSunday

Check out our Conferences and Events:

· HOU.SEC.CON.

· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

· HSC User Group

Support or apply to our Scholarship Program:

· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Marco Ayala

· Production and editing: Lauren Lynch

· Music by: August Honey

Hosts Michael and Sam are covering another HOU.SEC.CON. 2024 presentation, this time with Security Architect Stephen Alexander! They discuss how audits, while annoying, can provide significant value by offering insights for organizational improvement, help ensure compliance, and educate companies on how to strengthen their security operations.

Things Mentioned:

· US govt says Cisco gear often targeted in China's Salt Typhoon attacks on 8 telecommunications providers — issues Cisco-specific advice to patch networks to fend off attacks - https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/us-govt-says-cisco-gear-often-targeted-in-chinas-salt-typhoon-attacks-on-8-telecommunications-providers-issues-cisco-specific-advice-to-patch-networks-to-fend-off-attacks

· Wireless Wars Book: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Wars-Dangerous-Domination-Fighting/dp/1953295614

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at podcast@houstonseccon.com

Keep up with HOU.SEC.CON:

· LinkedIn

· Twitter

· Facebook

· Instagram

· YouTube

· Bluesky

Check out our other show:

· CyberSunday

Check out our Conferences and Events:

· HOU.SEC.CON.

· OT.SEC.CON.

· EXEC.SEC.CON.

· HSC User Group

Support or apply to our Scholarship Program:

· TAB Cyber Foundation

In this episode:

· Host: Michael Farnum

· Host: Sam Van Ryder

· Guest: Stephen Alexander

· Production and editing: Lauren Lynch

· Music by: August Honey