Paul Proctor, a Gartner analyst for 20 years, joins the show to discuss practical approaches businesses can apply to make cybersecurity more effective. Through thousands of hours of outreach, Proctor sees a broken system that can improve with better communication and partnership between executives and chief information security officers to create strategies based on “outcome-driven metrics.” One example is identifying the cost to return systems online in a specific time frame following a breach, while understanding that cutting funds to that effort jeopardizes the timeline.

Hosts Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, and Jamil Farshchi, FBI strategic engagement advisor, discuss the importance of cybersecurity 'fundamentals' and how measured approaches can lead to more success in a field more complicated than many think. Commenting on current events in the 'Top Three' segment, Vorndran and Farshchi highlight DeepSeek AI, the new updates to United HealthGroup’s breach, and new reporting requirements for critical infrastructure cyber incidents (Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, or CIRCIA).

Listen to Ahead of the Threat episodes, read the transcripts, and find related material at fbi.gov/aheadofthethreat.

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For our first episode of 2025, Charles Carmakal joins the show to discuss all things Scattered Spider. As the chief technology officer at Mandiant, Charles details a disturbing trend of compromises through seemingly unsophisticated, yet highly effective approaches, including hackers who trick organization help desks into granting them system access. Hosts Bryan Vorndran, the assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, and Jamil Farshchi, an FBI strategic engagement advisor, discuss mitigation techniques that companies, such as Mandiant, recommend to clients. In the episode’s Top Three segment, Bryan and Jamil discuss the breaches of BeyondTrust and Data School and give an update on Salt Typhoon.

Listen to Ahead of the Threat episodes, read the transcripts, and find related material at fbi.gov/aheadofthethreat.

Subscribe to Ahead of the Threat wherever you get your podcasts:

• Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ahead-of-the-threat-the-fbi-cyber-podcast/id1774312272
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For our last episode until 2025, FBI Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran and FBI Strategic Engagement Advisor Jamil Farshchi speak to Rachel Lavender, managing director of the cyber practice at Marsh McLennan. As a seasoned cyber-insurance broker, Rachel discusses the partnership between a company and a cyber-insurance service, working together to build and implement effective cybersecurity measures over time. She also highlights act-of-war clauses and the growing information the insurance industry has obtained in a short time by servicing victim clients, resulting in better coverage and recommendations. For the episode’s Top Three segment recounting recent events, Bryan and Jamil discuss the unsealing of charges against members of Scattered Spider, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s cybersecurity reporting rules, and reasonably managed encryption.

Listen to Ahead of the Threat episodes, read the transcripts, and find related material at fbi.gov/aheadofthethreat.

Subscribe to Ahead of the Threat wherever you get your podcasts:

• Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ahead-of-the-threat-the-fbi-cyber-podcast/id1774312272
• Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7nV7uYsEK4nH87ADpooAyA
• More ways to follow us: ahead-of-the-threat.transistor.fm/subscribe

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