About this episode
Send us fan mail!Hello to all our Cyber Elves! Host Selena Larson chats with Daniel Blackford, Vice President of Threat Research at Proofpoint, for an end-of-year look at how the cyber threat landscape evolved—and what defenders should be preparing for in 2026.They reflect on how the second half of 2025 brought meaningful shifts in attacker behavior, with familiar techniques becoming more professionalized and new malware emerging alongside identity-focused attacks. The conversation also explores why attribution is getting harder, how law enforcement disruptions are reshaping cybercrime ecosystems, and where AI is genuinely helping defenders versus introducing new risks.In this episode, they cover:How attacker tactics “proliferated” in 2025 rather than fully reinventedThe return of new malware families alongside loaders and backdoorsWhy identity, social engineering, and legitimate tools (RMMs, device code phishing) remain top attack vectorsThe real-world impact of law enforcement takedowns like Operation EndgameHow shared tooling and services are blurring attribution across threat actorsPractical, no-hype perspectives on AI, machine learning, and defender workflowsWhat organizations should focus on now to stay resilient in 2026This episode offers a grounded, experience-driven perspective on what actually mattered in 2025—and why strong fundamentals, layered defenses, and adaptability remain the best preparation for whatever comes next.Resources Mentioned:https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/remote-access-real-cargo-cybercriminals-targeting-trucking-and-logisticshttps://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/operation-endgame-quakes-rhadamanthyshttps://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/security-brief-venomrat-defangedhttps://assets.recordedfuture.com/insikt-report-pdfs/2025/cta-ru-2025-1022.pdfhttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/lee_2025_ai_critical_thinking_survey.pdf
