Security Unlocked presents The BlueHat Podcast
From 2020 to 2022, Security Unlocked, hosted by Nic Fillingham and Natalia Godyla, explored the technology and people powering Microsoft's Security solutions.
Today, the Security Unlocked feed brings you new episodes from The BlueHat Podcast where hosts Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone speak with security researchers, responders, hackers and industry leaders, both inside and outside of Microsoft, working to secure the planet's technology and create a safer world for all.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Security Unlocked presents The BlueHat Podcast
From 2020 to 2022, Security Unlocked, hosted by Nic Fillingham and Natalia Godyla, explored the technology and people powering Microsoft's Security solutions.
Today, the Security Unlocked feed brings you new episodes from The BlueHat Podcast where hosts Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone speak with security researchers, responders, hackers and industry leaders, both inside and outside of Microsoft, working to secure the planet's technology and create a safer world for all.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham is joined by George Hughey from Microsoft who returns to discuss his Blue Hat India talk on variant hunting, explaining how MSRC uses submission data from hacking competitions like Pwn2Own and Tianfu Cup to uncover additional security vulnerabilities in Windows. George shares how incentives in competitions differ from bug bounty programs, how tools like CodeQL assist variant hunting, and why collaborating with the security research community is key to improving Windows security.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View George Hughey on LinkedIn
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
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In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Mike Macelletti from Microsoft’s MSRC Vulnerabilities and Mitigations team to explore Redirection Guard, a powerful mitigation designed to tackle a long-standing class of file path redirection vulnerabilities in Windows. Mike shares how his interest in security began, the journey behind developing Redirection Guard, and how it's helping reduce a once-common bug class across Microsoft products. He also explains how the feature works, why it's impactful, and what developers can do to adopt it. Plus, a few fun detours into Solitaire hacking, skiing, and protein powder.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Mike Macelletti on LinkedIn
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone share Ram Shankar Siva Kumar’s dynamic keynote from BlueHat India 2025, where he explores the evolving threat landscape of AI through the lens of the Microsoft AI Red Team. From adversarial machine learning to psychosocial harms and persuasive AI, Ram highlights real-world case studies, including prompt injection, content safety violations, and memory poisoning in AI agents. Ram underscores the urgent need for robust red teaming practices to secure AI systems against traditional security flaws and emerging threats across images, text, audio, and autonomous agents.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Ram Shankar Siva Kumar on LinkedIn
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Watch Ram’s BlueHat India 2025 Keynote: BlueHat India 2025 Day 2 Keynote - Ram Shankar Siva Kumar
Listen to Ram’s Previous Appearance on The BlueHat Podcast: Not with a Bug but with a Sticker
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone share David Weston’s keynote from BlueHat India 2025. David explores the growing role of on-device AI in Windows, the security risks it introduces, and how Microsoft is rethinking architecture to defend against new threats like model tampering, data exfiltration, and AI-powered malware. He also shares insights on innovations like Windows Recall, biometric protection, and the future of secure, agentic operating systems.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Felix Boulet fresh off his participation in Zero Day Quest. Felix talks about his unique journey from industrial maintenance to becoming a full-time vulnerability researcher, and how that background fuels his passion for hacking and bug bounty work. He explains his method for finding bugs in Microsoft products—particularly in identity systems—and why identity is such a valuable target for attackers. Felix also shares highlights from the Zero Day Quest event, where he focused on building connections, learning from Microsoft engineers, and experiencing the collaborative side of the security community.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Marco Ivaldi, co-founder and technical director of HN Security, a boutique company specializing in offensive security services, shares his journey from hacking as a teenager in the '80s to becoming a key figure in the security research community. With nearly three decades of experience in cybersecurity, Marco digs into the ongoing challenges, particularly in Active Directory and password security, highlighting vulnerabilities that continue to pose significant risks today. He recounts his unexpected path into bug bounty hunting, including his involvement in Microsoft's Zero Day Quest and his passion for auditing real-time operating systems like Azure RTOS.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.
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In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Dhiral Patel, Senior Security Engineer at ZoomInfo and one of MSRC’s Most Valuable Researchers (MVR). Dhiral shares how a hacked Facebook account sparked his passion for ethical hacking. From web development to penetration testing, Dhiral has become a top bug hunter, landing multiple spots on the MSRC leaderboards. Dhiral reflects on his early MSRC submissions and lessons learned. He also discusses the importance of mastering web security basics, practicing on platforms like TryHackMe and Hack the Box, and staying connected with the bug bounty community.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by security researcher Tobias Diehl, a top contributor to the Microsoft Security Research Center (MSRC) leaderboards and a Most Valuable Researcher. Tobias shares his journey from IT support to uncovering vulnerabilities in Microsoft products. He discusses his participation in the upcoming Zero Day Quest hacking challenge and breaks down a recent discovery involving Power Automate, where he identified a security flaw that could be exploited via malicious URLs. Tobias explains how developers can mitigate such risks and the importance of strong proof-of-concept submissions in security research.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The success of crypto inspired dozens of other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Tether, and Dogecoin. Today, people worldwide use cryptocurrencies to buy things, sell things, and make investments. One thing is certain; digital currencies are here to stay, no matter how many times you have to explain what a bitcoin is. Unfortunately, it also created the world of cryptojacking, a form of cybercrime that remains completely hidden from the target and can infect millions of computers with cryptojacking malware. Which brings us to the fundamental question: What can organizations do to protect themselves?
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by Microsoft senior software engineer Amitrajit Banerjee and senior staff architect at Intel Rahul Ghosh to discuss the history and prevalence of cryptojacking. The push behind a cryptojacking attack is almost always motivated by money. Mining cryptocurrencies can be very lucrative, but making a profit is challenging unless you cover high costs. They discuss the importance of understanding the actual concept of mining, how victims' CPU power and computing resources can be used, and why it isn't easy in general to detect crypto miners.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
The increasing threat of cryptocurrency miners
Defending against cryptojacking
Guidance for preventing, detecting, and hunting for exploitation
View Amitrajit Banerjee on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ransomware attacks have never been so successful. The returns from these attacks are soaring and only becoming easier to conduct. In chapter two of the Microsoft Digital Defense Report, the growing threat of cybercrime is covered in great detail. As we continue to go over the MDDR, it's more apparent than ever that the cybercrime economy and services it provides are stronger and more complex than ever. Cryptocurrency, malware, and adversarial machine learning are just a few of the topics we believe need to be covered in more detail.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, host’s Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by Jason Lyons, principal investigator in the digital crimes unit at Microsoft. Jason is an experienced investigator specializing in computer investigations. He is trained and experienced in hacker methodology/techniques, computer forensics, and incident response. Jason joined the show to discuss Chapter two of the Microsoft Digital Defense Report, which focuses on the state of cybercrime. He also speaks on how cryptocurrency has created new challenges in ransomware, why ransomware continues to grow, and recent trends we are currently seeing in malware.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
Microsoft Digital Defense Report
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Everything is exciting and new when you're a kid, and curiosity inspires many of us to branch out and try new things. For some, that means drawing from our imagination or trying all kinds of sports. And for others it means spending days at the library, checking out books on modem communications, and eventually hacking into the local dial-up community service. That's just a random example, of course... Either way, curiosity can be a powerful tool, even at a young age. To the point that it may help kickstart a career, you didn't even know existed.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, host Natalia Godyla is joined by S&P Global Ratings BISO Alyssa Miller. Alyssa is a life-long hacker and highly experienced security executive. She runs the security strategy for S&P Global Ratings as the Business Information Security Officer (BISO), bringing together corporate security objectives and business objectives. Natalia and Alyssa discuss her journey in security from a young and curious hacker to a BISO of the largest credit-rating agency, and how she is shaping what the role of the BISO will be for future generations.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Alyssa Miller on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Disinformation refers to the calculated use of false information to influence others and has been a steadily growing form of information warfare. Unfortunately, disinformation is everywhere these days, often hidden in plain sight. Criminals will also adapt and take advantage of technologies, such as AI and deepfakes, to increase the effectiveness of disinformation campaigns. Of course, there are ways to combat these types of attacks, and we cover recommendations for protecting the enterprise in the 2021 Microsoft Digital Defense Report (MDDR).
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by the Director of Enterprise Continuity and Resilience at Microsoft, Irfan Mirza, who authored the chapter on disinformation in the enterprise in the 2021 MDDR. Irfan joins to discuss what disinformation is, why the use of disinformation is growing, how cognitive hacking occurs, and how cybersecurity can start thinking about adapting their strategies.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2021
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Microsoft works around the clock to protect their customers, no matter what product they’re using, Microsoft or otherwise. In some instances Microsoft teams up with other companies, creating an all-star cybersecurity team, to handle newly discovered vulnerabilities. It helps everyone stay more secure, and of course, that's the ultimate goal, right?
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are re-joined by Jonathan Bar Or, Principal Security Researcher at Microsoft. Jonathan discusses the recently discovered vulnerability that could let attackers bypass System Integrity Protection (SIP) in macOS, why he believes in investing in cross-platform protection, and the importance of collaboration between security researchers, software vendors, and the larger security community.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
Microsoft finds new macOS vulnerability - Shrootless
View Jonathan Bar Or on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In December 2020, Microsoft began sharing information with the cybersecurity industry on a group of Russia-based hackers who gained access to multiple enterprises through vulnerable software code, stolen passwords, compromised on-premises servers, and minted SAML tokens. In this supply chain attack, hackers could access the SolarWinds code, slip malicious code into a piece of the software, and use the vendor’s legitimate software updates to spread malware to customer systems.
Security Unlocked is excited to share with you, Decoding NOBELIUM. The docuseries gives you an inside look into the NOBELIUM incident, now viewed as one of the most advanced nation-state and supply chain attacks in history, with stories from the frontline defenders who tracked and responded to the attackers.
Resources:
Decoding NOBELIUM: Video Series
Defending Against Nation-State Attacks | Microsoft Security
View Natalia on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We are back, covering more of the 2021 Microsoft Digital Defense Report, and this time we’re taking a deep dive into chapter five on Hybrid Workforce Security and Zero Trust. Zero Trust means precisely what it sounds like, never assuming any device or identity is secure; it's like having major trust issues, but in a professional way. With most businesses moving to remote work because of the pandemic, cybercriminals, of course, found new ways to take advantage, especially since most people are now moving between business and personal activity online. For the first time, we’re going to cover a full 12-month recap of what securing the hybrid workforce has been like.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by Carmichael Patton, Lead Architect for Microsoft's Internal Zero Trust Deployment. Carmichael joins the show to discuss security challenges and trends impacting the hybrid workforce, the three most significant insider risk vulnerabilities, and why some customers are still not using MFA.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
The 2021 Microsoft Digital Defense Report
View Carmichael Patton on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The way most people operate online these days, what would you even consider private anymore? We are so quick to share details about our job, home, friends, and family without even thinking about how much personal info we're giving away. Privacy and user agreements are a part of almost everyone's life at this point, and what do you know about them? For the most part, we often see a user agreement pop up, click agree and move on, but do you know what you just agreed to? Privacy choices have become routine, though they shouldn’t be.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by Privacy Counsel and Data Protection Officer at Asana, Whitney Merrill. She is an accomplished attorney with 7+ years of privacy, data security, and data governance experience. Whitney discusses how to avoid common privacy mistakes, current privacy attack trends, and the importance of thinking like an attacker.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Whitney Merrill on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The newfound popularity of the internet in the nineties spurned an obsession with hacking. Unfortunately, most movies believed that it wasn't possible to show real hacking and still be entertaining; hence all the awkward video game graphics and characters living in sketchy basements regularly yelling out, "We're in!" while pounding on their keyboards. I'd also like to address their outfit choices but now is not the appropriate time. The point is, hackers have been portrayed as the same character repeatedly when in reality, there are many possibilities to turn these skills into a legitimate career.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Veracode Chris Wysopal. In the ’90s, Chris was one of the first vulnerability researchers at The L0pht, a hacker think tank, where he publicized his findings on the dangers of insecure software. Chris shares guidance for anyone getting started with modern secure software development, the best tools to monitor for vulnerabilities in open-source code, and shares what he believes is one of the greatest threats to software development.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Chris Wysopal on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Okay, look, we know you plan on reading the entire 2021 MDDR at some point. But you're busy. Life gets in the way. We get it. Who has the time! Well, we've got the time, but that's beside the point, and honestly... fortunate for you. We've read the report front to back and have decided to cover some of it today on the podcast, but you'll still need to read all 134 pages yourself if you truly want to grasp the entire piece. Unless you want to be that person who listens to a single podcast and pretends they read the whole thing... then go ahead; we won't tell.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by Sian John, Microsoft's director of strategic growth. Sian is currently working with the business development team, exploring growth opportunities for Microsoft to strengthen security, compliance, and identity offerings that address unfulfilled needs in the market. As a security professional with over 25 years of experience, Sian accompanies us as we discuss the 2021 Microsoft Digital Defense Report, which she personally contributed to.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
2021 Microsoft Digital Defense Report
View Natalia on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What would you say is the most personal possession that you own? Most would say their cell phone... unless you still have a few journals from high school. And if you do, this is your reminder that it might be time to let those go. It's become increasingly apparent lately how much info our phones collect from us, from the first app you check in the morning after waking up, recent calendar entries, and your actual heart rate by 9 am. The crazy part is most people don't give it a second thought. It doesn't interest us... until something or someone goes missing, then it becomes a road map to whatever it is you did.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, host's Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are joined by Senior Digital Forensics Researcher at Cellebrite, SANS Author and Senior Instructor Sarah Edwards. Sarah walks us through the world of mobile digital forensics while also crushing our dreams on how not so relatable it is to our favorite CSI television shows. She explains what makes mobile forensics unique while incredibly intimate and how a mobile device can be used as part of an attack chain.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
View Sarah Edwards on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
View Natalia on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You're back home celebrating the holidays with friends and family, sharing stories, catching up, and discussing your plans for the year ahead. Next thing you know, that cousin who wouldn't stop sending you emails about the "future of bitcoin" and coin mining kicks the door open, and he's ready to spread some holiday knowledge. Oh yeah, he's also going to cut you in on a sweet deal he has going on with his buddy Carl, who he met at dollar wing night. Unfortunately, Carl is one of the bad guys. He is secretly infecting multiple devices with botnets, collecting crypto-cash at the expense of the naive device owners who don't know that their machines are being used.
In this episode of Security Unlocked, hosts Natalia Godyla and Nic Fillingham are re-joined by Microsoft Defender 365 threat intelligence team member Elif Kaya, whose current primary focus is with botnets, commodity threats, and phishing delivered malware. Elif explains some of the new techniques from botnets, how they're being used for financial theft via cryptocurrency mining, and the impact on the defender's view of these actions.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Some Questions We Ask:
Resources:
Phorpiex morphs: How a longstanding botnet persists and thrives in the current threat environment
When coin miners evolve, Part 2: Hunting down LemonDuck and LemonCat attacks
View Natalia on LinkedIn
View Nic on LinkedIn
Related:
Listen to: Security Unlocked: CISO Series with Bret Arsenault
Listen to: Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Security Unlocked is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of The CyberWire Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.