Nov 19, 2024 2 min read Podcast

The Adversarial Podcast Ep. 11 - incoming Trump administration, Microsoft's leaked SaaS creds, and software liability policy

Introduction:

  • The episode opens with a discussion on securing devices for employees traveling to high-risk countries, like China, as a way to protect corporate data and maintain customer trust.
  • Hosts Jerry, Sounil, and Mario welcome listeners and discuss recent events, including the FS-ISAC Fall Summit in Atlanta and geopolitical implications of the recent election.

Key Topics:

  1. Geopolitical Risks:
    • The group explores China's espionage activities and Russia's geopolitical maneuvers, predicting shifts in attacker strategies depending on U.S. political leadership.
    • Concerns about China's possible invasion of Taiwan and its implications for global tech, particularly chip manufacturing, are highlighted.
  2. Cybersecurity and Crypto:
    • The hosts discuss the post-election stock market bump, particularly in the tech and crypto sectors, and note the growing reliance on platforms like Coinbase.
    • They debate the perception and reality of cryptocurrency stability.
  3. Travel Security Policies:
    • The panel critiques outdated views on China-focused security policies and suggests broadening these policies to apply to all non-extradition countries.
    • Anecdotes on “burner laptops” and espionage myths are shared, emphasizing a need for realistic threat modeling.
  4. InfoStealers and SaaS Security:
    • Rising threats from InfoStealer malware, which targets stored credentials, are explored.
    • A specific case involving Snowflake and ServiceNow platforms highlights vulnerabilities tied to single-factor authentication and API misuse.
    • Debate on whether such findings should be within the scope of bug bounty programs arises.
  5. Shift Toward Hybrid and On-Prem Models:
    • Discussion on whether critical applications are moving back on-premises due to high cloud costs, especially for AI workloads.
    • The hosts argue the shift is likely economic rather than security-driven.
  6. EU Product Liability Directive:
    • The EU’s new directive introduces potential liability for software developers and companies, even extending to individual coders.
    • The implications for open source and global software markets are debated, with concerns about increased costs for doing business in the EU.
  7. CrowdStrike vs. Delta Lawsuit:
    • The CrowdStrike-Delta legal battle is analyzed, focusing on issues like the discovery of risk registers and internal chats, and how this might expose Delta's cybersecurity weaknesses.
    • Potential ripple effects for CrowdStrike's reputation and customer base are considered.

Closing Thoughts:

  • The episode ends with reflections on regulatory landscapes, including GDPR and how enforcement levels shape software innovation and compliance strategies.
  • The hosts tease ongoing developments in the CrowdStrike case as a topic to watch closely.

This episode combines high-level geopolitical discussions with detailed analysis of pressing cybersecurity trends, offering a mix of technical insights and industry perspectives.

Stories

Hosts: