Breaking Badness

In this powerful continuation of our DFIR series, cybersecurity experts Daniel Schwalbe, David

Bianco, Lesley Carhart, and Sarah Sabotka dissect the heart of effective incident response,

containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned. Packed with firsthand war stories,

sharp tactical advice, and honest debates, this episode is a must-listen for anyone building or

refining their digital forensics and incident response capabilities. Tune in to learn why planning

matters, what to do (and not do) during a breach, and how to make the adversary's job harder,

one containment plan at a time.

In Part 1 of this special two-part panel, the Breaking Badness podcast gathers leading

cybersecurity experts to explore the foundations of DFIR - Digital Forensics and Incident

Response. Featuring Daniel Schwalbe (DomainTools), Lesley Carhart (Dragos), David Bianco

(Splunk), and Sarah Sabotka (Proofpoint), the panel dives into what makes an effective incident

response program, why preparation is often overlooked, and how to bring technical and human

elements together during high-stakes security events.

In this episode of Breaking Badness, host Kali Fencl is joined by DomainTools' Daniel Schwabe

and disinformation expert Scot Terban to uncover how modern Russian disinformation

campaigns are using domain registrars, homoglyph attacks, and generative AI to mimic

legitimate news outlets and manipulate public perception. From the eerie sophistication of

Doppelganger operations to the exploitation of domain infrastructure, this episode sheds light on how truth is being weaponized in the digital era.

We also explore how AI is accelerating the speed and scale of these attacks, and the limited

levers defenders have to push back.

In this special DNS Masterclass episode of Breaking Badness, hosts Kali Fencl, Tim Helming, and Taylor Wilkes-Pierce take a deep dive into the Domain Name System often dubbed the backbone and battleground of the internet. From its humble beginnings with host files to its critical role in modern security, the episode unpacks DNS’s evolution, vulnerabilities, and impact on InfoSec.

In this episode of Breaking Badness, host Kali Fencl welcomes Wes Young of CSIRT Gadgets and Daniel Schwalbe, CISO and head of investigations at DomainTools, dive into a recent DomainTools Investigations (DTI) analysis involving ValleyRAT and Silver Fox, and how new tools are enabling faster, more accessible analysis for junior and seasoned analysts alike. Whether you're a threat intel veteran or an aspiring analyst, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons, technical insights, and future-forward thinking.

They also unpack the evolution of threat intelligence from early higher-ed days of wiki-scraped snort rules to today’s graph-powered AI analysis. Wes shares the origin story behind his platform AlphaHunt, how it's being used to automate and enhance threat detection, and why community sharing remains essential even in an era of advanced tooling.

In this episode of Breaking Badness, we dive into two major cybersecurity stories: the exploitation of a VPN vulnerability by Chinese APT 41 and the newly discovered “Wall Bleed” flaw in the Great Firewall of China.

APT 41 has been using a critical VPN vulnerability to infiltrate operational technology (OT) organizations, targeting industries like aerospace and defense. Meanwhile, researchers have uncovered a flaw in China's DNS injection system, which inadvertently leaks internal data—an ironic twist for a government known for its strict internet censorship.

Join us as we break down these exploits, their impact on cybersecurity, and what they reveal about modern cyber espionage. We also discuss best practices for securing VPNs, firewall vulnerabilities, and the ethical implications of studying censorship technologies.

Episode 202 of Breaking Badness takes a deep dive into two of the biggest cybersecurity stories of the year (so far):

● Black Basta’s Leaked Chats – A major data leak has exposed internal conversations from this notorious ransomware gang, revealing their internal struggles, ransom negotiations, and even workplace drama.

● Salt Typhoon’s Cyber Espionage – A sophisticated Chinese threat group has been caught infiltrating major U.S. telecommunications providers, raising serious concerns about national security.

In this episode of Breaking Badness, we sit down with Bruce and Heidi Potter, two of the masterminds behind ShmooCon, the legendary cybersecurity conference that ran for 20 years. They take us behind the scenes, from its hilarious bar-napkin origins to how they built a tight-knit hacker community that thrived for two decades.

In this episode of Breaking Badness, we dive into two major cybersecurity concerns: the risks of abandoned S3 buckets and a wave of phishing attacks impersonating DeepSeek. Watchtowr Labs uncovers how forgotten AWS storage can be hijacked for malicious purposes, potentially compromising military, government, and enterprise systems. Meanwhile, attackers exploit DeepSeek’s rising popularity to create lookalike sites, tricking unsuspecting users into downloading malware or exposing credentials.

Join hosts Kali Fencl, Tim Helming, and Taylor Wilkes-Pierce as they break down these findings with humor, deep insights, and even a few pop culture references. Plus, we rate the severity of these threats on our infamous Hoodie Scale and wrap up with Gold, Guidance & Grievances.

Welcome to the 200th episode of Breaking Badness! 🎉 In this special milestone edition, we take a nostalgic stroll down memory lane, discuss the evolution of cybersecurity, and explore how the podcast—and the security landscape—has changed since 2019.

In this special milestone episode, hosts Kali Fencl, Tim Helming, and Taylor Wilkes-Pierce are joined by longtime friend of the show, Allan Liska, to reflect on how both the podcast and cybersecurity world have evolved over the past six years.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and explore how Breaking Badness went from an experimental idea to a trusted, pun-filled source of cybersecurity insights.