CypherTalk

In this episode of CypherTalk, Isaac Patka, co-founder of Shield3 and certification lead at the Security Alliance (SEAL), joins Jade Doherty and Stefan Beyer to discuss the human, operational, and governance risks shaping Web3 security. From early smart contract bug hunting to incident response wargames, SEAL 911, Safe Harbor, and the launch of SEAL certifications, Isaac explains why security is no longer just about audits and code.

The conversation explores how DeFi protocols can prepare for real incidents, why operational controls matter as much as smart contract reviews, and how AI is changing the threat landscape for both attackers and defenders. Isaac also shares practical insights on slowing down dangerous protocol actions, designing better incident response processes, and building a more mature security culture across crypto.

Enjoyed the episode and want to get SEAL certified? Oak Security is a SEAL-approved provider, and can review and certify your protocol to make sure your operational security is as good as your smart contracts.

Get in touch via https://oaksecurity.io/ 

Key topics

Isaac’s path from electrical engineering and semiconductors to Web3 security

How smart contract security has changed since the early Ethereum days

The difference between audits, war games, threat modeling, and incident response

How SEAL 911 helps coordinate emergency response across the crypto ecosystem

SEAL certifications and why operational security needs its own standard

Why SOC 2 and ISO do not fully capture Web3-specific risks

Multisig operations, treasury controls, DNS security, DevOps, and identity management

The rise of social engineering, insider threats, and operational attacks

North Korea, Lazarus Group, and state-sponsored crypto threats

How AI is expanding the attack surface for smaller protocols

Why protocols should build in slowness, circuit breakers, and operational controls

Sound Bites

“An audit tries to prevent an incident and the war game tries to help you deal with an incident.”

“Social engineering works for a reason. Humans are fallible.”

“What is the slowest I can possibly make this and have it still be functional?”

“People don’t think during the design process about where they should build slowness into the protocol.”

“The core smart contracts have gotten a lot better, which has pushed the security risks to different parts.”

“If more people would care from day one about operational controls or circuit breakers, that’s what I would want.”

Resources

Isaac Patka X https://x.com/isaacpatka

Summary

In this in-depth interview, Joran Honig, a renowned bug bounty hunter and security researcher, shares insights into finding crazy bugs, the differences between audits and bug bounties, and the role of AI in security workflows. Discover practical tips, mental models, and future trends in Web3 security and bug hunting.

Key topics

Edge case bugs and how to find them

Differences between audits, bug bounties, and contest models

The role of AI and automation in security research

Tools and workflows for effective bug hunting

Responsible disclosure and handling uncooperative projects

Sound Bites

"AI can increase duplicates."

"Grimoire guides audit tasks."

"Flows help map complex code."

Resources

Joran Honig X https://x.com/joranhonig

Grimoire https://github.com/JoranHonig/grimoire

Joran’s website https://joranhonig.nl/

Summary

In this in-depth interview, Shayan Eskandari shares his journey from security expert to privacy innovator, discussing censorship resistance, Web3 security, and the future of decentralized internet infrastructure. Discover how his project MoaV aims to empower users in restrictive environments and explore the role of blockchain in privacy and decentralization.

Soundbites

"My belief in information being free drives everything."

"My wife’s experience in Iran inspired Moav."

"Privacy in blockchain is a complex, layered issue."

Resources

The DAO Security Fund: https://qf.giveth.io/project/cyphertalk-podcast:-security-education-for-ethereum?roundId=16

MoaV https://moav.sh/ 

Shayan’s website https://shayan.es/

Shayan’s X https://x.com/sbetamc 

Summary

This episode features a deep dive into two newly released reports on Web3 security by rekt.news and Oak Security, insights from industry experts, and discussions on the future of blockchain security. We explore recent hacks, the role of AI, and how the community can enhance security practices.

Soundbites

"AI is here to help us, not just to attack."

"Human attack vectors dominate the security issues."

"Diversify your assets and protocols to stay safe."

Links

The DAO Security Fund

The Reports:

Oak Security’s State of Web3 Security: https://research.oaksecurity.io/ 

Rekt News’ War Room Report: https://github.com/RektHQ/Reports/blob/main/Rekt_Security_Summit_War_Room_Report.pdf 

Summary

In this in-depth interview, Nadim Kobeissi shares his extensive experience in cryptography audits, the limitations of formal verification, responsible disclosure practices, and the future of cryptography and security, including post-quantum cryptography and AI's impact on cybersecurity.

Keywords

cryptography, security audits, formal verification, post-quantum cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, responsible disclosure, cryptographic protocols, AI cybersecurity, cryptography research, software security

Key Topics

Sound Bites

"Cryptography is about designing systems that are mathematically sound."

"Claims of formal verification being bug-free are often exaggerated."

"AI will be used to stockpile vulnerabilities and exploits."

Links

Nadim’s website: https://nadim.computer/

Nadim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadimkobeissi

https://symbolic.software/

https://cure53.de/

Summary

In this in-depth interview, cryptography researcher Matilda Backendal discusses applied cryptography, end-to-end encryption vulnerabilities, password manager security flaws, and the future of cryptographic research. Gain insights into real-world security challenges and best practices for protecting digital data.

Keywords

cryptography, end-to-end encryption, cloud storage security, password managers, cryptographic research, privacy, zero-knowledge proofs, digital identity, homomorphic encryption

Key topics

Applied cryptography and real-world applications

Vulnerabilities in end-to-end encryption systems

Security flaws in cloud storage and password managers

Cryptographic research and formal verification

Future trends and challenges in cryptography

 Sound bites

"Crypto is all around us in daily life."

"Most cloud storage isn't end-to-end encrypted by default."

"User-chosen passwords are a major security factor."

Links

Matilda's Website - https://mbackendal.github.io/

Paper - Zero Knowledge (About) Encryption: A Comparative Security Analysis of Three Cloud-based Password Managers - https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/058 

Summary

In this in-depth interview, Griff Green shares insights from the historic DAO hack, the evolution of Ethereum security, and TheDAO Security Fund. Discover how security practices have transformed over the years and explore new models for funding and coordinating security efforts in the crypto space.

Keywords

Ethereum, DAO hack, security, smart contracts, DAO Security Fund, crypto security, auditing, quadratic funding, white hats, blockchain security

key topics:

Sound Bites

"It was an existential threat for Ethereum."

"Funding security is a systemic problem in crypto."

"The industry needs to communicate more openly."

Links

https://x.com/Giveth 

https://thedao.fund/ 

https://x.com/thedaofund 

https://giveth.io/ 

https://x.com/griffgreen

Summary

In this episode of CypherTalk, Peter Kacherginsky, the founder of BlockThreat, joins us to discuss the evolution of his newsletter into a comprehensive source of actionable intelligence in the cybersecurity landscape, particularly focusing on Web3.

He emphasizes the importance of understanding attack patterns, the role of operational security, and the impact of AI on security practices. The conversation also touches on the implications of privacy-preserving technologies and the need for teams to prepare for future security challenges. Peter shares insights on common misassumptions in security practices and the correlation between market conditions and security incidents, concluding with advice for security teams to foster a culture of awareness and proactive measures.

In this episode of CypherTalk, we are joined by Jordi Baylina, founder of Zisk, and Stefan Beyer to explore the intricate world of privacy technology, particularly focusing on zero-knowledge proofs and their implications for security and privacy in the blockchain space.

The conversation delves into the definitions of privacy, the evolution of zero-knowledge technology, the role of developers, regulatory challenges, and the future of privacy technology beyond blockchain.