We’re kicking off the new year by taking a closer look at some of the threats that will shape 2026, and how they impact defenders.

In this episode of the mnemonic security podcast, Robby welcomes Candid Wüest, Principal Security Advocate at xorlab, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in the field. After seeing Candid's talk “The Rise of AI-Driven Malware: Threats, Myths, and Defenses” at BlackHat Europe, Robby invited him to share his research and perspectives on the current state of AI-driven malware.

They talk about the most common misunderstandings around AI-powered, AI-generated and AI-supported threats, as well as which types of LLM-related attacks Candid expects to make the news, and actually be effective, in 2026.

Candid also shares his thoughts on how defenders’ roles are evolving, where he has seen organisations successfully implement AI in defense, and why going back to basics still matters. They also explore some of the biggest topics from Black Hat Europe in December, including AI-enabled SOCs.

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