DISCARDED: Tales From the Threat Research Trenches
DISCARDED: Tales from the Threat Research Trenches is a podcast for security practitioners, intelligence analysts, and threat hunters looking to learn more about the threat behaviors and attack patterns. Each episode you’ll hear real world insights from our researchers about the latest trends in malware, threat actors, TTPs, and more.
Welcome to DISCARDED
Episodes
112 episodes
Once in a BlueMoon: Inside the Exploit Chain Four Espionage Groups Adopted in Days
Hello to all our cybernauts!This week Selena is joined by not one, not two, but three guests — Mark Kelly, Julia Paluch, and Dave Galazin — to unpack Proofpoint's latest research. Mark walks through how it started: on August 28, the Chin...
Intercepted: How Hackers Take On the Cloud
Hello to our Cyber Pals! This week, Selena hands the mic over to a recording of Proofpoint's Intercepted webinar — a monthly video series she co-hosts with Sarah Sabotka — for a deep dive into how cloud brute force attacks ...
Half-Click is so Hot Right Now: How Russian and Chinese Attackers Exploit Mailservers
Hello to all our cyber stars!Host Selena Larson is joined by co-host Sarah Sabotka, along with returning guest Greg Lesnewich, Principal Threat Research Engineer, and Staff Threat Researcher Mark Kelly, for a follow-up to last episode's ...
Half-Click, Full Compromise: Inside Russia's TA458 and TA488 Espionage Playbook
Hello to all our cyber roosters!Host Selena Larson is joined by co-host Sarah Sabatka and returning guest Greg Lesnewich, Principal Threat Researcher at Proofpoint, to unpack two new reports on Russian aligned espionage actors ...
StealC Exposed: Tracking, Emulating, and Disrupting a Top Info Stealer
Hello to all our Cyber Pals!Host Selena Larson is joined by Golo Mühr, Malware Reverse Engineer, X-Force Threat Intelligence and Kyle Cucci (Staff Threat Researcher, Proofpoint) to break down the joint research that helped powe...
OMITB: Trusting the wrong package.
Hello to all our Cyber Pals! This week, we present a special replay of "Only Malware in the Building," the podcast that our host, Selena Larson, also co-hosts! Enjoy!Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Bui...
From Phishing to Court Cases: How Microsoft Fights Back Against Hackers
Hello to all our Cyber Pals!Host Selena Larson is joined by Sean Farrell, Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), to pull back the curtain on how major cyber crime takedowns actually happen and how M...
Diving Into the DBIR: Vulnerabilities, AI, and Supply Chain
Hello to all our Cyber Pals!Host Selena Larson is joined by guest host Sarah Sabotka as they chat with returning guest: Alex Pinto, Associate Director of Threat Intelligence at Verizon Business, and the architect behind the Verizon Data ...
"Always Intentional": A CISO's Pragmatic Take on the Agentic Era
What does it actually look like to bring AI into a threat intelligence program at one of the internet's most iconic companies?Hello to all our Cyber Pals!Host Selena Larson is joined by guest host, Sarah Sabot...
A Device Code Explosion: The New Era of AI-Enabled Phishing
Hello to all our Cyber Sunbeams!Host Selena Larson is joined by guest host, Sarah Sabotka as they chat with Jake Gionet to unpack one of the fastest-growing threats in today’s cyber landscape: device code phishing.
Champagne with Our Campaigns: A 100th Episode Happy Hour
Hello to all our Cyber Pals, Cyber Centaurs, Cyber Stars, and listeners who have been with us for 100 episodes! It’s our 100th episode—and we’re raising a glass to celebrate. 🥂Host Selena Larson is joined by long-time guest hos...
Magic Packets & Stealth Backdoors: The Art of Detection Engineering
Hello to all our Cyber Daffodils! Host Selena Larson, and guest Host, Tim Kromphardt, sit down with Stuart Del Caliz, Senior Threat Detection Engineer at Proofpoint, to unpack the stealthy world of backdoors, malware detection, and the “secr...
Regional Threats, Global Impact: A TA2725 Case Study
Hello to all our Cyber Pals! Guest host Sarah Sabotka sits down with Senior Threat Researcher Jared Peck to unpack one of the most dynamic and persistent cybercrime groups operating today: TA2725, also known as “Grana.”From its roots in ...
TrustConnect RAT: Inside a Vibe-Coded Malware Ecosystem
Hello to all our Cyber Pals! Host Selena Larson and co-host, Tim Kromphardt, chat with Tommy Madjar, Senior Threat Researcher from Proofpoint, to unpack one of the strangest malware investigations of the year: TrustConnect RAT....
AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement: Malware Research in the Age of LLMs
Hello to all our Cyber Pals! Host Selena Larson and co-host, Sarah Sabotka, chat with Kyle Cucci, and Dr. Chris Wakelin, Threat Researchers from Proofpoint. They unpack how artificial intelligence is shaping modern malware analysis and d...
Snowball Learning: Getting Real About Cybersecurity Training
Hello to all our Cyber Pals! Host Selena Larson and co-host, Sarah Sabotka, chat with Dr. Bob Hausmann, Lead Cognitive Scientist of Human Risk Management at Proofpoint. They have a timely conversation on whether cybersecurity training actual...
Emerging Threats in 2026: Inside Proofpoint’s Detection Playbook
Hello to all our Cyber Pals! Host Selena Larson and co-host, Tim Kromphardt, chat with Rich Gonzalez, Director of Emerging Threats at Proofpoint, to kick off 2026 with a behind-the-scenes look at how emerging threats are detected, tracke...
Operation EndOfYear: New Malware, Popular Tactics, and Where AI Is Taking Us
Hello to all our Cyber Elves! Host Selena Larson chats with Daniel Blackford, Vice President of Threat Research at Proofpoint, for an end-of-year look at how the cyber threat landscape evolved—and what defenders should be preparing for in 20...
Ho-Ho-Hold Up—Is That Message Real? Bad Santas Are Sending Seasonal Scams
Happy Holidays to all our Cyber Pals!Host Selena Larson, and co-guest ho-ho-ho hosts, Tim Kromphardt & Sarah Sabotka unwrap the surprising (and sometimes clever) ways cybercriminals use seasonal themes to trick both consumers and ent...
From Toasters to Botnets: Securing Everyday IoT
Hello to all our Cyber Squirrels!Host Selena Larson, and guest host, Tim Kromphardt sit down with Tony Robinson — Senior Security Research Engineer and “rule magician” from Proofpoint’s Emerging Threats team. Tony shares the st...
Elect More Hackers: Tech Skills for Real-World Change
Hello to all our Cyber Squirrels! Can hackers make great public servants? Host Selena Larson, and co-guest hosts, Sarah Sabotka and Tim Kromphardt sit down with Andrew Brandt, Founder and Executive Director of Elect More Hackers — a...
From Web Injects to Info Stealers: How Cybercriminals Stay Ahead
Hello to all our Cyber Sleuths! Host Selena Larson, and guest host, Sarah Sabotka take you behind the scenes of the ever-changing world of cybercrime—where attackers innovate, scams evolve, and staying one step ahead is a constant challenge....
When Being Aware of Cybersecurity Means Knowing You're Human
Hello to all our Pumpkin Spice Cyber Friends! It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month — and what better way to kick it off than with a deep dive into the human side of cyber threats? In this episode host Selena Larson welcomes back guest and part-ti...
Hot sauce and hot takes: An Only Malware in the Building special
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building — but this time, it’s not just another episode. This is a special edition you won’t want to miss.For the first time, our hosts are together in-studio — and they’r...
Freighty Cats: RFQ Phishing Comes to A Warehouse Near You
Hello to all our Cyber Stars! In this episode host Selena Larson welcomes back guest and part-time co-host Tim Kromphardt, fresh from DEFCON, to explore the world of request-for-quote (RFQ) fraud—a growing scam targeting small- to medium-sized ...