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
103 episodes
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 ...
Direct Send Exploitation & URL Rewrite Attacks: What Security Teams Must Know
Hello to all our Cyber Squirrels! In this extra-packed episode of Discarded, host Selena Larson welcomes Proofpoint Principal Research Engineer Jason Ford for his first appearance on the show. Together, they dive into ...
Phish, Chips & Voldemort: Inside China’s Cyber Targeting of Taiwan
Hello to all our Cyber Panda Bears! In this extra-packed episode of Discarded, host Selena Larson and guest host, Sarah Sabotka reunite with Staff Threat Researcher Mark Kelly to dive deep into China-aligned espionage ...
Threat Actor Theater: TA2541, TA558, and the Cyber Heist Crew TA582
Hello to all our cyber pals! In this episode of Discarded, host Selena Larson and co-host, Tim Kromphardt, are joined by Joe Wise, Senior Threat Researcher at Proofpoint for a deep dive into the chaotic brilliance of m...
10 Things I Hate About Attribution: A Clustering Conundrum
Hello to all our cyber detectives and pedantic CTI friends! In this episode of Discarded, host Selena Larson is joined by Greg Lesnewich, Staff Threat Researcher at Proofpoint for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most frustrating...
Comic Sans and Cybercrime: Inside North Korea’s Global Cyber Playbook
Hello to all our Cyber Pals! In this episode of Discarded, host Selena Larson and co-host Sara Sabotka are joined by Saher Naumaan and Greg Lesnewich, teammates on the espionage threat research team at Proofpoint to un...
Signatures and Surprises: Inside the Emerging Threats Team
Hello to all our Cyber Masked Vigilantes! In this episode of Discarded, host Selena Larson and co-host Tim Kromhardt are joined by James Emery-Callcott, a Security Researcher on Proofpoint’s Emerging Threats team...
DBIR Deep Dive: Identity, Access, and the Expanding Attack Surface
Hello to all our Cyber Stars! Join host Selena Larson, and guest host, Sarah Sabotka, as they sit down with Alex Pinto, Associate Director of Threat Intelligence at Verizon Business and the lead author behind the industry-defining Verizon Data ...
The ClickFix Convergence: How Threat Actors Blur the Lines
Hello to all our Cyber Spring Chickens! Join host Selena Larson, and guest host, Sarah Sabotka, as they chat with Saher Naumaan, Senior Threat Researcher at Proofpoint, for a deep dive into how modern espionage and cybercrime are increasingly b...
The Art of the Innocent Ask: How Threat Actors Use Benign Conversations
Hello to all our Cyber Spring Chickens! Join host Selena Larson and guest hosts, Tim Kromphardt and Sarah Sabotka, both Senior Threat Researchers at Proofpoint. These top sleuths crack open Proofpoint’s new Human Factor ser...