Cyberattacks have played a significant role in the war in Ukraine. Officials in Washington and Kyiv have blamed Russian hackers for targeting satellite systems and using digital assaults to execute disinformation and psychological warfare campaigns. Victor Zhora, the deputy chairman of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, is actively involved in defending against those attacks and talks to Safe Mode about the evolution of cyberwar in Ukraine. CyberScoop reporter AJ Vicens also joins the show to talk about his reporting on the cybercrime underworld and hacker forums such as BreachForums.

Victor Zhora on the frontlines of digital war between Ukraine and Russia

This week, Greg talks to Will Dixon, Senior Intelligence Collection Manager for Intel471, about the lifecycle and takedown of DanaBot — one of the most notorious malware-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms of the last decade. We'll explore how DanaBot transformed from a banking trojan into a full-featured MaaS tool, capable of serving both criminal enterprises and espionage operations. Will shares insights on its technical evolution, how it became a vital cog in the Initial Access Broker (IAB) ecosystem, and the anti-forensic tricks that kept detection teams on their toes. We'll also dig into the broader impact on the cybercrime underground: How did DanaBot’s productization and subscription model reshape the MaaS and IAB economies? Has its downfall changed how actors maintain operational security, or blurred the lines between crimeware and espionage tools? This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the inside story of a leading-edge cybercrime operation and global enforcement campaign.


Intel471’s Will Dixon goes behind the scenes on the DanaBot takedown

Safe Mode Podcast

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