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

In this episode, Greg Otto talks with Sonu Shankar, President at Phosphorus, to discuss the unique security challenges facing today’s rapidly expanding Internet of Things landscape, where traditional endpoint protections are ineffective. The episode explores how everyday devices with default passwords and outdated firmware open organizations up to significant risk. Shankar highlights the tactics of groups like Salt Typhoon, who exploit these weak spots to infiltrate and persist within networks. The conversation underscores the pressing need for deeper asset inventory and active discovery in critical environments.

In our reporter chat, Greg talks with Matt Kapko about a supply-chain attack on npm that turned out to be pretty close to a false alarm. 

Phosphorus’ Sonu Shankar on IoT Vulnerabilities and Salt Typhoon Tactics

Safe Mode Podcast

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