Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks

In this episode of Threat Vector, host Michael Heller, Managing Editor for Cortex and Unit 42 and Executive Producer of the podcast, sits down with long-time security leaders Greg Conti and Tom Cross to unpack the hacker mindset and the idea of “dark capabilities” inside modern technology companies. Greg, Principal at Kopidion Cybersecurity and a former Army Cyber Institute founder, and Tom, Head of Threat Research at GetReal and Senior Associate at Kopidion, explain why the real risk is not just what a product is supposed to do, but everything it is technically capable of doing in the hands of insiders, governments, or determined adversaries. Drawing on their DEF CON trainings in adversarial thinking and recent talks on effects based operations for tech companies, they explore how security leaders can systematically map their organization’s hidden capabilities, stress test them with an “if we decided to be evil” lens, and then build the technical and institutional guardrails that keep both people and platforms aligned with ethical and strategic goals. This conversation is especially important for decision makers tasked with securing the workforce in an era of AI, pervasive sensors, and increasingly blurred lines between defense and offense. Join the conversation on our social media channels: Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threat Research:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paloaltonetworks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ About Threat Vector Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends. The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers. Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization. Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠http://paloaltonetworks.com.⁠

In this episode of Threat Vector, host David Moulton, Senior Director of Thought Leadership at Unit 42, speaks with Jiphun Satapathy, SVP and CISO of Medallia. They discuss how security and user experience must coexist in today’s hybrid and AI-driven workplace. Satapathy explains how Medallia secures its global workforce, manages SaaS adoption, and uses enterprise browsers to protect users without adding friction. The conversation explores GenAI risk, shadow AI, endpoint visibility, and how SASE architecture enables smarter, safer workflows. Learn how CISOs can rethink old processes to keep innovation and protection in balance. Join the conversation on our social media channels: Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threat Research:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paloaltonetworks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ About Threat Vector Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends. The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers. Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization. Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠http://paloaltonetworks.com.⁠

We dive into a nostalgic yet revealing journey through classic hacker films, from WarGames to The Net and beyond, to assess what they got right, what they wildly imagined, and what those stories say about culture, fears, and cyber reality today. David Moulton, Senior Director of Thought Leadership for Unit 42  talks with Ben Hasskamp, Global Content Leader at Palo Alto Networks, who has been writing deeply on this intersection of media, tech, and risk. Together, we’ll examine how cinematic depictions of hacking have shaped public perception, influenced policy, and sometimes eerily foreshadowed modern cyber threats. Expect a blend of film critique, security insight, and cultural reflection. Join the conversation on our social media channels: Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threat Research:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paloaltonetworks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ About Threat Vector Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends. The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers. Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization. Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠http://paloaltonetworks.com.⁠

In this special episode of Threat Vector, host David Moulton, Senior Director of Thought Leadership for Unit 42, sits down with Stav Setty, Principal Researcher at Palo Alto Networks, to unpack Jingle Thief a cloud-only, identity-driven campaign that turned Microsoft 365 into a gift card printing press. Stav explains how the Morocco based group known as Atlas Lion lived off the land inside M365 for months at a time, using tailored phishing and smishing pages, URL tricks, and internal phishing to compromise one user and quietly pivot to dozens more. Together, David and Stav walk through how the attackers abused legitimate identity features like device registration, MFA resets, inbox forwarding rules, and ServiceNow style access requests to blend into normal business workflows and monetize “digital cash” in the form of gift cards. They dig into why MFA alone is not safety, why identity is now the real perimeter, and how behavioral analytics, UEBA, and ITDR can piece together small signals into a clear story of compromise. You’ll come away with practical steps to harden identity posture, spot early warning signs in cloud environments, and protect high value systems where trust can be turned directly into profit. To go deeper on this campaign and the Atlas Lion threat actor, read the Unit 42 article Jingle Thief Inside a Cloud-Based Gift Card Fraud Campaign at https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-based-gift-card-fraud-campaign/ Join the conversation on our social media channels: Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threat Research:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paloaltonetworks⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ About Threat Vector Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends. The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers. Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization. Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠http://paloaltonetworks.com.⁠

In this episode of Threat Vector, host David Moulton, Senior Director of Thought Leadership for Unit 42, speaks with Elad Koren, Vice President of Product Management for Cortex Cloud at Palo Alto Networks. With the 2025 Unit 42 Incident Response Report showing that adversaries can move from initial compromise to data theft in less than five hours, Elad explains why reactive security models can no longer keep up. He outlines how complexity in cloud environments, rising attacker speed, and the use of AI-driven automation have reshaped the threat landscape, leaving defenders little time to respond. The conversation dives into why posture and configuration alone are not enough, how uniting vulnerability management and threat detection eliminates blind spots, and why "peacetime" and "wartime" security must finally converge. Listeners will learn how to build trust between security and development teams, what it takes to truly shift left, and how unifying data and context enables faster and smarter decision-making. For security leaders ready to evolve from firefighting to forewarning, this episode offers a clear roadmap to proactive and resilient defense. Join the conversation on our social media channels: Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threat Research:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/LifeatPaloAltoNetworks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/unit42/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paloaltonetworks⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ About Threat Vector Threat Vector by Palo Alto Networks is your premier podcast for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends. The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers. Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization. Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠http://paloaltonetworks.com.