Listen to Talos security experts as they bring their hot takes on current security topics and Talos research to the table. Along the way Hazel, Mitch, Matt and a rotating chair of special guests will talk about anything (and we mean anything) that's on their minds, from the latest YouTube trends to Olympic curling etiquette. New episodes every other Thursday.
In this episode of Beers with Talos, Hazel, Bill, Dave and Joe are joined by Kendall McKay to dive into the soap opera of modern cybercrime. From rival gangs launching smear campaigns against one another to reputation systems, trusted intermediaries and dark web "customer reviews". Turns out, every ransomware operation is one passive-aggressive group chat message away from falling apart.
Kendall chats to us about how AI is changing the economics of cybercrime, why it's helping inexperienced attackers get through the front door (only to leave them wondering what to do next), and how defenders can prioritize their defenses.
We also discuss the rise of supply chain attacks, and where the lines between cybercrime and state sponsored activity are beginning to blur.
Elsewhere in the episode, Joe once again attempts to Make Hazel a Hacker, Dave explains how a McDonald's receipt became an unlikely piece of counterintelligence, we preview Black Hat 2026, and Bill wraps everything up with his practical takeaways for defenders.
Every week, our host brings on a new guest from Talos or the broader Cisco Security world to break down a complicated security topic in just five or 10 minutes. We cover everything from breaking news to attacker trends and emerging threats.
In this episode, Amy and analyst Lexi DiScola unpack the trends Talos IR saw on the frontlines in Q2 2026. From creative phishing lures that slip past email gateways to the weaponization of legitimate remote management tools, we explore why traditional defenses are falling short and the practical things you can do to reclaim the advantage.
What configuration changes and visibility gaps could be the difference between a minor incident and a full-scale breach? How can you harden your environment with limited resources? Tune into this episode to stay one step ahead of an evolving threat landscape.
Talos IR Quarterly Trends Report: https://blog.talosintelligence.com/ir-trends-q2-2026
Find Talos at Black Hat: https://blog.talosintelligence.com/preview-cisco-talos-at-black-hat-usa-2026/