Do you think you could get scammed by a chatbot?&nbsp; Neither did IBM Chief People Hacker Stephanie Carruthers—until she went toe to toe with one.&nbsp; In this episode of Security Intelligence, we take you inside the John Henry Competition at DEF CON 2024, where Carruthers competed with an AI-powered vishing bot to see who was the better con artist.&nbsp; The results just might surprise you.&nbsp; Along the way, we explore how generative AI is transforming social engineering, why vishing and voice cloning attacks are surging and what it all means for defenders who’ve spent years training people to spot phishing emails—but not phone calls that sound exactly like their boss.&nbsp; All that and more—on Security Intelligence.&nbsp; The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp;&nbsp;Follow the Security Intelligence podcast on your preferred platform: <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence</a>&nbsp;

Stephanie Carruthers

Global Head of Cyber Range | Chief People Hacker, X-Force 

AI chatbots are learning how to scam people. Can we still outsmart them? 

John Henry vs. the chatbot: Can humans outsmart AI scam artists?

AI-generated malware has officially arrived. But does it matter all that much?&nbsp; This week on Security Intelligence, Suja Viswesan, Dave Bales and Dustin Heywood join us to discuss VoidLink, which might just be the first thoroughly documented case of a malware framework generated with significant AI help. The question is: What really changes when malware is no longer the handiwork of human hackers?&nbsp; We also explore the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, where CEOs and CISOs are split on what they fear most: cyber fraud or ransomware? Then we cover the debate over data protection vs. service resilience, and we dig into the takedown of RedVDS, a major player in the cybercrime-as-a-service supply chain.&nbsp; Finally, we reflect on the 40th anniversary of “The Hacker Manifesto,” asking what’s changed—and what hasn’t—in hacker culture.&nbsp; All that and more on Security Intelligence&nbsp; 00:00 -- Introduction01:40 -- CEOs vs. CISOs: 2026 cyberthreats&nbsp;&nbsp;11:10 -- VoidLink: Documented AI malware&nbsp;&nbsp;19:28 -- Are we too worried about our data?&nbsp;&nbsp;27:28 -- Cybercrime supply chains&nbsp;&nbsp;34:05 -- 40 years of hacking culture&nbsp; &nbsp;The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp;&nbsp;Explore the podcast → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence</a>&nbsp;Learn more about cybersecurity → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers#tabs-fw-44e285b2cc-item-df35f5fbab-tab" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers#tabs-fw-44e285b2cc-item-df35f5fbab-tab</a> &nbsp;

Suja Viswesan

Vice President, Security Products 

Dustin Heywood

Executive Managing Hacker, Senior Technical Staff Member 

Dave Bales,

X-Force Incident Command 

Does it matter if AI writes malware? Plus: cyber fraud vs. ransomware, data protection vs. cyber resilience and The Hacker Manifesto. 

The newest AI malware vs. 40 years of hacker culture

AI has changed the speed of cyberattacks. But it hasn’t changed the most important variable: people.&nbsp; In this episode of Security Intelligence, panelists Jake Paulson, Stephanie Carruthers and Matt Cerny dig into how AI-driven threats—phishing, deepfakes and disinformation—are reshaping the cyberthreat landscape. Organizations, too, are adopting AI tools to help detect these attacks.&nbsp; But even in the era of AI, people are ultimately our first and last lines of defense. And all too often, we don’t give them what they need to succeed. How do we help human beings adapt to the increased speed, scale and impact of AI threats?&nbsp; The answer, our panel argues, isn’t more checkbox training or prettier slides. It’s realistic, immersive training that builds muscle memory, confidence under stress and decision-making skills for moments when things don’t go according to plan.&nbsp; We talk about:&nbsp; <ul><li>00:00 -- Introduction&nbsp;</li><li>01:48 -- AI phishing, deepfakes and modern social engineering tactics&nbsp;</li><li>09:19 -- Why humans are still the primary attack surface—and the strongest defense&nbsp;</li><li>17:03 -- The difference between tabletop exercises and cyber range training&nbsp;</li><li>22:00 -- How immersive simulations prepare teams for real incident response pressure&nbsp;</li><li>42:00 -- Why preparedness matters more than awareness in the age of AI attacks&nbsp;</li></ul> Because when AI accelerates attacks, training determines the outcome.&nbsp; All that and more on Security Intelligence.&nbsp; The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp; #cybersecuritytraining #AIcyberthreats #AIphishing #AIcyberattacks Explore the podcast → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence</a>Learn more about the cyber range → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/cyber-range" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/cyber-range</a>Discover how AI training can support your business → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/services/xforce-cyber-range" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/services/xforce-cyber-range</a>

Global Head of Cyber Range, Chief People Hacker, X-Force 

Matt Cerny

Director, Cyber Security at Integra LifeSciences 

Jake Paulson

Deputy Head of X-Force 

Cybersecurity training is more important than ever in the age of AI cyberattacks. But we have to get it right. 

Most cybersecurity training doesn’t work. Can we change that?

Between LockBit, RansomHub and BlackSuit, law enforcement racked up some big wins against ransomware gangs last year. So why aren’t the attacks letting up?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this episode of Security Intelligence, panelists JR Rao, Jeff Crume and Michelle Alavarez unpack what the state of ransomware in 2025 really looked like, and why things haven’t slowed things down as much as we might hope.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, we turn to identity security and cloud breaches as we consider the striking case of Zestix, the lone threat actor linked to breaches at 50 global enterprises. And all he needed were some passwords.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From there, we look at what the future of hacking might hold. Palo Alto’s Wendi Whitmore issued a warning about how AI agents could become devastating insider threats, and security researchers at GEEKCon demonstrated how AI-powered robots can be hijacked using voice commands alone, turning prompt injection into a physical-world security risk.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s a niche scenario today. But is it also a preview of what happens when AI, robotics and operational technology collide?&nbsp;&nbsp;Listen to Security Intelligence to find out.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;00:00 -- Introduction&nbsp;01:05 -- Ransomware in 2026&nbsp;&nbsp;09:26 -- Zestix linked to 50 hacks&nbsp;&nbsp;18:42 -- AI agents as insider threats&nbsp;&nbsp;31:20 -- Hacking humanoid robots&nbsp;&nbsp;The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp;&nbsp;Subscribe to the IBM Think newsletter →&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=news-urx-52120" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=news-urx-52120</a>&nbsp;Explore the podcast → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

JR Rao

IBM Fellow, CTO Security Research 

Jeff Crume

Distinguished Engineer, Master Inventor, AI and Data Security 

Michelle Alvarez

Manager, X-Force Threat Intelligence 

Why ransomware persists, MFA still fails, and AI agents may become insider threats—plus a look at voice-hacked robots. 

Ransomware whack-a-mole, AI agents as insider threats and how to hack a humanoid robot

Explore the podcast → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence</a> Say your cloud storage service gets hacked. Say the attackers broke in by exploiting a vulnerability in an open-source library your organization used to build the service. Who owns that vulnerability?&nbsp;&nbsp; Microsoft is trying to clear some of the smog obscuring the software supply chain by expanding its bug bounty program to include some third-party code that affects it services. In this episode of Security Intelligence, panelists Jeff Crume, Nick Bradley and Claire Nuñez discuss what that move means for cybersecurity responsibility models going forward.&nbsp;&nbsp; We also analyze how a three-year-old LastPass breach is still giving cybercriminals new credentials to steal. Turns out “harvest now, decrypt later” isn’t just a quantum concern.&nbsp; Plus: OpenAI fights prompt injections with an automated, AI-powered red team, hackers have a new tool to make ClickFix attacks even easier and we share the New Year’s Resolutions we hope organizations will make in 2026.&nbsp; All that and more on Security Intelligence.&nbsp; 00:00 -- Introduction&nbsp;1:11 -- Cybersecurity resolutions&nbsp;6:51 -- Microsoft’s new bug bounties&nbsp;14:00 -- The LastPass breach’s long tail&nbsp;26:07 -- Automated red teaming&nbsp;33:22 -- ClickFix-as-a-service&nbsp; The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp; Subscribe for AI and security updates → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=news-urx-52120" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=news-urx-52120</a>

Claire Nunez

Creative Director, IBM X-Force Cyber Range 

Nick Bradley

Distinguished Engineer, Master Inventor, Data and AI Security 

This week on Security Intelligence: Microsoft’s bug bounties, the long tail of the LastPass breach, automated red teams and ClickFix goes commercial. 

A new take on bug bounties, AI red teams and our New Year’s resolutions

Explore the podcast → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/security-intelligence</a>&nbsp; In this special year-end episode of Security Intelligence, we reflect on 2025, a year of new attack methods (ClickFix), new vulnerabilities (vibecoding) and new worries on the horizon (shadow agents).&nbsp; From hijacked AI agents to massive supply chain breaches, 2025 forced security leaders to confront a sobering reality: trust might just be our biggest attack surface.&nbsp;&nbsp; Join hosts Matt Kosinski and Patrick Austin for a jam-packed look back at the biggest cybersecurity trends and cyberattacks of 2025, the lessons we can learn from them and what the road ahead looks like. Featuring:&nbsp; 00:00 – Introduction4:10 – AI and data security with Michelle Alvarez and Jeff Crume&nbsp;22:42 – Biggest cyberattacks of 2025 with Dave Bales and Nick Bradley&nbsp;38:18 – Major lessons, innovations and failures of cybersecurity in 2025 with Suja Viswesan and Sridhar Muppidi&nbsp; All that and more on Security Intelligence.&nbsp; The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp;&nbsp;Learn more about cybersecurity → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/security" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/security</a>&nbsp;

Dave Bales

Sridhar Muppidi

IBM Fellow, CTO IBM Security 

Distinguished Engineer, Master Inventor, Data and AI Security  

Michelle Alvarez 

Manager, X-Force Strategic Threat Analysis

From AI security gaps and supply chain chaos to record-setting breaches, we look back at the biggest cybersecurity stories and trends of 2025. 

Cybersecurity’s year in review: ClickFix attacks, vibecoding vulnerabilities, shadow agents and more

AI browsers are neat—but are they more trouble than they’re worth?&nbsp;&nbsp; In this episode of Security Intelligence, Austin Zeizel, Evelyn Anderson and Ryan Anschutz discuss Gartner’s recent advisory warning organizations to ban AI browsers from the workplace for the time being. Is there anything we can do to make them safe enough to use?&nbsp; And that leads to a broader conversation about the relationship between AI model providers and the cybersecurity community. In the wake of some high-profile attacks using AI models—like the spy ring Anthropic busted—cybersecurity pros are split on whether AI vendors are pulling their weight in threat intel circles. This one has it all: spam bombing, social engineering and malicious virtual machines.&nbsp; All that and more on Security Intelligence.&nbsp;&nbsp; 00:00 – Introduction&nbsp;01:14 -- Gartner: No AI browsers at work&nbsp;13:38 -- Should AI vendors share threat intel?&nbsp;23:11 -- MITRE’s top 25 most dangerous software flaws&nbsp;33:15 -- Are social logins safe?&nbsp;41:54 -- Bring-your-own-VM attacks&nbsp; The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp; Learn more about cybersecurity → <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/security" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/think/security</a>&nbsp;

Austin Zeizel

Threat Intelligence Consultant 

Ryan Anschutz

North America Leader of X-Force Incident Response 

Evelyn Anderson

CSS CTO, IBM Distinguished Engineer, IBM Master Inventor

Are AI browsers safe for work? We unpack Gartner’s warning, MITRE’s 2025 Top 25 weaknesses, SSO risks and a surprising new VM-based attack. 

AI browser bans and the top software flaws of 2025

Security Intelligence is a weekly news podcast for cybersecurity pros who need to stay ahead of fast-moving threats. Each week, we cover the latest threats, trend, and stories shaping the digital landscape, alongside expert insights that help make sense of it all. Whether you’re a builder, defender, business leader or simply curious about how to stay secure in a connected world, you’ll find timely updates and timeless principles in an accessible, engaging format. New episodes weekly on Wednesdays at 6am EST.

IBM

John Henry vs. the chatbot: Can humans outsmart AI scam artists?

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Today's Host

Matt Kosinski

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Stephanie Carruthers

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