The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast

Ransomware: From Isolated Attacks to Global Criminal Ecosystem

In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sherrod DeGrippo⁠ speaks with Cynthia Kaiser to unpack the progression of ransomware from isolated attacks into a sophisticated global criminal ecosystem. Drawing on her two decades at the FBI and current role at Halcyon, Cynthia explains how cybercrime has scaled through organized networks, improved tactics, and increasing speed, with some attacks now unfolding in under an hour. The conversation explores how law enforcement strategies have shifted from targeting low-level actors to disrupting entire ecosystems, leading to more impactful takedowns. Cynthia also highlights the real-world consequences of ransomware, including its growing impact on critical infrastructure like hospitals and the potential for loss of life. The episode examines how AI is shaping both attacker and defender capabilities, accelerating phishing and access while also enabling stronger defensive responses.

Winter SHIELD: Closing the Security Control Gap

In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sherrod DeGrippo⁠ speaks with Jarrod Forgues Schlenker of the FBI’s Cyber Division about the pattern's investigators see in cyber incidents and how initiatives like Operation Winter Shield aim to close the gap between knowing what to do and actually implementing it. They discuss the importance of foundational controls like phishing-resistant authentication, secure logging, and strong identity protection, as well as the role threat intelligence and prevention play in strengthening organizational defenses. The conversation highlights how small, practical security improvements can significantly disrupt attackers and help organizations reduce risk before an incident occurs.

Transcript

AI as Tradecraft: How Threat Actors Are Operationalizing AI

In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sherrod DeGrippo⁠ is joined by Greg Schlomer and Vlad H. to discuss new research on Jasper Sleet, a North Korean–aligned threat actor incorporating AI into active operations. The conversation examines how AI is being integrated across the attack lifecycle — from highly tailored phishing lures and fabricated job applicant personas to accelerating malware development and refining operational workflows. Rather than treating AI as a novelty, Jasper Sleet is using it to increase speed, scale, and adaptability while reducing many of the friction points that once slowed campaigns. They also explore what this shift means for defenders. As AI compresses iteration cycles and lowers barriers to entry, traditional attribution signals evolve, influence operations become more convincing, and defensive teams must tighten the loop between intelligence, detection, and response. This is less about experimentation and more about the operationalization of AI as part of modern tradecraft.

Transcript

AI Recommendation Poisoning: When Optimization Becomes Manipulation

In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, ⁠Sherrod DeGrippo⁠ speaks with Microsoft security and AI researchers Giorgio Severi and Noam Kochavi about a newly observed trend in AI abuse: ⁠recommendation poisoning through memory manipulation⁠. While looking into prompt injection and reprompt-style behaviors, the team uncovered something quieter but potentially more persistent—websites embedding hidden instructions inside Summarize with AI links that attempt to influence what an AI assistant remembers and recommends over time. Rather than focusing on immediate exploitation, this technique aims to shape long-term behavior inside AI systems. Giorgio and Noam explain how it works, why it’s spreading across industries, where legitimate marketing tactics can blur into security risk, and what defenders and users should understand about managing AI memory in an increasingly agent-driven environment.

Transcript

Unpacking the Latest Threats Targeting the Financial Services Industry

In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sherrod DeGrippo⁠ is joined by Microsoft security researchers Megan Stalling and Anna Seitz to examine how financially motivated threat actors are using familiar, low-complexity techniques to drive real-world impact across the financial services sector. They examine Storm-0727, a financially motivated threat actor targeting cryptocurrency, financial services, and government entities, highlighting how simple techniques like financial-themed lures, macro-enabled documents, and credential theft allow attackers to quietly establish and maintain access. The conversation then expands to broader financial-services threat trends, including business email compromise, ransomware with data extortion, phishing-as-a-service, and why social engineering and unpatched vulnerabilities continue to succeed even in mature security environments.

Transcript