He Helped Take Down the Dark Web (Twice) — Vincent D’Agostino on DFIR, FBI & Real-World Cyber

Former FBI agent and attorney Vincent “Vinnie” D’Agostino (now Head of Digital Forensics & Incident Response at BlueVoyant) joins us to unpack dark web takedowns, real DFIR process, and how a “range” of skills (law, tech, stand-up, curiosity) compounds into cyber success. We cover: How a team helped take down the dark web—twice DFIR reality vs myth: scoping, persistence hunts, EDR triage, due diligence in M&A The RDP ≈ drunk driving analogy you’ll never forget FBI - Private sector: what translates (and what doesn’t) Career advice for students & pros in the age of AI: become “rangeful,” seize moments 👥 Guest: Vincent D’Agostino — Head of DFIR @ BlueVoyant; former FBI agent & attorney 🎙 Hosts: Frank Downs & Dustin Brewer 📌 Subscribe for deep, funny, legit cyber every week. Chapter List 0:00 Cold Open — “Dark Web x2” 0:22 Intro & Who is Vincent D’Agostino 1:05 8086, 5MB HDD & falling in love with computers 5:30 From law to FBI: timing, tech, and reality checks 10:45 Cyber squads, TOR, Bitcoin & dark web context 16:30 DFIR in practice: scoping, EDR, persistence hunts 24:30 The RDP ≈ drunk driving analogy every CISO needs 29:30 Competence over politics (how to show up in calls) 34:30 Career “Range”: why hobbies compound into expertise 45:30 M&A due diligence: IR skills without the sirens 51:00 Humor as a tool: rapport in dark situations 57:00 3 Takeaways + Subscribe/Next Episode #DarkWeb #DFIR #DigitalForensics #IncidentResponse #FBI #BlueVoyant #Cybersecurity #CyberPodcast #ThreatHunting #EDR #Velociraptor #SentinelOne #Ransomware #CISO #Bitcoin #TOR #BlueTeam #CareerAdvice #AI #LegitimateCybersecurity #MandA #DueDiligence