Cleartext

Cleartext – June 18, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Hostile states behind three-quarters of attacks on Britain's critical infrastructure, cyber chief warns • EU grants Ukraine access to cybersecurity reserve for major attacks • North Korean Hiring Fraud Runs on AI and US Laptop Farms • California water utility probes breach claim by Iran-linked actor Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-18.md

Cleartext – June 17, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Chinese Espionage Actor Abuses Email Rules to Steal Research Data • Risky Bulletin: China arrests Silver Fox cybercrime group suspects • Security Community Slams US Ban on Exporting Mythos, Fable • EU Security Experts to Support Ukrainian Organizations in Case of Cyber-Attacks Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-17.md

Cleartext – June 16, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Google exposes China espionage group that’s been lurking in networks undetected since 2023 • Cybersecurity vets protest ‘dangerous’ US government ban on Anthropic’s most powerful models • Cyberattack on Russian tech firm Astral disrupts business, government services for week • Ransomware gang abuses Microsoft Teams relays to hide malicious traffic Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-16.md

Cleartext Week in Review – June 13, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • FBI takes down massive China-based cybercrime network that caused $1.9B in losses • U.S. Orders Anthropic to Suspend Fable 5 and Mythos 5 Access for Foreign Nationals • Russian national charged in connection with Void Blizzard espionage campaign • China-Linked Hackers Backdoored Linux Login Software to Hide for Nearly a Decade Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-13.md

Cleartext – June 12, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Russian national charged in connection with Void Blizzard espionage campaign • DOJ, FBI Seize 13 Domains in Chinese Recruitment Op • Authorities dismantle crypto laundering service that moved €336 million for cybercriminals • Over 73,000 French govt employees affected in Tchap messenger breach Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-12.md

Cleartext – June 11, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • North Koreans behind nearly half of US tech industry hacks, says CrowdStrike • China-linked JDY botnet expands targeting of U.S. military networks • Extortion-Only Attacks Increase, With Data Theft Dominating Ransomware Claims • Who Runs the Ransomware Group ‘The Gentlemen?’ Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-11.md

Cleartext – June 10, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • UK weakens proposed telecoms defenses against Chinese hackers after industry pushback • IT sector faces growing threats from IP-hungry China, AI-enabled cybercriminals • Anthropic Offers Mythos Upgrade for Cyber Partners and a ‘Safe’ Version for the Rest of You • ServiceNow Flaw Exploited to Gain Unauthorized Access to Customer Instances Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-10.md

Cleartext – June 09, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Iran Signed a Ceasefire — Its Hackers Didn't • Microsoft’s open source tools were hacked to steal passwords of AI developers • French government messaging platform breached through account hijacking • New Shai-Hulud attack trojanizes 19 science-focused PyPI packages Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-09.md

Cleartext – June 08, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • VerdantBamboo Deploys BSD Variant of BRICKSTORM on Linux Appliances • Russia upgrades rules for its digital spy system to better track citizens online • Risky Bulletin: RubyGems adds dependency cooldowns to counter supply chain attacks • AI Agents Are the New Insiders Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-08.md

Cleartext Week in Review – June 06, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • Anthropic scales Claude Mythos to critical infrastructure in 15+ countries • NSA said to be readying Anthropic’s Mythos for use in cyber operations • Chinese APT deploys new malware to keep access to hacked networks • Srsly Risky Biz: NATO's cyber approach needs to change Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-06.md

Cleartext – June 05, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • China's TA4922 Expands Cybercrime Attacks Globally • CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks defy estimates as AI fuels cyber demand • AI is helping low-skill hackers pull off advanced cyberattacks • Attackers obtained encrypted password vaults from some Dashlane user accounts Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-05.md

Cleartext – June 04, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Srsly Risky Biz: NATO's cyber approach needs to change • CISA warns of cyberattacks targeting fuel tank monitoring systems • China-Linked TA4922 Expands Phishing Attacks to UK, Germany, Italy, and South Africa • U.S. sanctions Nobitex crypto exchange used by Iranian ransomware actors Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-04.md

Cleartext – June 03, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • AI-built ransomware toolkit automates EDR evasion, AD discovery • China Uses Dual-Method Cyberattack on Czech Orgs • Anthropic scales Claude Mythos to critical infrastructure in 15+ countries • Password manager Dashlane says hackers stole some customers’ password vaults Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-03.md

Cleartext – June 02, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • NSA selects new leads for key cybersecurity posts • Sophos uncovers AI-powered malware lab built for EDR evasion • Microsoft launches MXC, an OS-level sandbox for AI agents, with OpenAI and Nvidia already on board • Anthropic’s browser agent got hijacked 31.5% of the time before safeguards engaged Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-06-02.md

Cleartext Week in Review – May 30, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • Russia conducting daily attacks on UK 'from seabed to cyberspace,' spy chief warns • Netherlands Seizes 800 Servers, Arrests 2 for Aiding Cyberattacks • Iranian Hackers Deploy MiniFast and MiniJunk V2 via Phishing and SEO Poisoning • Iranian hackers blamed for breach of Los Angeles transit system that took weeks to recover Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-30.md

Cleartext – May 29, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Russia conducting daily attacks on UK 'from seabed to cyberspace,' spy chief warns • Chinese Hackers Exploit Iran War to Target Maritime and Energy Companies • Dutch govt disrupts malware botnet with 17 million infected devices • New Russian-Linked GREYVIBE Targets Ukraine with AI-Powered Cyberattacks Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-29.md

Cleartext – May 28, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Russia conducting daily attacks on UK 'from seabed to cyberspace,' spy chief warns • UK spy chief labels AI ‘unstoppable force’ with offensive, defensive ramifications for cyberspace • CrowdStrike disrupts Glassworm botnet that preyed on open-source supply chain • Chinese Phishers Use Live MFA Interception for Digital Wallet Fraud Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-28.md

Cleartext – May 27, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Iranian intelligence service behind hack of LA transit system, researchers say • MuddyWater Uses DLL Side-Loading in Espionage Campaign Targeting 9 Countries • Dutch government blocks US company from acquisition, citing ‘risk to public interest’ • Charter confirms data breach after ShinyHunters extortion threat Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-27.md

Cleartext – May 26, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Netherlands Seizes 800 Servers, Arrests 2 for Aiding Cyberattacks • Iranian Hackers Deploy MiniFast and MiniJunk V2 via Phishing and SEO Poisoning • Kremlin appoints cyber executive with alleged GRU ties to Security Council role • Anthropic: Claude Mythos identified 10,000+ software flaws Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-26.md

Cleartext – May 25, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Netherlands Seizes 800 Servers, Arrests 2 for Aiding Cyberattacks • Lazarus Deploys RemotePE Memory-Only RAT Against Financial and Crypto Firms • Lessons for organizations from the Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report • The AI Era Is Creating a Bug Hunting Arms Race Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-25.md

Cleartext Week in Review – May 23, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • Microsoft Takes Down Malware-Signing Service Behind Ransomware Attacks • Iran-linked hackers target key US, allied sectors with sophisticated spear-phishing messages • First VPN Dismantled in Global Takedown Over Use by 25 Ransomware Groups • Alleged Kimwolf Botmaster ‘Dort’ Arrested, Charged in U.S. and Canada Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-23.md

Cleartext – May 22, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • China's Webworm Uses Discord, Microsoft Graphs to Hack EU Governments • Belarus-linked hackers use fake training certificates to target Ukrainian officials • European authorities take down prolific cybercrime VPN service • A hacker group is poisoning open source code at an unprecedented scale Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-22.md

Cleartext – May 21, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Xi and Putin pledge closer cooperation on AI, cyberspace and satellite systems • Europe dismantles VPN service used by cybercriminals to hide ransomware attacks • Srsly Risky Biz: Politicians ditch Signal for homegrown apps • Microsoft Takes Down Malware-Signing Service Behind Ransomware Attacks Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-21.md

Cleartext – May 20, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • CISA credential leak raises alarms, and Capitol Hill demands answers • Ukraine says Russia is deploying AI-powered malware on the battlefield • Huawei zero-day attack behind last year’s crash of Luxembourg's entire telecoms network • Verizon DBIR: Vulnerability exploitation is the dominant initial access vector Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-20.md

Cleartext – May 19, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Verizon Breach Report: Vulnerability Exploitation Surges • Four AI supply-chain attacks in 50 days exposed the release pipeline red teams aren't covering • The New Phishing Click: How OAuth Consent Bypasses MFA • CISA Admin Leaked AWS GovCloud Keys on Github Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-19.md

Cleartext – May 18, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Pre-Stuxnet Fast16 Malware Tampered with Nuclear Weapons Simulations • Interpol Launches Sweeping Cybercrime Crackdown in MENA Region • Grafana says stolen GitHub token let hackers steal codebase • Tycoon2FA hijacks Microsoft 365 accounts via device-code phishing Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-18.md

Cleartext Week in Review – May 16, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • Researchers say AI just broke every benchmark for autonomous cyber capability • Turla Turns Kazuar Backdoor Into Modular P2P Botnet for Persistent Access • Hackers Used AI to Develop First Known Zero-Day 2FA Bypass for Mass Exploitation • OpenAI launches Daybreak to combat cyber threats Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-16.md

Cleartext – May 15, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Pentagon cyber official calls advanced AI ‘revolutionary warfare’ • Mustang Panda Linked to New Modular FDMTP Backdoor • Major tech manufacturer Foxconn confirms cyberattack hit North American factories • OpenAI confirms security breach in TanStack supply chain attack Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-15.md

Cleartext – May 14, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Closed briefing sets stage for House hearing on Anthropic’s Mythos and cyber risks • Researchers say AI just broke every benchmark for autonomous cyber capability • Daybreak is OpenAI’s answer to the AI arms race in cybersecurity • Vector embedding security gap exposes enterprise AI pipelines Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-14.md

Cleartext – May 13, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • China's 'FamousSparrow' APT Nests in South Caucasus Energy Firm • ‘Mini Shai-Hulud’ malware compromises hundreds of open-source packages in sprawling supply-chain attack • Foxconn confirms cyberattack claimed by Nitrogen ransomware gang • West Pharmaceutical warns of ransomware attack impacting business operations Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-13.md

Cleartext – May 12, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Hackers Used AI to Develop First Known Zero-Day 2FA Bypass for Mass Exploitation • Cloudflare Cuts 1,100, Arctic Wolf Axes 250 Amid AI Surge • Instructure pays ransom after Canvas incident as Congress announces investigation • Mini Shai-Hulud Worm Compromises TanStack, Mistral AI, Guardrails AI & More Packages Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-12.md

Cleartext – May 11, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Cyber Espionage Group Targets Aviation Firms to Steal Map Data • Google spotted an AI-developed zero-day before attackers could use it • AI tool poisoning exposes a major flaw in enterprise agent security • UK water company allowed hackers to lurk undetected for nearly two years, regulator finds Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-11.md

Cleartext Week in Review – May 09, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • OpenAI and Anthropic LLMs Used in Critical Infrastructure Cyber-Attack, Warns Dragos • Poland says hackers breached water treatment plants, and the US is facing the same threat • MuddyWater Uses Microsoft Teams to Steal Credentials in False Flag Ransomware Attack • American duo sentenced for hosting laptop farms for North Korean IT workers Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-09.md

Cleartext – May 08, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Iranian government hackers using Chaos ransomware as cover, researchers say • OpenAI and Anthropic LLMs Used in Critical Infrastructure Cyber-Attack, Warns Dragos • Polish intelligence warns hackers attacked water treatment control systems • OpenAI tunes GPT-5.5-Cyber for more permissive security workflows Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-08.md

Cleartext – May 07, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Polish intelligence warns hackers attacked water treatment control systems • DOJ says ransomware gang tapped into Russian government databases • MuddyWater hackers use Chaos ransomware as a decoy in attacks • Hackers compromise Daemon Tools in global supply-chain attack, researchers say Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-07.md

Cleartext – May 06, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • CISA wants critical infrastructure to operate ‘weeks to months’ in isolation during conflict • Middle East Cyber Battle Field Broadens — Especially in UAE • Hackers compromise Daemon Tools in global supply-chain attack, researchers say • Trellix Source Code Breach Highlights Growing Supply Chain Threats Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-06.md

Cleartext – May 05, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Australia launches cyber review board modeled on version disbanded in US • Everest Group Begins Leaking Alleged Liberty Mutual Data • Trellix discloses data breach after source code repository hack • Five Eyes Sound Alarm on Autonomous AI Security Risks Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-05.md

Cleartext – May 04, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Global Crackdown Arrests 276, Shuts 9 Crypto Scam Centers, Seizes $701M • Why data centers now belong on the critical infrastructure list • Risky Bulletin: DigiCert hacked with a malicious screensaver file • Progress warns of critical MOVEit Automation auth bypass flaw Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-04.md

Cleartext Week in Review – May 02, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • 76% of All Crypto Stolen in 2026 Is Now in North Korea • BlueNoroff Uses Fake Zoom Calls to Turn Victims Into Attack Lures • Chinese National Extradited Over Silk Typhoon Cyber Campaign • China-Linked Hackers Target Asian Governments, NATO State, Journalists, and Activists Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-02.md

Cleartext – May 01, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • DHS Shutdown Ends as CISA Faces Long Recovery • Claude Code, Copilot and Codex all got hacked. Every attacker went for the credential, not the model. • US ransomware negotiators get 4 years in prison over BlackCat attacks • Two new extortion crews are speedrunning the Scattered Spider playbook Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-05-01.md

Cleartext – April 30, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Srsly Risky Biz: US Vows to Fight Distillation Attacks • Lotus Wiper Attack Targets Venezuelan Energy Firms, Utilities • Everyone’s building AI agents. Almost nobody’s ready for what they do to identity. • SAP-Related npm Packages Compromised in Credential-Stealing Supply Chain Attack Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-30.md

Cleartext – April 29, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Risky Bulletin: Ukrainians hacked Russian satellite comms platform • Chinese National Extradited Over Silk Typhoon Cyber Campaign • Germany Caught Up in Likely Russian Signal Phishing • Cyber Command, NSA chief warns foreign adversaries likely to target midterms Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-29.md

Cleartext – April 27, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Risky Bulletin: New fingerprinting technique can track Tor users • Researchers Identify Fast16 Sabotage Malware That Pre-Dates Stuxnet • Mythos Changed the Math on Vulnerability Discovery. Most Teams Aren't Ready for the Remediation Side • Most Cybersecurity Professionals Feel Undervalued and Underpaid Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-27.md

Cleartext Week in Review – April 25, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • A dozen allied agencies say China is building covert hacker networks out of everyday routers • AI Tools Are Helping Mediocre North Korean Hackers Steal Millions • Iran’s cyber threat may be less ‘shock and awe’ than ‘low and slow,’ officials say • Mozilla: Anthropic's Mythos found 271 security vulnerabilities in Firefox 150 Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-25.md

Cleartext – April 24, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • A dozen allied agencies say China is building covert hacker networks out of everyday routers • Surveillance campaigns use commercial surveillance tools to exploit long-known telecom vulnerabilities • In a first, a ransomware family is confirmed to be quantum-safe • Vercel attack fallout expands to more customers and third-party systems Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-24.md

Cleartext – April 23, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • China’s cyber capabilities now equal to the US, warns Dutch intelligence • Hackers deployed wiper malware in destructive attacks on Venezuela’s energy sector • Ransomware, fraud, and lawsuits drive cyber insurance claims to new peaks • France confirms data breach at government agency that manages citizens’ IDs Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-23.md

Cleartext – April 22, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • UK cyber agency handling four major incidents a week as nation-state attacks surge • Pentagon Cyber Leaders Back $1.5T Budget Request • Mozilla: Anthropic's Mythos found 271 security vulnerabilities in Firefox 150 • Three AI coding agents leaked secrets through a single prompt injection. One vendor's system card predicted it Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-22.md

Cleartext – April 21, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • KelpDAO suffers $290 million heist tied to Lazarus hackers • ZionSiphon Malware Targets Water Infrastructure Systems • Adversaries hijacked AI security tools at 90+ organizations. The next wave has write access to the firewall • Vercel’s security breach started with malware disguised as Roblox cheats Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-21.md

Cleartext – April 20, 2026 Today's briefing covers: • Researchers Detect ZionSiphon Malware Targeting Israeli Water, Desalination OT Systems • Finance Chiefs Warn New AI Models May Rattle Global Banking • EU pushes for stronger cloud sovereignty, awards €180 million to four providers • AI platform ATHR makes voice phishing a one-person job Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-20.md

Cleartext Week in Review – April 18, 2026 This week's major themes and key developments: • Sweden blames Russian hackers for attempting ‘destructive’ cyberattack on thermal plant • ZionSiphon malware designed to sabotage water treatment systems • US nationals sentenced for aiding North Korea’s tech worker scheme • FBI and Indonesian Police Dismantle W3LL Phishing Network Behind $20M Fraud Attempts Show notes & sources: https://storage.googleapis.com/cleartext-podcast/show_notes/episode_2026-04-18.md