ShadowTalk: Powered by ReliaQuest

Ransomware vs. Exfiltration-Only—The Extortion Model Showdown

Resources: https://linktr.ee/ReliaQuestShadowTalkJoin hosts Brandon and John as they discuss:Why extortion payment rates are the lowest everOrganizations paying ransomware but refusing data extortion demandsWhy defenders need both visibility and speedJohn Dilgen: Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at ReliaQuest, where he specializes in researching cyber threats impacting ReliaQuest customers. With a strong technical background, he previously served as an Incident Response Analyst and Trainer at ReliaQuest.Brandon Tirado: Director of Threat Research for ReliaQuest. A skilled cyber defense professional with a unique combination of management and hands-on experience. With a deep understanding of adversary motives and the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) they use to achieve their goals, Brandon enjoys operationalizing his knowledge to make it more difficult for adversaries to operate within the environments of ReliaQuest customers. His managerial and hands-on experience enriches ShadowTalk with practical and strategic viewpoints.

Patch Management Is Losing—The Case for Predictive Vulnerability Defense

Resources: https://linktr.ee/ReliaQuestShadowTalkJoin hosts Brandon and John as they discuss:Why traditional patch cycles can't beat attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in 24 hoursThe shift from reactive patching to predictive intelligence using EPSS and CISA KEVHow to defend against zero-days when patching isn't an optionJohn Dilgen: Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at ReliaQuest, where he specializes in researching cyber threats impacting ReliaQuest customers. With a strong technical background, he previously served as an Incident Response Analyst and Trainer at ReliaQuest.Brandon Tirado: Director of Threat Research for ReliaQuest. A skilled cyber defense professional with a unique combination of management and hands-on experience. With a deep understanding of adversary motives and the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) they use to achieve their goals, Brandon enjoys operationalizing his knowledge to make it more difficult for adversaries to operate within the environments of ReliaQuest customers. His managerial and hands-on experience enriches ShadowTalk with practical and strategic viewpoints.

Beyond Phishing Emails—Social Engineering Drives Initial Access

Resources: https://linktr.ee/ReliaQuestShadowTalkJoin hosts John and Tehman as they discuss:Why phishing emails are no longer the top malware delivery methodEmerging social engineering tactics: vishing, copy and paste abuse, and software impersonationHow campaigns have evolved from Black Basta to ShinyHuntersJohn Dilgen: Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at ReliaQuest, where he specializes in researching cyber threats impacting ReliaQuest customers. With a strong technical background, he previously served as an Incident Response Analyst and Trainer at ReliaQuest.Tehman Tariq: Sr. Manager of Cyber Operations at ReliaQuest. He has spent a majority of my career leading our Incident Response, Security Architecture, and Detection teams. As well has working hand in hand with CISOs to introduce automation allowing for the maturity of their security programs.

Malicious AI—The New Face of Cyber Threats

Resources: https://linktr.ee/ReliaQuestShadowTalkJohn and Tehman as they discuss:How AI is enabling large-scale, high-speed attacksNation-states weaponizing AI for attack automationThe rise of sophisticated AI-generated malwareJohn Dilgen: Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at ReliaQuest, where he specializes in researching cyber threats impacting ReliaQuest customers. With a strong technical background, he previously served as an Incident Response Analyst and Trainer at ReliaQuest.Tehman Tariq: Sr. Manager of Cyber Operations at ReliaQuest. He has spent a majority of my career leading our Incident Response, Security Architecture, and Detection teams. As well has working hand in hand with CISOs to introduce automation allowing for the maturity of their security programs.

Maintainer Compromise: The Next Supply-Chain Attack Vector in 2026

Resources: https://linktr.ee/ReliaQuestShadowTalkJoin hosts Brandon and John as they discuss:How supply chain attacks evolvedCampaigns targeting NPM package maintainersActionable defense strategiesBrandon Tirado: Director of Threat Research for ReliaQuest. A skilled cyber defense professional with a unique combination of management and hands-on experience. With a deep understanding of adversary motives and the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) they use to achieve their goals, Brandon enjoys operationalizing his knowledge to make it more difficult for adversaries to operate within the environments of ReliaQuest customers. His managerial and hands-on experience enriches ShadowTalk with practical and strategic viewpoints.John Dilgen: Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at ReliaQuest, where he specializes in researching cyber threats impacting ReliaQuest customers. With a strong technical background, he previously served as an Incident Response Analyst and Trainer at ReliaQuest.