Cyberside Chats: Cybersecurity Insights from the Experts

When Amazon Web Services went down on October 20, 2025, the impact rippled around the world. The outage knocked out Slack messages, paused financial trades, grounded flights, and even stopped people from charging their electric cars. From Coinbase to college classrooms, from food delivery apps to smart homes, millions discovered just how deeply their lives depend on a single cloud provider. 

In this episode, Sherri Davidoff and Matt Durrin break down what really happened inside AWS’s U.S.-East-1 region, why one glitch in a database called DynamoDB cascaded across the globe, and what it teaches us about the growing risk from invisible “fourth-party” dependencies that lurk deep in our digital supply chains. 

Key Takeaways 

1. Map and monitor your vendor ecosystem — Identify both third- and fourth-party dependencies and track their health. 
2. Require vendors to disclose key dependencies — Request a “digital bill of materials” that identifies their critical cloud and service providers. 
3. Diversify critical workloads — Don’t rely on a single hyperscaler region or platform for mission-critical services. 
4. Integrate vendor outages into incident response playbooks — Treat SaaS and cloud downtime as security events with defined response paths. 
5. Test your resilience under real-world conditions — Simulate large-scale SaaS or cloud failures in tabletop exercises. 

Resources: 

• https://www.wired.com/story/what-that-huge-aws-outage-reveals-about-the-internet 

• https://www.LMGsecurity.com/our-q3-2024-top-control-is-third-party-risk-management-lessons-from-the-crowdstrike-outage/ 

• https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/mediacenter/aws-outage-cybersecurity-risk/ 

• https://ccianet.org/wp-content/uploads/2003/09/cyberinsecurity%20the%20cost%20of%20monopoly.pdf

#cybersecurity #thirdpartyrisk #riskmanagement #infosec #ciso #cyberaware #Fourthpartyrisk #cybersidechats #lmgsecurity #aws #awsoutage

When ransomware forced Jaguar Land Rover to halt production for six weeks, the impact rippled through global supply chains — from luxury car lines to small suppliers fighting to stay afloat. In this episode, Sherri Davidoff and Matt Durrin examine what happened, why manufacturing has become ransomware’s top target, and what new data from Sophos and Black Kite reveal about the latest attack trends. 

They share practical insights on how organizations can strengthen resilience, secure supply chains, and prepare for the next wave of operational ransomware attacks. 

Key Takeaways 

1. Patch and prioritize. 
   Focus on fixing known exploited vulnerabilities (CISA KEV) and critical  flaws before attackers do. 

1. Monitor your vendors continuously. 
   Move beyond annual questionnaires — use ongoing, data-driven monitoring to identify risk in your supply chain. 

1. Segment IT and OT networks. 
   Strong isolation can contain ransomware and prevent complete production shutdowns. 

1. Invest in detection and response. 
   Around-the-clock monitoring (MDR or SOC) can detect early-stage activity before encryption starts. 

1. Practice recovery. 
   Test isolation, backup, and restoration processes regularly — and include your leadership team in realistic tabletop exercises. 

References & Further Reading 

• Sophos – State of Ransomware 2025 (June 2025) 

• Black Kite – Manufacturing TPRM Report 2025 

• The Guardian – “Jaguar Land Rover Hack Shuts Factories After Cyberattack” 

• Reuters – “JLR to Restart Some Manufacturing After Six-Week Shutdown” 

• Dark Reading – Ransomware in Manufacturing: An Escalating Battle 

• LMG Security – Ransomware Prevention Best Practices Checklist 

In this episode of Cyberside Chats, Matt Durrin and his guest explore what makes cybersecurity communication effective — whether you’re leading a sales presentation, a training session, or a tabletop exercise. The discussion dives into how to move beyond technical jargon and statistics to tell stories that resonate. Listeners will learn how understanding and communicating the “why” behind security practices can dramatically improve engagement, retention, and impact across any audience.

Top Takeaways

• Lead With Why: Start with impact and consequences before discussing tools or features.
• Use Stories, Not Just Stats: Connect technical points to human experiences that make the message memorable.
• Run the “So What?” Test: Always link facts and advice to why they matter for that specific audience.
• Balance Fear With Agency: Create urgency without hopelessness — show clear, achievable actions.
• Mix Communication Methods: Blend stories, visuals, simulations, and discussion to sustain engagement.
• Communication is a Security Control: If people don’t understand why something matters, adoption and compliance will suffer.

#cybersecurity #cyberawareness #cyberaware #training #technicaltraining #ciso #cybersecuritytraining #CybersideChats #LMGsecurity

When the government shut down, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 expired with it. That law provided liability protections for cyber threat information sharing and underpinned DHS’s Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) program, which costs about $1M a month to run. Is it worth the cost? In this episode of Cyberside Chats, Sherri Davidoff and Matt Durrin dig into the value of public-private information sharing, the uncertain future of AIS, and how cybersecurity leaders should adapt as visibility gaps emerge. Along the way, they share a real-world story of how information sharing stopped a ransomware attack in its tracks — and what could happen if those pipelines dry up. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Strengthen threat intelligence pipelines: Don’t rely solely on AIS or your vendor. Ask providers how they source threat intel and diversify feeds. 

• Review liability exposure: With CISA expired, safe harbors are gone — consult counsel before sharing. 

• Plan for reduced visibility: Run tabletop exercises simulating loss of upstream intel. 

• Get proactive about information exchange: Join ISACs, ISAOs, or local peer groups — and contribute, not just consume. 

Resources: 

• Reuters: Industry groups worry about cyber info-sharing as key U.S. law set to expire 

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Letter to Congress on CISA 2015 

• Baker McKenzie: CISA Liability Protections Terminate — What Legal & Infosec Need to Know 

• Cyberside Chats: Executive Order Shockwave: The Future of Cybersecurity Unveiled 

#CybersideChats #CISA #CISO #cybersecurity #infosec

Scattered Spider is back in the headlines, with two recent arrests — Thalha Jubair in the UK and a teenager in Nevada — bringing fresh attention to one of the most disruptive cybercriminal crews today. But the real story is in the indictments: they offer a rare inside look at the group’s structure, their victims, and the mistakes that led law enforcement to track them down. In this episode, Sherri Davidoff and Matt Durrin break down what the indictments reveal about Scattered Spider’s tactics, roles, and evolution, and what defenders can learn from these cases. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Lock down your help desk. Require strong, multi-step verification before resetting accounts, and monitor for suspicious or unusual requests. 

• Prepare for ransom decisions. Develop playbooks that model both paying and refusing, so leadership understands the financial and operational tradeoffs before an incident hits. 

• Get proactive on insider risk. Teens and early-career workers are being recruited in open forums like Telegram and Discord — build awareness and detection into your insider risk program. 

• Pressure-test your MFA. Don’t just roll it out — simulate how attackers might bypass or trick staff into resetting it. 

• Educate your team on voice social engineering. Scattered Spider relied on phone-based tactics; training staff to recognize and resist them is critical. (LMG Security offers targeted social engineering training to help your team prepare.) 

Resources: 

• BleepingComputer: “US charges UK teen over Scattered Spider hacks including US Courts” https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/uk-arrests-scattered-spider-teens-linked-to-transport-for-london-hack/ 

• “The Rabbit Hole Beneath the Crypto Couple is Endless” https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-rabbithole-beneath-the-crypto-couple-is-endless 

• MGM Breach: A Wake-up Call for Better Social Engineering Training for Employees https://www.lmgsecurity.com/2023-mgm-breach-a-wake-up-call-for-better-social-engineering-training-for-employees/ 

• DOJ press release on the indictment of five Scattered Spider members (Nov 2024) – https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/5-defendants-charged-federally-running-scheme-targeted-victim-companies-phishing-text  

• DOJ press release on UK national Thalha Jubair charged in multiple attacks (Sept 2025) – https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-kingdom-national-charged-connection-multiple-cyber-attacks-including-critical  

#cyberattack #cybersecurity #cybercrime #informationsecurity #infosec #databreach #databreaches #ScatteredSpider 

What happens when the same AI tools that make coding easier also give cybercriminals new powers? In this episode of Cyberside Chats Live, we explore the rise of “vibe coding” and its darker twin, “vibe hacking.” You’ll learn how AI is reshaping software development, how attackers are turning those vibes into cybercrime, and what it means for the future of security. 

Key Takeaways 

1. Establish ground rules for AI use  
   • Even if you don’t have developers, employees may experiment with AI tools. Set a policy for how (or if) AI can be used for coding, automation, or day-to-day tasks.  
   • Make sure staff understand not to paste sensitive data (like credentials or customer info) into AI tools. 
2. Strengthen your software supply chain  
   • If you rely on vendors or contractors, ask them whether they use AI in their development process and how they vet the resulting code.  
   • Request (or create) an inventory of software components and dependencies (SBOMs) so you know what’s inside the software you buy.  
   • Stay alert to supply chain risks from open-source code or third-party add-ons. 
3. Treat your endpoints like crown jewels  
   • Limit what software employees can install, especially IT staff.  
   • Provide a safe “sandbox” machine for testing unfamiliar tools instead of using production systems.
   • Apply strong endpoint protection and restrict administrative privileges. 
4. Prepare for AI-related incidents  
   • Include scenarios where AI is part of the attack, such as compromised development tools, malicious packages, or data fed into rogue AI systems.  
   • Plan for vendor incidents, since third-party software providers may be the first link in a compromise.  
   • Test these scenarios through tabletop exercises so your team knows how to respond. 

References 

• Malwarebytes — Claude AI chatbot abused to launch cybercrime spree (Aug 2025): https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/08/claude-ai-chatbot-abused-to-launch-cybercrime-spree 

• Trend Micro / Industrial Cyber — EvilAI malware campaign exploits AI-generated code to breach global critical sectors (Aug 2025): https://industrialcyber.co/ransomware/evilai-malware-campaign-exploits-ai-generated-code-to-breach-global-critical-sectors/ 

• The Hacker News — Cursor AI code editor flaw enables silent code execution on developer systems (Sept 2025): https://thehackernews.com/2025/09/cursor-ai-code-editor-flaw-enables.html 

• PCWorld — I saw how an “evil” AI chatbot finds vulnerabilities. It’s as scary as you think (May 2025): https://www.pcworld.com/article/2424205/i-saw-how-an-evil-ai-chatbot-finds-vulnerabilities-its-as-scary-as-you-think.html 

#AIhacking #AIcoding #vibehacking #vibecoding #cyberattack #cybersecurity #infosec #informationsecurity #datasecurity 

When we first covered the Salesforce–Drift breach, we knew it was bad. Now it’s clear the impact is even bigger. Hundreds of organizations — including Cloudflare, Palo Alto Networks, Zscaler, Proofpoint, Rubrik, and even financial firms like Wealthsimple — have confirmed they were affected. The root cause? A compromised GitHub account that opened the door to Drift’s AWS environment and gave attackers access to Salesforce and other cloud integrations. 

In Part 2, Sherri Davidoff and Matt Durrin dig into the latest updates: what’s new in the investigation, why more victim disclosures are coming, and how the GitHub compromise ties into a wider trend of supply chain attacks like GhostAction. They also share practical advice for what to do if you’ve been impacted by Drift — or if you want to prepare for the next third-party SaaS compromise. 

Tips for SaaS Incident Response: 

1. Treat this as an incident: don’t wait for vendor confirmation before acting. There may be delays in vendor disclosure, so act quickly. 
2. Notify your cyber insurance provider: 
   • Provide notice as soon as possible. 
   • Insurers may share early IOCs, coordinate with vendors, and advocate for your org alongside other affected clients. 
   • They can also connect you with funded IR and legal resources. 
3. Engage external support: 
   • Bring in your IR firm to investigate and document. 
   • Work with legal counsel to determine if notification obligations are triggered. 
4. Revoke and rotate credentials: 
   • Cycle API keys, OAuth tokens, and active sessions. 
   • Rotate credentials for connected service accounts. 
5. Inventory your data: 
   • Identify what sensitive Salesforce (or other SaaS) data is stored. 
   • Check whether support tickets, logs, or credentials were included. 
6. Search for attacker activity: 
   • Review advisories for malicious IPs, user agents, and behaviors. 
   • Don’t rely solely on vendor-published IOCs — they may be incomplete. 

References: 

• Google Cloud Threat Intelligence Blog – Data theft in Salesforce instances via Salesloft Drift 

• BleepingComputer – Salesloft March GitHub repo breach led to Salesforce data theft attacks 

• Dark Reading – Salesloft breached GitHub account compromise 

• BleepingComputer – Hackers steal 3,325 secrets in GhostAction GitHub supply chain attack 

• LMG Security Blog – Third-Party Risk Management Lessons 

#salesforcehack #salesforce #SalesforceDrift #cybersecurity #cyberattack #databreaches #datasecurity #infosec #informationsecurity

A single weak app integration opened the door for attackers to raid data from some of the world’s largest companies. Salesforce environments were hit hardest—with victims like Cloudflare, Palo Alto Networks, and Zscaler—but the blast radius also reached other SaaS platforms, including Google Workspace. In this episode of Cyberside Chats, Sherri Davidoff and Matt Durrin break down the Salesforce–Drift breach: how OAuth tokens became skeleton keys, why media headlines about billions of Gmail users were wrong, and what organizations need to do to protect themselves from similar supply chain attacks. 

Key Takeaways 

• Ensure Vendors Conduct Rigorous Technical Security Testing – Require penetration tests and attestations from third- and fourth-party SaaS providers. 

• Limit App Permissions to “Least Privilege” – Scope connected apps only to the fields and objects they truly need. 

• Implement Regular Key Rotation – Automate key rotation with vendor tools (e.g., AWS recommends every 60–90 days) to reduce the risk of leaked or stolen keys. 

• Monitor for Data Exfiltration – Watch for unusual queries, spikes in API usage, or large Bulk API jobs. 

• Limit Data Exfiltration Destinations – Restrict where exports and API jobs can go (approved IPs or managed locations). 

• Integrate SaaS Risks into Your Incident Response Plan – Include guidance on rapidly revoking or rotating OAuth tokens and keys after a compromise. 

References 

1. Google Threat Intelligence Group advisory on UNC6395 / Drift OAuth compromise 
2. Cloudflare disclosure on the Drift incident 
3. Zscaler security advisory on Drift-related Salesforce breach 
4. LMG Security Blog – Third-Party Risk Management Lessons 

#Salesforcehack #SalesforceDrift #cybersecurity #cyberattack #cyberaware