In this episode, Dhillon Kannabhiran shares the gritty origin story of Hack in the Box (HITB), detailing how he dug a $20k financial hole to launch the first event in Malaysia before building it into a global brand.

The conversation moves beyond conferences to explore the cutting edge of technology and creativity. Dhillon explains why "agentic" systems (like Xbow) signal the end of hand-built exploits and discusses the unique challenges of securing Web3 smart contracts. We also dive into the intersection of math and music, how AI tools like Suno are changing art, and why the "hacker ethos" applies to everything from bug bounties to content creation.

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In this episode, we get a unique look at the history of Windows through the eyes of one of its leading experts, Pavel Yosifovich. We delve into his fascinating origin story, including the "fluke" that led him to become the author of the legendary Windows Internals series, and why he describes himself as a developer who "hates security."

The conversation explores the most significant foundational changes in Windows kernel design, specifically the architectural shift toward Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and the long-term strategy behind the "Secure Kernel." We discuss the ever-evolving landscape of EDRs, the reality of kernel-level threats, and the impact AI and memory-safe languages like Rust will have on future development. This episode offers valuable insights for reverse engineers and developers interested in the big-picture trends that have shaped—and will continue to shape—the world of operating system design.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Nino Isakovic, a long-time low-level security expert, for a thought-provoking conversation that spans the foundational and the cutting-edge. Nino discusses the art of deconstructing problems—sharing insights on how to learn effectively, the building blocks of a robust RE toolkit, and the critical shift required in our analytical approach. We then transition into the front lines of threat intelligence, where Nino discusses the specific challenges of analyzing sophisticated adversary tools. This includes systems like ORB Networks and a detailed look at his discovery of the ScatterBrain obfuscating compiler. Tune in for a full-spectrum discussion on what it takes to thrive in reverse engineering.

ScatterBrain blog post: https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/scatterbrain-unmasking-poisonplug-obfuscator?e=48754805

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