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Ransomware Rewind

Ransomware Rewind

Written by: Joe Erle
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 In today's digital age, a single click can turn a thriving business into a hostage situation. Ransomware Chronicles takes you on a gripping journey through the untold stories of companies and individuals who have faced the nightmare of a ransomware attack. From the unsuspecting moments before the strike, to the chaos and fear during the attack, and the hard-fought battles to recover afterward, we delve deep into the human and technical drama of these cyber heists. Each episode uncovers the intricate details of how ransomware infiltrates, the frantic responses that follow, and the long road to recovery.2024 Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Just 250 Malicious Samples Can Poison AI Models - John Bruggerman's inside briefing on AI BrainRot - EP 20

    Just 250 Malicious Samples Can Poison AI Models - John Bruggerman's inside briefing on AI BrainRot - EP 20
    Jan 22 2026
    In this episode of the Ransomware Rewind podcast, host Joe Erle (@joe_erle) interviews John Bruggeman, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at CBTS and OnX, on emerging cybersecurity threats like AI model poisoning and prompt injection attacks. With over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, John explains how unsanitized inputs and as few as 250 malicious data points can cause "brain rot" or model decay in large language models (LLMs), resulting in unreliable outputs, hidden backdoors, and long-term AI vulnerabilities. John explains real-world AI attack vectors, including tool poisoning through hidden HTML code in emails, agent session smuggling in enterprise tools like Microsoft Copilot, and remote code execution risks that enable data exfiltration or excessive resource consumption. The discussion also covers recent DNS outages at Microsoft and AWS, illustrating how critical infrastructure weaknesses exacerbate AI security risks. John shares practical cybersecurity best practices for protecting AI systems: always sanitize inputs, enforce human-in-the-loop oversight, keep clean backups for model recovery, and integrate ethical guardrails inspired by Isaac Asimov's laws of robotics. They explore ethical concerns in AI, such as Reddit-driven misinformation campaigns, AI's psychological impact on vulnerable users like teenagers, and why LLMs aren't truly sentient (they're just advanced next-word predictors). Plus, a lively debate on AI's future: utopian Star Trek scenarios vs. dystopian Skynet dangers. Packed with actionable insights on AI security, data poisoning prevention, and cybersecurity strategies, this episode is a must-listen for CISOs, IT leaders, security professionals, and businesses deploying AI in high-risk environments. Tune in to Ransomware Rewind for expert advice on safeguarding your AI models, preventing prompt injection, and staying ahead of cyber threats. Available now. Listen on your favorite podcast platform! Episode Chapters — Key Moments 00:00 First Leak — Prompt attacks begin 02:00 Breaches & Insurance — Who pays when it breaks 05:30 Human Error — Why people cause most damage 10:00 Model Decay — When systems slowly forget 15:30 Training Data Risk — Bad data, bad outcomes 22:00 LLM Attacks — Hackers follow the spotlight 30:00 Red Teaming — Break it before they do 38:00 Guardrails — Rules that keep speed safe 46:00 Startups — Small teams, big targets 55:00 The Future — What keeps CISOs awake Guest: John Bruggeman, Chief Information Security Officer at CBTS and OnX LinkedIn: / johnbruggeman Website: http://www.huc.edu/ Host: Joe Erle, Cyber Group Practice Leader at C3 Insurance LinkedIn: / joeerle X: https://x.com/joe_erle TikTok: / itscyberjoe Instagram: / itscyberjoe Facebook: / joeerle Mike Dowdy LinkedIn: / mikedowdy Listen on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow the pod and leave a review.
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    40 mins
  • Anthrax Response to Cyber IR to Hacking Teslas: Ex-Marine & Cyber Podcaster, Wil Klusovsky, reveals 2026's Deadliest Cyber Threats

    Anthrax Response to Cyber IR to Hacking Teslas: Ex-Marine & Cyber Podcaster, Wil Klusovsky, reveals 2026's Deadliest Cyber Threats
    Dec 9 2025

    Ever wondered what handling deadly anthrax at the US Capitol has in common with battling ransomware in 2025? What if the next big cyber attack isn't from hackers in a basement—but from quantum computers shattering your encryption overnight? In this unmissable episode of Ransomware Rewind, cybersecurity legend Wil Klusovsky spills insider secrets that could save your business from total chaos.

    Wil, a 24-year US Marine vet turned cyber strategist (LinkedIn: /wilklu, host of Keyboard Samurai), draws chilling parallels between war and digital battles. From post-9/11 preparedness drills to why most orgs still suck at basics like asset management, he breaks it all down with no-BS advice.

    Episode Highlights That'll Keep You Up at Night:

    • War-to-Cyber Transition (00:02:01): How Wil's unit cleaned up anthrax and ricin at the Capitol—tying it to cyber incident response: "It's all about preparedness; incidents are inevitable."
    • Evolution of Threats (00:06:01): Remember Snort boxes? We've come far, but pen tests aren't auto-wins anymore thanks to segmentation and CISOs. Yet, humans remain the weak link—Gen Z's privacy-for-convenience trade-off fuels phishing.
    • Human Trust Traps (00:09:25): "People are too trusting." Attackers mosaic tiny data bits from "low-value" targets (e.g., China's IP theft via small breaches) to build massive wins. Pro tip: "If you didn't make the call, don't give info."
    • Real Espionage Stories (00:12:47): Chinese hacks on Alcoa and DuPont (laptop cloning in hotels), backdoors in Cisco hardware, and why state actors like China/Russia are unstoppable.
    • Future Nightmares (00:47:12): Quantum will kill encryption; target nuclear/energy for blackouts or autos for terror (hack Teslas remotely via SiriusXM?). Plus, fun riffs on simulation theory, Skynet vs. Matrix, and chemtrail jokes.
    • Actionable Defenses (00:08:50): Ditch "best practices" buzzwords—focus on zero trust, attack surface reduction, and educating non-tech folks.

    This episode is rocket fuel for CISOs, IT pros, and anyone dodging 2025's AI-powered phishing beasts. Wil's blend of humor, history, and hard truths makes it a must-listen. Catch it now before the next breach hits—because as Wil says, "You're going to deal with an incident; be ready to move fast."

    Tune in to Ransomware Rewind for more breakdowns on cyber threats, data breaches, and security solutions. Stay ahead of ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and emerging cyber risks.

    Guest: Wil Klusovsky, Cybersecurity Podcaster & IT Advisor

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilklu/

    Links: https://www.wilklu.me/linktree

    Keyboard Samarai Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@KeybdSamurai

    Hosts: Joe Erle — Cyber Group Practice Leader, C3 Insurance

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeerle

    X/Twitter: https://x.com/joe_erle

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itscyberjoe

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscyberjoe

    Meta/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joeerle

    Questions about cyber insurance? Email joe@c3insurance.com or go to www.c3insurance.com/cyber

    Mike Dowdy — Voice AI Developer & Entrepreneur

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedowdy

    Thanks for listening and don't forget to like and subscribe for more episodes like this!

    ransomware, cybersecurity, cyber threats, security training, human element in security, cybersecurity strategy, IT risk management, cyber resilience, security program design, business continuity
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    59 mins
  • Say This During a Ransomware… or Lose $10M+ in Reputation (CISO Crisis Comms Playbook 20) - EP 18

    Say This During a Ransomware… or Lose $10M+ in Reputation (CISO Crisis Comms Playbook 20) - EP 18
    Nov 24 2025

    CISOs, CEOs & Business Owners: What To Say (and NOT Say) When Ransomware Hits – Or You'll Lose Millions in Reputation

    90% of companies survive the hack… but die from the crisis communications disaster that follows.

    Kevin Dinino (Head of Communications at top cybersecurity PR firm KCD PR) reveals the exact playbook that saved Fortune 500 companies during real breaches — and the fatal mistakes that tanked others.

    You'll learn:

    ✅ The 48-hour rule that saves reputations (and stock prices)

    ✅ 3 statements that instantly destroy trust & trigger lawsuits

    ✅ CEO media-training crash course you can run in one afternoon

    ✅ Why cyber insurers now reject claims without a comms plan

    ✅ How deepfakes + AI leaks are rewriting breach PR in 2025

    ✅ Step-by-step ransomware crisis comms playbook + templates

    Timestamps:

    00:00 – Intro 00:04 – Ransomware Rewind

    06:45 – The 48-hour reputation rule

    12:30 – Real breach war stories

    19:20 – Executive media training

    27:40 – Deepfakes & AI crisis nightmare

    34:15 – Your 2025 ransomware PR playbook

    👤 Guest: Kevin Dinino – Head of Communications, KCD PR

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindininokcdpr/

    Website: https://www.kcdpr.com

    🎤 Hosts: Joe Erle – Cyber Insurance Practice Leader, C3 Insurance

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeerle

    X/Twitter: https://x.com/joe_erle

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itscyberjoe

    Instagram: https://instagram.com/itscyberjoe

    Need cyber insurance help? → joe@c3insurance.com

    Mike Dowdy – Voice AI Developer & Tech Entrepreneur

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedowdy

    🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cyber-insiders/id1540640713

    👉 Subscribe so you're ready BEFORE the ransom demand lands.

    #Ransomware #CrisisCommunications #CyberBreach #ReputationManagement #CyberInsurance #CISOTips #DataBreach #PublicRelations #ExecutiveMediaTraining #Deepfakes #Cybersecurity2025

    ransomware crisis communication, cyber breach PR, what to say during ransomware attack, CEO media training, cyber insurance requirements 2025, deepfake crisis, KCD PR, Kevin Dinino, Joe Erle, Ransomware Rewind
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    44 mins
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