Shows
Talos TakesYear in Review special part 2: The biggest ransomware trendsAzim Khodjibaev and Lexi DiScola join Hazel to discuss some of the most prolific ransomware groups (and why LockBit may end this year very differently to how they ended 2024). They also discuss the dominant techniques of ransomware actors, where low-profile tactics led to high-impact consequences.For the full analysis, download Talos' 2024 Year in Review at https://blog.talosintelligence.com/2024yearinreview/2025-04-1718 min
Talos TakesWhy more actors are starting to use Telegram for their communicationsJon started noticing that Talos is finding more threat actors using Telegram nowadays for their communication and coordination, so he decided to bring Azim Khodjibaev on to ask him if he was just inventing this, or if it was a real trend. Turns out it's a real trend! Azim fills listeners in on why Telegram is becoming the app of choice for APTs to publish "news," threaten data leaks, and more. 2024-03-2210 min
The Cyber InsiderTo ban or not to ban, a conversation on ransomware with Azim KhodjibaevSend us a textThis month’s guest of the Cyber Insider is Azim Khodjibayev. With over a decade of experience in intelligence analysis, Azim has focused on Russian APT and cybercrime activity, particularly in the realm of ransomware. He shares his insights on the current state of cyber threats, the impact of recent breaches, and the future of cybersecurity. One notable trend observed in 2023 was the splintering of cybercriminal groups. Azim highlights how these groups can quickly switch affiliations and work with multiple organizations simultaneously. This flexibility allows them to evade detection and maximize thei...2024-02-0528 min
Beers with Talos PodcastTalos Speed Dating (the episode we never set out to make but did anyway)Mitch, Matt and Lurene were almost about to be in the same physical space at the same time to record an episode, and then Lurene couldn't make it...so we made this instead! Mitch is joined by Azim Khodjibaev from the Talos Threat Intelligence and Interdiction team to rapid-fire interview a bunch of Talos employees who happened to be around the Maryland office. Hear from teammates from all walks of life and areas of expertise about what they've loved working on in 2023 and how they feel their work has changed the broader security landscape. 2023-12-201h 08Beers with Talos PodcastTalos Speed Dating (the episode we never set out to make but did anyway)Mitch, Matt and Lurene were almost about to be in the same physical space at the same time to record an episode, and then Lurene couldn't make it...so we made this instead! Mitch is joined by Azim Khodjibaev from the Talos Threat Intelligence and Interdiction team to rapid-fire interview a bunch of Talos employees who happened to be around the Maryland office. Hear from teammates from all walks of life and areas of expertise about what they've loved working on in 2023 and how they feel their work has changed the broader security landscape. 2023-12-201h 08Beers with Talos PodcastTalos Speed Dating (the episode we never set out to make but did anyway)Mitch, Matt and Lurene were almost about to be in the same physical space at the same time to record an episode, and then Lurene couldn't make it...so we made this instead! Mitch is joined by Azim Khodjibaev from the Talos Threat Intelligence and Interdiction team to rapid-fire interview a bunch of Talos employees who happened to be around the Maryland office. Hear from teammates from all walks of life and areas of expertise about what they've loved working on in 2023 and how they feel their work has changed the broader security landscape. 2023-12-201h 08Talos TakesAnalyzing the recent takedown of popular dark web forumsOn the heels of law enforcement agencies from across the globe working together to disrupt two popular cybercrime forums — Genesis Market and BreachForums — Azim Khodjibaev from Talos' Threat Intelligence & Interdiction team joins Jon to talk about these types of sites. Azim has years of experience infiltrating and investigating these types of marketplaces to learn about emerging security threats. He talks about what goes into these types of takedowns and where the sites' users are likely to go from here.Suggested reading:Data breach leak site BreachForums shuts downThreat Source newsletter (April 13, 2023) — Dark web forum whac-a2023-04-2808 minTalos TakesThe latest on Lockbit 3.0 drama and the rest of the ransomware landscapeAzim Khodjibaev joins the show once again for the latest addition of "Days of our Ransomware." Jon and Azim talk about the recent LockBit 3.0 leaks and the drama surrounding them. Will other actors try to backpack off the leaked builder? Why is LockBit switching to triple extortion tactics now? And what other trends are going on in the ransomware landscape? This is the perfect place to get caught up on all things ransomware to head into the rest of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. 2022-10-0709 minTalos TakesTalos Takes Ep. #21: What's really hiding inside the dark webThe dark web sounds scary — and it is. But what exactly does this dark web consist of? Despite what the name may suggest, it’s actually not people selling organs or stolen video games that happened to fall off the back of a truck. But what is actually on these forums? Azim Khodjibaev joins Jon Munshaw this week to discuss his experience with the dark web.2022-08-1209 minTalos TakesTalos Takes Ep. #36: Ransomware's big 2020Everything was on fire this year, and the internet was no different. Ransomware was the leading cause of headaches and late night for defenders and IT experts this year. On the latest Talos Takes episode (and last of 2020), Azim Khodjibaev joins us to talk about ransomware’s big year. We talk about why adversaries wanted to go big-game hunting, and what this could mean for trends in 2021.2022-08-1207 minTalos TakesTalos Takes Ep. #40: Lessons learned from our conversations with a ransomware operatorFor the first time in Talos Takes history, we have a whopping TWO guests on to talk about Talos’ latest research paper. In this episode, Dmytro Korzhevin and Azim Khodjibaev discuss their work interviewing a LockBit ransomware operator. They spent multiple weeks speaking to this actor over social media, and eventually turned their conversations into a paper that lays out what we learned about the ransomware landscape. Dmytro and Azim talked about lessons learned, what surprised them about the threat actor, and how actors choose their targets.2022-08-1208 minTalos TakesTalos Takes Ep. #71 (NCSAM Edition): 2021 in ransomwareWe are from the first (or last) people to say this, but 2021 is the year of ransomware. It’s by far the biggest story on the security landscape right now. And everything from oil pipelines, to grain co-ops, to hospitals and schools have been targeted by ransomware this year. Azim Khodjibaev joins the show for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month to wrap up everything we’ve seen on the ransomware landscape this year. Azim reflects on his interview with a LockBit operator, the research he’s done into “double extortion campaigns,” and discusses the lessons defenders can learn from the past 10 mo2022-08-1206 minTalos TakesTalos Takes Ep. #86: The fallout from the recent REvil arrestsIn the latest entry in the “Days of our Ransomware” series, Azim Khodjibaev joins Jon to talk about some recent ransomware drama. Dark web forums have been going nuts since Russia arrested and charged several alleged members of the REvil ransomware gang in January. Azim discusses how there’s been a power grab since those arrests, and we discuss what else it might take to shut down many of these wide-reaching ransomware groups. Threat actors: They get into the same petty arguments we all do in Slack.2022-08-1208 min
C SuiteDemystifying the Dark WebThe dark web. A mystery to many and invisible to most. For decades, the public has had preconceived notions about the dark web, mostly rooted in crime dramas and sensational news stories. But in reality, the dark web is much more complex than that. On today’s episode, we’re joined by cybersecurity experts Matt Watchinski, VP at Cisco Talos, and Azim Khodjibaev, Senior Intelligence Analyst at Cisco Talos, to explore exactly what the dark web is, how it works, and what individuals and organizations need to know about it. Plus, what security professionals can do to stay aware and...2021-05-2719 min