Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege

Inception Point Ai

This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege is your go-to podcast for detailed analysis of the week's most sophisticated Chinese cyber operations targeting US infrastructure. Stay updated with expert insights into attack methodologies, affected systems, and compelling attribution evidence. Discover the defensive measures implemented and lessons learned from each incident. Featuring interviews with leading cybersecurity experts and government officials, Dragon's Code delivers essential information for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of cyber warfare and national security. Tune in regularly for in-depth discussions that keep you informed and prepared. For more info go to https://www.quietplease.ai Check out these deals https://amzn.to/48MZPjs

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    China's Grid Hack Sleepover: Why Volt Typhoon Moved In and Won't Leave Your Power Company

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Look, listeners, this week the cyber dragons have been exceptionally busy, and I'm not talking about the cute kind you see on scrolls. We're talking about sophisticated state-sponsored operations that would make your IT director lose sleep for weeks. Let me break down what just hit the fan. According to Dragos, a company that literally specializes in watching critical infrastructure get attacked, Volt Typhoon and their closely related crew Voltzite have been absolutely embedding themselves into American energy networks throughout 2025. And here's the chilling part: they're not there to steal your Netflix password. They're there to take down the power grid when the order comes. Dragos CEO Robert Lee put it bluntly, saying this crew was embedded in that infrastructure for the purpose of taking it down. The methodology is terrifyingly elegant. They compromised Sierra Wireless AirLink devices to slip into pipeline operations, then exfiltrated operational and sensor data. They got so deep into the control loop that they could potentially manipulate systems at will. Think about that for a second—they have the keys to the kingdom and they're waiting. But Voltzite isn't working alone. A brand new group called Sylvanite acts as their initial access broker, exploiting vulnerabilities in products from F5, Ivanti, and SAP. These guys reverse engineer zero-days within 48 hours of disclosure. That's not just fast, that's practically pre-cognitive. Now add another layer. Google's Threat Intelligence Group just exposed a Chinese group called UNC6201 that's been silently exploiting a critical Dell RecoverPoint vulnerability since mid-2024. We're talking about a CVSS 10.0 vulnerability, the worst possible score. They deployed malware called Brickstorm and then upgraded to something even nastier called Grimbolt. What makes Grimbolt particularly diabolical is it compiles directly to machine code, making it incredibly hard to detect. The tactics are innovative too. They created what security researchers call Ghost NICs—hidden network interfaces on VMware servers—to pivot laterally through networks like ghosts. Meanwhile, they're using something called Single Packet Authorization with iptables, making their presence virtually invisible. Then Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit against TP-Link Systems this week, alleging their networking devices have been compromised by China's state-sponsored hackers. So now we're talking about consumer routers being weaponized infrastructure. The defensive picture is fragmented. CISA and partners are releasing indicators of compromise and YARA rules for detection, but here's the honest truth: by the time defenders see these attacks, the adversary has already moved on. The persistence is measured in years, not days. What's the lesson? These operations aren't about money or intellectual property theft. They're about positioning, access, and waiting. It's chess at the infrastructure level. Thanks for tuning in, listeners. Make sure to subscribe for more deep dives into how the digital world actually works. This has been Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    3 min

  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    Ting Spills the Tea: China's Silk Typhoon Hacks America While CISA Runs on Fumes and Caffeine

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Hey listeners, Ting here, your go-to gal for all things China cyber chaos and hacker hijinks. Buckle up, because this past week, America's infrastructure got hit with Dragon's Code—a slick Chinese cyber siege that's got the stars and stripes scrambling. Picture this: I'm hunkered down in my digital lair, caffeine-fueled, dissecting the feeds as Silk Typhoon, that notorious Beijing-backed crew, ramps up their game. It kicked off with BeyondTrust Remote Support getting pwned via CVE-2026-1731, a nasty OS command injection flaw letting unauthenticated attackers run wild—no login needed. BleepingComputer reports attackers exploited it for remote code execution, risking data exfiltration and total system compromise on over 11,000 exposed instances, mostly on-prem setups. Hacktron spotted it first on January 31, and watchTowr's Ryan Dewhurst confirmed active exploits by Thursday. CISA slapped it on their Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, BOD 22-01 ordering feds to patch by end of day Monday—talk about a three-day panic button. This ain't isolated; it's Dragon's Code redux. Remember Salt Typhoon owning US telcos under the Clean Network policy? Now Silk Typhoon's back, hitting Treasury, OFAC, and CFIUS with zero-days like CVE-2024-12356 two years ago, snagging API keys for 17 SaaS breaches. Methodologies? Stealthy command injections, zero-days, API hijacks—pure supply chain sorcery targeting remote access tools in critical infra. Affected systems: privileged remote access for Fortune 100, feds, telcos—your power grids, finance, sanctions enforcers on the line. Attribution? Ironclad. CISA links it to Silk Typhoon's playbook; Google's Threat Intelligence Group calls China the top cyber threat by volume, hitting defense suppliers and drones. The Register nods to past telco owns, while ASPI's strategists slam unnamed actors as a trust-killer—Palo Alto wimped out on naming China, but Google didn't. Defenses? BeyondTrust auto-patched SaaS on February 2; on-prem admins, manual hustle or bust. CISA's yelling mitigations now, but with DHS shutdown slashing them to 38% staff per SecurityWeek, it's skeleton crew central. Lessons? Ryan Dewhurst says assume unpatched is owned—patch fast, segment networks, ditch outdated remote tools. Experts like Ian Bremmer at Munich Security Conference warn US-China AI/cyber has zero trust, no governance, just escalation. Governments must name and shame Beijing, per ASPI, to pressure fixes and inform us plebs. Witty aside: China's fusing civil-military cyber like a bad fusion cuisine, stealing IP while we dither on bans—Reuters whispers Trump might lift TP-Link and telco restrictions for Xi talks. But listeners, vigilance is our firewall. Stay patched, diversify chains, demand sovereign stacks. Thanks for tuning in—subscribe for more cyber spice! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    4 min

  3. 4 DAYS AGO

    Dragon's Code Unleashed: China's Cyber Storm Hits America While We're Still in Meetings

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Hey listeners, Ting here, your go-to cyber sleuth with a front-row seat to China's digital dragon dance. Picture this: it's been a wild week ending February 15, 2026, and America's infrastructure is under siege from the slickest Chinese ops yet—think Dragon's Code, a relentless cyber storm hitting defense and critical grids. I'm diving straight in, no fluff. Over the past days, groups like APT5, aka Keyhole Panda or Mulberry Typhoon, and UNC3236, better known as Volt Typhoon, have been feasting on North American defense contractors and research labs. Rescana's latest intel nails it: these crews exploited edge devices—those sneaky IoT gadgets on the network fringes—with custom malware like INFINITERED and ARCMAZE obfuscation tricks. They layered on Operational Relay Box networks, or ORBs, blending legit traffic with malicious payloads to ghost past geofencing and EDR tools. Supply chains? Hammered. Think compromised partners feeding intel straight to Beijing, targeting battlefield management systems and semiconductor firms. Google’s Threat Analysis Group and Mandiant pinned this squarely on Chinese state-sponsored actors, with TTPs screaming persistence: spearphishing laced with AI-refined lures, credential dumps, and encrypted C2 channels. Affected systems? Oof—energy grids, water facilities, transportation hubs, even US Treasury echoes from last year's BeyondTrust zero-day mess by China-nexus hackers. Brussels Morning reports Washington buzzing with feds warning of AI-automated intrusions scanning vast networks in real-time, poisoning defense AI models for chaos. A Department of Homeland Security bigwig spilled: "The scale and speed demand new defenses." Attribution? Rock-solid—US sanctions on China-based crews targeting crit infra, per Treasury alerts, plus UNC3886's deep probes into Singapore telcos like Singtel and StarHub, a blueprint for US hits. Defenses kicked in hard: multi-layered EDR from Ivanti's 2026 report, network segmentation, and relentless patching—Microsoft's February Patch Tuesday squashed six zero-days, while BeyondTrust rushed CVE-2026-1731 fixes amid active exploits. Public-private pacts ramped up resilience, with redundant systems and threat hunting. Experts like Rescana urge auditing edge access and faking out "Dream Job" scams. Lessons? Attackers wield AI for speed—we're still in meetings, says Ivanti. Cybersecurity advisor nailed it: "Innovation without security is instability." Bolt down supply chains, train humans, and go international—Washington's pushing AI governance at APEC amid China rivalry. Whew, listeners, stay vigilant—that dragon's code evolves fast. Thanks for tuning in—subscribe for more cyber tea! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    3 min

  4. 6 DAYS AGO

    China's Cyber Ticks Sucking on America's Server Farm Plus Trump's Awkward Xi Summit Timing

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Hey listeners, Ting here, your go-to gal for all things China cyber chaos. Picture this: it's been a wild week in the shadows of the digital battlefield, and America's critical infrastructure is feeling the heat from some seriously slick Chinese ops. We're talking **Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege**, where Volt Typhoon—that notorious PLA-linked crew—has been burrowing deeper into our power grids, water systems, and comms networks like ticks on a server farm. Just days ago, on February 10th, CISA dropped an update on Brickstorm malware, a nasty .NET-compiled beast that PRC state-sponsored hackers deployed on a U.S. org's VMware vCenter server back in April 2024. These geniuses gained persistent access through September 2025, hitting domain controllers and snagging cryptographic keys from an Active Directory Federation Services server. Attack methodology? Classic living-off-the-land: exploiting unpatched VMs, lateral movement via stolen creds, and custom malware for stealthy C2. Affected systems: core IT backbone, priming for sabotage on electric utilities and pipelines, per Microsoft's warnings. Attribution? Ironclad. Google Threat Intelligence's latest report fingers UNC3236, aka Volt Typhoon, probing North American defense contractor login portals with ARCMAZE obfuscation to dodge detection. They're using operational relay box networks—fancy ORBs—for recon on edge devices, hitting aerospace giants and research labs like that U.S. institution breached via REDCap exploits in late 2023, dropping INFINITERED for credential theft. Defensive measures ramped up fast. Congress extended the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act through September 2026, letting private firms swap threat intel with feds liability-free—huge for coordinated takedowns. CISA's leading incident responses, pushing EDR tweaks and network segmentation. Experts like SentinelOne's Dakota Cary call leaked Expedition Cloud docs a "rare insight"—that's Nanjing Saining's cyber range, simulating U.S.-style power and transport nets since 2021. NetAskari and Recorded Future News broke it: AI-orchestrated attack groups rehearsing disruptions, no defenders invited. Lessons learned? As NATO's Radmila Shekerinska warned at Munich Cyber Security Conference, we gotta impose real costs on China and Russia for this hybrid mess. Trump's pausing some China tech bans—like China Telecom ops and TP-Link routers—ahead of an Xi summit, per Japan Times sources, but that won't stop the siege. Google says the defense industrial base is in "constant multi-vector siege," with China-nexus crews evading EDR via single-endpoint hits. Witty wrap: China's not just knocking; they're picking the lock with quantum picks while we patch one hole at a time. Stay vigilant, segment those edges, and share intel like it's free bubble tea. Thanks for tuning in, listeners—subscribe for more cyber spice! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    4 min

  5. 11 FEB

    Dragons Dont Breathe Fire Anymore They Code It: Beijings Zero-Day Siege on US Defense Contractors

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Hey listeners, I'm Ting, your go-to gal for all things China cyber chaos, and buckle up because this past week, America's defense industrial base got hit with Dragon's Code—a relentless cyber siege straight from Beijing's playbook. Picture this: I'm huddled over my screens on February 11, 2026, watching Google Threat Intelligence Group drop their bombshell report, flagging China-nexus crews like UNC3886 and UNC5221 as the undisputed volume kings of espionage hacks against U.S. contractors. These sneaky operators kicked off intrusions by zero-daying over two dozen unknown flaws in edge devices—think routers, firewalls, and IoT gadgets from Honeywell and Siemens—slipping past firewalls into supply chains for unmanned aircraft systems and aerospace R&D. Google Threat Intelligence Group details how they exploited these weak points for initial access, pivoting to steal blueprints on next-gen drones and battlefield tech, all while masking as legit traffic via ORB networks. Affected systems? IT networks at Boeing suppliers, Lockheed Martin subs, and even dual-use manufacturers churning out components for F-35 jets. Attribution? Crystal clear from GTIG's two-year analysis: IP traces, TTPs matching PLA Unit 61398 alumni, and leaked Expedition Cloud docs reviewed by Recorded Future News, showing Beijing rehearsing identical attacks on replicas of U.S.-style critical infra. These files spilled source code for "South China Sea drills," prepping takedowns of power grids and telcos—now aimed at our grids too, per CISA's acting chief warning of China targeting U.S. networks amid staff shortages. Defenses? Singapore's Cyber Security Agency and IMDA just crushed UNC3886's assault on Singtel, M1, StarHub, and SIMBA Telecom with Operation Cyber Guardian—multi-agency takedowns isolating edge vulns and deploying AI anomaly hunters. Stateside, GTIG urges proactive threat hunting: segment OT from IT, patch edges religiously, and hunt for DKnife, Cisco Talos-attributed Chinese toolkit hijacking router traffic for credential theft since 2019. Lessons? Cybersecurity guru Mandiant chimes in: China's tradecraft evolved—personal email phishing at Raytheon staff, per GTIG, blending social engineering with zero-days. DHS officials fret reimbursements delays could hobble responses, as FCW reports 70 CISA staff reassigned. Experts like those at Ankura CTIX say surge resilient arches now, or wartime production craters from ransomware bleed-over. Witty wrap: Dragons don't breathe fire anymore; they code it. Stay vigilant, patch those edges, and laugh in binary at Beijing's siege. Thanks for tuning in, listeners—subscribe for more cyber spice! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    4 min

  6. 9 FEB

    Chinas Volt Typhoon Hackers Are Stalking Guam and Your Power Grid Like Digital Moles on Steroids

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Hey listeners, I'm Ting, your go-to gal for all things China cyber chaos, and buckle up because America's infrastructure is under Dragon's Code siege right now. Picture this: it's early February 2026, and Volt Typhoon—that sneaky China-linked APT crew—has burrowed deeper into US critical networks like a digital mole on steroids. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, or IISS, these hackers aren't just spying; they're pre-positioning for disruption, targeting comms, energy, transportation, and government systems, especially around Guam's naval ports and air bases. Why Guam? It's the launchpad for any US response to a Taiwan blockade. John Bruce from IISS nails it: they've snagged network diagrams and OT manuals from low-intel-value spots, proving it's sabotage prep, not just espionage. Their toolkit? Pure genius—'living off the land' tricks, hijacking legit admin tools for maintenance and privilege escalation, blending right in like a ninja in a crowd. They even botnet nearby SOHO routers, firewalls, and VPNs to mask traffic as local chit-chat. Defenders are scrambling: CISA's Binding Operational Directive 26-02 demands federal agencies ditch all end-of-support edge devices in 12 months, 'cause nation-states love exploiting those rusty relics. Meanwhile, the House Energy Subcommittee just advanced five bills, including the SECURE Grid Act from Rep. Doris Matsui and ETAC reauthorization pushed by Rep. Lori Trahan, targeting China threats like Volt and Salt Typhoon in electric grids. These pump DOE funds into info-sharing, threat assessments at the National Lab of the Rockies, and workforce training to fortify the grid against blackouts. FBI's Operation Winter Shield has Brett Leatherman warning healthcare's a prime pivot point—PRC hackers leap from trusted US IPs to hospitals, grids, and finance via supply chain weak spots. Attribution? Crystal: low intel targets, Guam focus, and leaked docs show China rehearsing neighbor infra hits on secret platforms. Lessons? Monitor every admin tool 24/7, vet third-parties ruthlessly, and push back with 'defend forward' from the 2018 Cyber Strategy. Experts like Bruce say Volt Typhoon redraws cyber norms, challenging UN Norm 13(f) on critical infrastructure, forcing the West to rethink voluntary rules versus China's push for binding treaties. It's asymmetric warfare, listeners—China's signaling "don't mess with Taiwan or the South China Sea," eroding our edge. But with bills like AI Overwatch Act eyeing chip exports, we're counterpunching. Stay vigilant; patch those edges! Thanks for tuning in, smash that subscribe button for more cyber spice. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    3 min

  7. 8 FEB

    Chinas Cyber Ninjas Just Ghosted 70 Countries and Hacked Your Notepad Plus Plus While You Slept

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Hey listeners, Ting here, your go-to cyber sleuth with a front-row seat to China's digital dragonfire. Picture this: it's been a wild week ending February 8, 2026, and America's infrastructure is feeling the heat from the most slick Chinese cyber ops yet. I'm talking Shadow Campaigns, that beast tracked by Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, where state-sponsored hackers—likely UNC6619 out of GMT+8 timezone—breached 70 government networks across 37 countries, including US allies' power grids and border systems. These ninjas kicked off with phishing lures themed around ministry shakeups, dropping Diaoyu malware loaders from Mega.nz archives. Once in, ShadowGuard rootkit takes over Linux kernels, hiding files, spoofing syscalls, and ghosting processes like a pro. Affected systems? Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy, Mexican ministries, even Venezuelan tech facilities—scanning spiked during the US gov shutdown in October 2025 and Honduras' election prep. US power equipment and aviation got eyes on them too, perfect for espionage on trade policies and nukes. Attribution screams China: Asia-based ops, South China Sea focus on Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, per Unit 42's deep dive. Then there's Lotus Blossom, the old fox since 2009, hitting Notepad++'s update server via Hostinger compromise from June to December 2025. Developer Don Ho confirmed selective backdoors for East Asia watchers—Rapid7 nailed it as Chinese-linked, targeting gov, telecom, aviation. CISA's on it, probing US gov exposure. Don't sleep on DKnife, Cisco Talos' router nightmare active since 2019 through January 2026. This adversary-in-the-middle toolkit hijacks WeChat creds, Chinese taxi apps, spreading ShadowPad via edge devices—high-confidence China nexus, linked to WizardNet hits in Philippines and UAE. Defenses? CISA mandates 72-hour incident reports for critical infra, per recent rules. Palo Alto notified victims, shared IOCs like SSH from US/Singapore VPS and Tor relays. Experts like Kevin Beaumont spotted three East Asia orgs hit via Notepad++. Lessons? Patch routers, monitor kernel tweaks, ditch weak SSH—persistence beats zero-days. Randall Schriver from US-China Economic and Security Review Commission warns Pacific cables are next, dual-use ports in Solomon Islands fueling debt diplomacy near Guam. Government officials like Thomas DiNanno call out China's sneaky nuke tests too—cyber's just the opener. Witty takeaway, listeners: China's playing 5D checkers while we're on chessboard defense. Layer up with Coast Guard pivots and intel shines, as Kuiken urges. Thanks for tuning in, smash that subscribe for more cyber spice! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    3 min

  8. 6 FEB

    Ting Spills Tea: Chinese Hackers Turn US Networks Into Their Personal Buffet While We All Panic

    This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Hey listeners, I'm Ting, your go-to gal for all things China cyber chaos and hacker hijinks. Picture this: it's been a wild week in the cyber trenches, with America's infrastructure feeling the heat from some seriously slick Chinese ops. Let's dive into Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege, straight from the headlines scorching up February 2026. First off, Salt Typhoon—that notorious Chinese state-backed crew—didn't just knock; they kicked down doors. Norway's Police Security Service dropped a bombshell on February 6, confirming Salt Typhoon hacked into Norwegian orgs via vulnerable network devices like routers and firewalls, pure espionage gold. But here's the gut punch: these same hackers have been burrowing into U.S. telecom giants for months, slurping up calls and texts from top politicians, as U.S. officials called it an "epoch-defining threat." Method? Zero-days in Cisco gear, persistent malware that laughs at reboots, straight out of CISA's nightmare BOD 26-02 playbook. Not stopping there, Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 unveiled TGR-STA-1030 on February 6—a shadowy Asian squad, reeking of Chinese vibes with their Behinder web shells, Godzilla tools, and that sneaky ShadowGuard eBPF rootkit hiding files like "swsecret." Since January 2024, they've phished with Diaoyu Loader ZIPs from MEGA.nz, exploiting N-days in Microsoft, SAP, Atlassian—you name it—then dropping Cobalt Strike, Havoc, and Sliver for C2. Breached 70 entities in 37 countries, including U.S.-linked finance ministries and border control; reconned 155 nations in late 2025, spiking before Honduras elections and Mexico trade talks. GMT+8 hours, regional tools? Classic Beijing playbook. Defenses? FBI fired back February 5 with Operation Winter SHIELD—ten badass recs like phishing-resistant auth, vuln management, ditching EOL gear, and slashing admin privs. CISA's giving feds 18 months to purge unsupported edge devices, echoing Salt Typhoon exploits. Experts like Unit 42's crew warn of long-term intel hauls, urging segmentation and logging. Lessons? Patch fast, segment networks, test IR plans—China's not thieving data anymore; they're embedding for doomsday flips, per Vision Times on their 210 hacker units eyeing Taiwan-style sieges. Witty wrap: these ops are like digital dim sum—small bites now, feast later. Stay vigilant, listeners! Thanks for tuning in—subscribe for more cyber spice! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

    3 min
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About

This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast. Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege is your go-to podcast for detailed analysis of the week's most sophisticated Chinese cyber operations targeting US infrastructure. Stay updated with expert insights into attack methodologies, affected systems, and compelling attribution evidence. Discover the defensive measures implemented and lessons learned from each incident. Featuring interviews with leading cybersecurity experts and government officials, Dragon's Code delivers essential information for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of cyber warfare and national security. Tune in regularly for in-depth discussions that keep you informed and prepared. For more info go to https://www.quietplease.ai Check out these deals https://amzn.to/48MZPjs

Information

  • Creator
    Inception Point Ai
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    211
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Inception Point Ai
  • Show Website
    Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege
  • Provider