Brutally Honest Security

Barricade Cyber Solutions

Cut through the noise with Brutally Honest Security, hosted by Eric Taylor, Founder & Chief Forensics Officer at Barricade Cyber Solutions. From ransomware and BEC to DFIR, dark web activity, and the latest breaches, Eric delivers blunt, no-nonsense insights that anyone in cybersecurity can follow. No script. No limits. If it matters in cyber, it’s fair game.

Episodes

  1. 01/12/2025

    Holiday Scam Season: Spot It, Share It, Stop It

    This week on Brutally Honest Security, host Eric Taylor flags a timely and critical risk: the surge in holiday-season scams. As festive shopping, deliveries, and goodwill ramp up, so do scams targeting unsuspecting shoppers, families, and well-meaning gift-givers. Topics covered: 🎯 The most common holiday scams - from fake retail sites and spoofed delivery notices to phishing & smishing, fake charities, and “too-good-to-be-true” deals - help your friends and family to stay safe this holiday season! 🔎 How to vet a suspicious link, website, or message - explain what to look for to determine if it’s legit or a trap. Fake logos, odd URLs, spelling errors, or pressure to act fast? All red flags.  👥 Why you should share what you know - warning friends, family, and coworkers about scams can save someone from getting hooked. A little awareness can ripple far and wide. No script. No limits. If it matters in cyber, it’s fair game. 👉 Tune in every Monday to cut through the noise of the past week and walk away with the fixes and priorities that actually reduce risk. Follow Barricade Cyber Solutions: Connect on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/barricadecyberEric’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ransomwareListen to this podcast on Transistor.fm (or your favorite podcast platform): https://brutallyhonestsecurity.transistor.fmVisit https://barricadecyber.com to learn about our mission to help businesses be safer tomorrow than they are today. © 2025 Barricade Cyber Solutions

    43 min

  2. 03/11/2025

    Data Breach, Massive Fine & Failed Response: Lessons from Capita

    In Episode 4 of Brutally Honest Security, host Eric Taylor takes aim at one of the most revealing cyber-incidents of the year: the Information Commissioner’s Office’s £14 million penalty against Capita plc and subsidiary CPSL following a breach that exposed 6.6 million individuals and almost one terabyte of data.   You’ll hear:  • How an infected file on a single device triggered an attacker from infiltration to lateral movement — and why a 58-hour delay in response turned a manageable intrusion into a massive data exfiltration event.    • The broader lesson for data processors and controllers: whether it’s pension data, staff records or client data — security posture and response speed matter.  • Why this isn’t just a UK story: global organizations processing millions of records must heed this kind of fallout, not as a rare event — but as a warning. No script. No limits. If it matters in cyber, it’s fair game. Tune in every Monday to cut through the noise of the past week and walk away with the fixes and priorities that actually reduce risk. 👉 Follow Barricade Cyber Solutions:- Connect on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/barricadecyber- Eric's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ransomware- Listen to this podcast on Transistor.fm (or your favorite podcast platform): https://brutallyhonestsecurity.transistor.fm Visit https://barricadecyber.com to learn about our mission to help businesses be safer tomorrow than they are today. © 2025 Barricade Cyber Solutions

    1h 32m

  3. 29/10/2025

    Patch Tuesday Panic, Qilin’s Hybrid Strike & F5

    Eric Taylor slices through the week’s noise in Brutally Honest Security — no spin, only sharp, actionable insight. This episode covers the crucial headlines every security pro should know: 🔧 Microsoft’s October Patch Tuesday: a record-scale release — 172 vulnerabilities patched, including multiple zero-days — and why patch prioritization matters now more than ever. https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/blog/patch-tuesday-analysis-october-2025  🐙 Qilin’s hybrid attack: a new play combining Linux payloads and BYOVD exploitation that raises cross-platform risk for enterprises. https://thehackernews.com/2025/10/qilin-ransomware-combines-linux-payload.html Bonus story: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/qilin-ransomware-40-cases-monthly/ 🔐 F5 hack alarm: defenders warn the F5 compromise exposes broad supply-chain and infrastructure risk — and what your org should check first. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/cyber-defenders-sound-alarm-f5-hack-exposes-broad-risks-2025-10-20 📱 Smishing at scale: a global smishing triad tied to ~194,000 malicious domains — why SMS remains an ideal entry vector and how to blunt it. https://thehackernews.com/2025/10/smishing-triad-linked-to-194000.html 🐛 MuddyWater & backdoors: a widespread campaign hitting MEA government entities with persistent backdoors — a reminder to watch telemetry and lateral-movement indicators. https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/muddywater-100-gov-entites-mea-phoenix-backdoor  🧩 Plus: data leaks (Toys ’R’ Us Canada), quantum-preparedness calls for financial firms, and a new browser exploit that can plant persistent hidden commands in AI-powered browsing environments. https://www.securityweek.com/toys-r-us-canada-customer-information-leaked-online EPSS Look Up Tool: https:epsslookuptool.com Expect blunt breakdowns, practical remediation tips, and the decision-ready takeaways CISOs, incident responders, and security teams need to act now. No script. No limits. If it matters in cyber, it’s fair game. Tune in every Monday to cut through the noise of the past week and walk away with the fixes and priorities that actually reduce risk. 👉 Follow Barricade Cyber Solutions:- Connect on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/barricadecyber- Eric's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ransomware- Listen to this podcast on Transistor.fm (or your favorite podcast platform): https://brutallyhonestsecurity.transistor.fm Visit https://barricadecyber.com to learn about our mission to help businesses be safer tomorrow than they are today. © 2025 Barricade Cyber Solutions

    36 min

  4. 29/09/2025

    CSRMC, LockBit 5.0 & Phishing Fallout

    In this episode of Brutally Honest Security, Eric Taylor tears into the week’s most critical and pulse-raising cybersecurity developments — no fluff, just facts and blunt insight. Episode Headlines & Links: 👉 How the newly rebranded Department of War is replacing legacy frameworks with its Cybersecurity Risk Management Construct (CSRMC) - shifting to continuous, automated real-time defense. https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4314411/department-of-war-announces-new-cybersecurity-risk-management-construct 💥 The return of LockBit 5.0, now targeting Windows, Linux, and ESXi — a cross-platform beast with heavy obfuscation and new tactics. https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/25/i/lockbit-5-targets-windows-linux-esxi.html 💼 A major Jaguar Land Rover loan bailout following a cyber shutdown — what that says about risk in the private sector. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgl15ykerlro 🃏 The latest Boyd Gaming Corp cybersecurity incident — lessons from how an incident unfolds in real business. https://www.board-cybersecurity.com/incidents/tracker/20250923-boyd-gaming-corp-cybersecurity-incident 🎯 Why phishing remains the leading cause of ransomware attacks in 2025 — and how that one vector keeps getting lethal. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/23/3154612/0/en/Phishing-is-the-Leading-Cause-of-Ransomware-Attacks-in-2025-SpyCloud-Identity-Threat-Report-Finds.html No script. No limits. If it matters in cyber, it’s fair game. Tune in every Monday to cut through the noise of the past week, see how these cyber threats and incidents interlock, and walk away with decision-ready takeaways for your own security posture. 👉 Follow Barricade Cyber Solutions:- Connect on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/barricadecyber- Eric's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ransomware- Listen to this podcast on Transistor.fm (or your favorite podcast platform): https://brutallyhonestsecurity.transistor.fm Visit https://barricadecyber.com to learn about our mission to help businesses be safer tomorrow than they are today. © 2025 Barricade Cyber Solutions

    2h 33m

  5. 22/09/2025

    AsyncRAT, FileFix & Airport Shutdowns

    When it comes to cybersecurity, sugarcoating is not an option. Brutally Honest Security cuts through the noise with raw, unfiltered insights from Eric Taylor — a seasoned digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) expert known for his “no-holds-barred” style. Each episode dives straight into the heart of information security:🔥 Ransomware updates & evolving trends📧 Business Email Compromise (BEC) and phishing🛠 Digital Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR)🌑 Threat actor activity across the dark web📢 Breaking cybersecurity headlines & data breaches🛡 Latest CVEs, exploits, and real-world vulnerabilities🎙 No script. No limits. If it matters in cyber, it’s fair game. Whether you’re a security professional, IT leader, breach counsel, or just someone trying to make sense of the headlines, Eric’s blunt breakdowns make complex cyber topics accessible and actionable. Expect frank discussions, real stories from the trenches, and zero fluff. If you’re tired of jargon and want the truth about today’s cyber threats, tune in to Brutally Honest Security. Its cybersecurity explained the way it should be direct, honest, and impossible to ignore. 👉 Subscribe now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. ============================= In this debut episode of Brutally Honest Security, Eric Taylor wastes no time cutting through the cyber noise of the week with his signature blunt insights. This week’s breakdown includes:✈️ European airports hit by a cyberattack — grounding flights and snarling travel across the region.☁️ Microsoft Azure Entra elevation of privilege vulnerability — why it matters and who’s at risk.🔒 MySonicWall cloud backup incident — what was exposed and lessons for MSPs.🐀 Tracking AsyncRAT through Trojanized ScreenConnect campaigns — a stealthy RAT abusing open directories.🧙 GOLD SALEM’s Warlock ransomware operation — the latest player in an already crowded landscape.📂 FileFix malware spotted in the wild — moving beyond proof-of-concept with steganography tricks.👮 Teen hacker jailhouse confessions — insight into the mindset of young cybercriminals.🚈 JFK’s AirTrain half-off promo — and why even everyday infrastructure intersects with cyber resilience. Episode Links:- European airports snarled by cyberattack - https://www.reuters.com/en/cyberattack-causes-flight-delays-cancellations-brussels-airport-2025-09-20- JFK's AirTran Half Off for the summer - https://www.frommers.com/tips/car-bus-rail/jfk-airtrain-half-off-in-nyc-summer-2025- Microsoft Azure Entra Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability - https://thehackernews.com/2025/09/microsoft-patches-critical-entra-id.html https://thehackernews.com/2025/09/microsoft-patches-critical-entra-id.html- MySonicWall Cloud Backup File Incident - https://www.sonicwall.com/support/knowledge-base/mysonicwall-cloud-backup-file-incident/250915160910330- Tracking AsyncRAT via Trojanized ScreenConnect - https://hunt.io/blog/asyncrat-screenconnect-open-directory-campaigns- GOLD SALEM’s Warlock operation - https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2025/09/17/gold-salems-warlock-operation-joins-busy-ransomware-landscape- ‘I Was a Weird Kid’: Jailhouse Confessions of a Teen Hackerhttps://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/i-was-a-weird-kid-jailhouse-confessions-of-a-teen-hacker- FileFix in the wild! New FileFix campaign goes beyond POC -https://www.acronis.com/en/tru/posts/filefix-in-the-wild-new-filefix-campaign-goes-beyond-poc-and-leverages-steganography 👉 Follow Barricade Cyber Solutions:- Connect on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/barricadecyber- Eric's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ransomware- Listen to this podcast on Transistor.fm (or your favorite podcast platform): https://brutallyhonestsecurity.transistor.fm Visit https://barricadecyber.com to learn how we help businesses be safer tomorrow than they are today. © 2025 Barricade Cyber Solutions

    2h 25m
  • 5 Episodes

About

Cut through the noise with Brutally Honest Security, hosted by Eric Taylor, Founder & Chief Forensics Officer at Barricade Cyber Solutions. From ransomware and BEC to DFIR, dark web activity, and the latest breaches, Eric delivers blunt, no-nonsense insights that anyone in cybersecurity can follow. No script. No limits. If it matters in cyber, it’s fair game.

Information

  • Creator
    Barricade Cyber Solutions
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Barricade Cyber Solutions