The Security Distillery Podcast

The Security Distillery
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The Security Distillery is an initiative from students for students. We aim to turn complex issues into simple matters in order to provide quality, accessible information for students and researchers. Find here the podcasts produced by the student-ran think tank around different thematic series: The Intelligence Espresso, Drone Warfare, Cyberdistillery..and so on! More information and content at: https://thesecuritydistillery.org Contact us at: information@thesecuritydistillery.org Want to contribute to a podcast, an article or organise an event with The Security Distillery Reach out to us on social media (@thesecuritydistillery) or via email (information@thesecuritydistillery.org).

  1. Sep 19

    Security Espresso ep. 5

    The Security Distillery Podcast

  2. Aug 18

    Security Espresso ep. 4

    The Security Distillery Podcast

  3. Jul 18

    Security Espresso Ep. 3

    The Security Distillery Podcast

  4. Jun 16

    Security Espresso Ep. 2

    The Security Distillery Podcast

  5. May 15

    Security Espresso Ep. 1

    The Security Distillery Podcast

  6. Mar 2

    Cyberdistillery - Episode 5: Troll Farms in the MENA region with Dr. Marina Ayeb

    In the last episode of Cyberdistillery, Giuditta and Andrea talk with Dr. Marina Ayeb about her research on computational propaganda and troll farms in the Middle East, understood through the lens of labour studies as real workplaces. First, Marina takes us through the history and origins of troll farms and computational propaganda, touching on the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections, Brexit, and WikiLeaks. Then she tells us how she and Tiziano Bonini managed to access Middle Eastern troll farms to conduct research on these “black boxes,” which were revealed to be highly organised, hierarchical places. Troll farm worker profiles differed across her research: trolls in Tunisia, Egypt, and Iraq were motivated by economic reasons and faced high psychological and moral costs in their jobs, while Iranian trolls were driven by ideology and patriotism. She concludes that the most unexpected and interesting finding of her research was how human the work of computational propaganda in the Middle East is: what emerged from their interviews was that behind a cyber troll, there were real humans with ambitions, doubts, and daily ethical struggles for being responsible for influencing the opinion of millions of people. At the end of the episode, we discuss the gender aspect of Middle Eastern troll farms, and Marina shares insights into her future research. Marina’s publication: Ayeb, M., & Bonini, T. (2024). “It Was Very Hard for Me to Keep Doing That Job”: Understanding Troll Farm’s Working in the Arab World. Social Media + Society, 10(1). Find out more about the Security Distillery and follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/thesecuritydistillery For enquiries and feedback, contact us at: information@thesecuritydistillery.org Hosts: Andrea Bussini, Giuditta Fiori Editor: Andrea Bussini

    Cyberdistillery - Episode 5: Troll Farms in the MENA region with Dr. Marina Ayeb

  7. Feb 17

    Cyberdistillery - Episode 4: SheSpeaksCyber with Secure Practice CEO Erlend Andreas Gjære

    In this episode of Cyberdistillery, Giuditta and Andrea explore the human factor in cybersecurity with Erlend Andreas Gjære, co-founder and CEO of Secure Practice, and creator of SheSpeaksCyber. Erlend emphasises that security is about people and processes, not just technology. Moreover, he discusses the importance of storytelling to make abstract threats tangible, scalable training for leaders and coordinators, and interactive disruption exercises to familiarise employees with the effects of a cyberattack. Together, they also talk about SheSpeaksCyber, Erlend's initiative to provide a directory for female cybersecurity speakers, working as a catalogue to propose themselves as speakers for conferences and for conferences to find them. Find out more about the Security Distillery and follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/thesecuritydistillery For enquiries and feedback, contact us at: information@thesecuritydistillery.org Hosts: Andrea Bussini, Giuditta Fiori Editor: Andrea Bussini

    Cyberdistillery - Episode 4: SheSpeaksCyber with Secure Practice CEO Erlend Andreas Gjære

  8. 12/23/2025

    Cyberdistillery - Episode 3, Part 1: Cybersecurity of the Healthcare Sector with Maria Vittoria Zucca

    In this second part of the third episode of Cyberdistillery, Giuditta and Andrea, joined by Maria Vittoria Zucca - a PhD candidate in the National Italian PhD program Cybersecurity, led by the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca - continue the "cyber-medical analysis” of the (Italian) healthcare sector.  Maria Vittoria takes us through the “therapy” that needs to be carried out to strengthen the cybersecurity of the (Italian) healthcare sector, building readiness against threats and assessing vulnerabilities before, during, and after a cyberattack.   Next, she provides a prognosis for the healthcare sector, looking ahead to foster a cybersecurity culture in hospitals by providing training and implementing professional cybersecurity roles, such as Data Protection Officers, in the healthcare. Maria Vittoria’s publication referred to in this episode: ZUCCA, M.V. (2025) Cyber(in)sicurezza in sanità: un ponte comunicativo tra medicina, informatica e diritto. BioLaw Journal - Rivista di BioDiritto, 1, pp. 291–303. Find out more about the Security Distillery and follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/thesecuritydistillery For enquiries and feedback, contact us at: information@thesecuritydistillery.org Hosts: Andrea Bussini, Giuditta Fiori Editor: Andrea Bussini

    Cyberdistillery - Episode 3, Part 1: Cybersecurity of the Healthcare Sector with Maria Vittoria Zucca
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About

The Security Distillery is an initiative from students for students. We aim to turn complex issues into simple matters in order to provide quality, accessible information for students and researchers. Find here the podcasts produced by the student-ran think tank around different thematic series: The Intelligence Espresso, Drone Warfare, Cyberdistillery..and so on! More information and content at: https://thesecuritydistillery.org Contact us at: information@thesecuritydistillery.org Want to contribute to a podcast, an article or organise an event with The Security Distillery Reach out to us on social media (@thesecuritydistillery) or via email (information@thesecuritydistillery.org).

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