The BlueHat Podcast

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham is joined by George Hughey from Microsoft who returns to discuss his Blue Hat India talk on variant hunting, explaining how MSRC uses submission data from hacking competitions like Pwn2Own and Tianfu Cup to uncover additional security vulnerabilities in Windows. George shares how incentives in competitions differ from bug bounty programs, how tools like CodeQL assist variant hunting, and why collaborating with the security research community is key to improving Windows security. In This Episode You Will Learn: How hacking competitions help find real-world Windows vulnerabilities The role of MSRC in hunting variants beyond submitted vulnerabilities Why fuzzing is not always effective for modern edge cases Some Questions We Ask: How do you decide which cases to pursue for variant hunting? What advice do you have for researchers submitting variants? How does the CodeQL team collaborate with your team? Resources: View George Hughey on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone share Ram Shankar Siva Kumar’s dynamic keynote from BlueHat India 2025, where he explores the evolving threat landscape of AI through the lens of the Microsoft AI Red Team. From adversarial machine learning to psychosocial harms and persuasive AI, Ram highlights real-world case studies, including prompt injection, content safety violations, and memory poisoning in AI agents. Ram underscores the urgent need for robust red teaming practices to secure AI systems against traditional security flaws and emerging threats across images, text, audio, and autonomous agents. In This Episode You Will Learn: Why old-school security flaws still break modern AI systems Real-world AI red teaming in action, from scams to memory hacks How small input tweaks can fool AI across images, audio, and text Some Questions We Ask: Can attackers fool AI using just slight image changes? Are generative AI systems vulnerable to prompt manipulation? Do you need to be an expert to break an AI model? Resources: Watch Ram’s BlueHat India 2025 Keynote: BlueHat India 2025 Day 2 Keynote - Ram Shankar Siva Kumar Listen to Ram’s Previous Appearance on The BlueHat Podcast: Not with a Bug but with a Sticker View Ram Shankar Siva Kumar on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Felix Boulet fresh off his participation in Zero Day Quest. Felix talks about his unique journey from industrial maintenance to becoming a full-time vulnerability researcher, and how that background fuels his passion for hacking and bug bounty work. He explains his method for finding bugs in Microsoft products—particularly in identity systems—and why identity is such a valuable target for attackers. Felix also shares highlights from the Zero Day Quest event, where he focused on building connections, learning from Microsoft engineers, and experiencing the collaborative side of the security community. In This Episode You Will Learn: Why identity-based bugs are especially valuable and dangerous in the security world When breaking identity controls can be the key to pivoting through an entire system How SharePoint's concept of "virtual files" impacts vulnerability validation Some Questions We Ask: What was your first bug bounty experience? Can you explain what the flash challenges were and what your experience was like? Do you think sharing bug ideas could cost you a bounty? Resources: View Felix Boulet on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Dhiral Patel, Senior Security Engineer at ZoomInfo and one of MSRC’s Most Valuable Researchers (MVR). Dhiral shares how a hacked Facebook account sparked his passion for ethical hacking. From web development to penetration testing, Dhiral has become a top bug hunter, landing multiple spots on the MSRC leaderboards. Dhiral reflects on his early MSRC submissions and lessons learned. He also discusses the importance of mastering web security basics, practicing on platforms like TryHackMe and Hack the Box, and staying connected with the bug bounty community. In This Episode You Will Learn: The importance of mastering web security basics before diving into bug bounty hunting Why hands-on platforms like TryHackMe and Hack the Box are perfect for beginners Dhiral’s journey from blogging to freelancing and security research Some Questions We Ask: How do you balance competition and collaboration in the bug bounty community? Can you explain what clickjacking is and if it still works today? Why did you start with Power BI, and how did it lead to your journey in security? Resources: View Dhiral Patel on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Brad Schlintz, independent security researcher and bug bounty hunter. Brad shares how he transitioned from a decade-long career as a software engineer to hacking Microsoft products while traveling the world with his wife. He recounts his early days tinkering with RuneScape bots, his experience working in SharePoint and Azure at Microsoft, and the moment he first encountered a real-world cybersecurity incident. He also discusses his journey into ethical hacking and his qualification for the upcoming Zero Day Quest, showcasing how he turned bug hunting into a lifestyle that allows him to work from anywhere—including a stunning island in Brazil. In This Episode You Will Learn: How a single discovered bug can lead to finding multiple vulnerabilities in the same area The importance of exploring app integrations when searching for security vulnerabilities Why building on prior discoveries can make it easier to uncover more hidden security issues Some Questions We Ask: What guidance can you share with other researchers and hackers on how to find vulnerabilities? Why did your background in software engineering help you in your bug bounty work? How did you transition from working on the website incident to more full-time security research? Resources: View Brad Schlintz on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham is joined by Scott Gorlick, Security Architect for Power Platform at Microsoft. Scott shares his unconventional journey into cybersecurity, from managing a KFC to driving big rigs before landing in tech. He dives into security research in Copilot Studio, discussing how AI models interact with security frameworks and how researchers can approach testing these systems. We also explore his recent training video on YouTube, which provides guidance for security researchers looking to engage with Microsoft’s bug bounty program. In This Episode You Will Learn: What Scott does to ensure Power Platform applications remain governable and secure Why security and software quality go hand in hand in modern development. How security researchers can explore vulnerabilities in Microsoft's low-code AI development platform Some Questions We Ask: What kinds of security issues should researchers focus on in Copilot Studio? Can Copilot help researchers write better reports, especially in different languages? How can researchers get access to Copilot Studio? Is there a free version? Resources: View Scott Gorlick on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Security Research in Copilot Studio Overview and Training on YouTube Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, hosts Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by BlueHat 2024 presenter Joe Bialek, a security engineer at Microsoft with over 13 years of experience. Joe shares his fascinating journey from intern to red team pioneer, recounting how he helped establish the Office 365 Red Team and pushed the boundaries of ethical hacking within Microsoft. He discusses his formative years building sneaky hacking tools, navigating the controversial beginnings of red teaming, and transitioning to the Windows Security Team to focus on low-level security and mitigations. Joe reflects on the challenges of internal hacking, the human reactions to being "hacked," and the value of strengthening defenses before external threats arise. In This Episode You Will Learn: How Microsoft is developing tooling to identify and address bad programming patterns Why kernel-related discussions are primarily focused on Windows and driver developers The challenges developers face when reading and writing through pointers in C or C++ Some Questions We Ask: How does working with the Windows kernel impact system security and performance? What sets Windows kernel and driver development apart from other types of development? Why should internal teams test systems for vulnerabilities before external hackers? Resources: View Joe Bialek on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn BlueHat 2024 Session: Pointer Problems – Why We’re Refactoring the Windows Kernel Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

Yonatan Zunger, CVP of AI Safety & Security at Microsoft joins Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone on this week's episode of The BlueHat Podcast. Yonatan explains the distinction between generative and predictive AI, noting that while predictive AI excels in classification and recommendation, generative AI focuses on summarizing and role-playing. He highlights how generative AI's ability to process natural language and role-play has vast potential, though its applications are still emerging. He contrasts this with predictive AI's strength in handling large datasets for specific tasks. Yonatan emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations in AI development, stressing the need for continuous safety engineering and diverse perspectives to anticipate and mitigate potential failures. He provides examples of AI's positive and negative uses, illustrating the importance of designing systems that account for various scenarios and potential misuses. In This Episode You Will Learn: How predictive AI anticipates outcomes based on historical data The difficulties and strategies involved in making AI systems safe and secure from misuse How role-playing exercises help developers understand the behavior of AI systems Some Questions We Ask: What distinguishes predictive AI from generative AI? Can generative AI be used to improve decision-making processes? What is the role of unit testing and test cases in policy and AI system development? Resources: View Yonatan Zunger on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, hosts Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone present an insightful address by Corporate Vice President and Head of Product for Microsoft's Developer Division, Amanda Silver. Amanda discusses the importance of securing the software supply chain and Microsoft's efforts to protect the open-source ecosystem. She introduces the Secure Software Supply Chain Consumption Framework (S2C2F), a model for tracking and defending against vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies. Silver highlights tools like Dependabot and improvements in NuGet to help developers address security issues seamlessly. She also shares a case study on the "XZ" supply chain attack, underscoring the need for a security mindset in tech culture. Silver closes by urging listeners to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity, emphasizing that attacks are inevitable. Resources: View Amanda Silver on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

In this episode of the Blue Hat Podcast, hosts Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Arjun Gopalakrishna, a security engineer at Microsoft, to discuss his fascinating journey from software engineer to security leader. Arjun reflects on his 11-year tenure at Microsoft, including how a childhood experience with a computer virus sparked his curiosity in cybersecurity. He talks about his early exposure to security issues while working in Windows and his eventual transition to Azure security. Arjun also shares insights into how he began presenting security talks internally through Microsoft's Strike program and how he continues to use storytelling to make complex security concepts approachable for colleagues across the company. In This Episode You Will Learn: The importance of empathy and accessibility when discussing technical vulnerabilities Why Arjun honed his focus on cloud security, application security, and offensive security. How Microsoft's internal Strike platform helps employees build a deeper understanding of cybersecurity Some Questions We Ask: Can you walk us through how you honed in on a specific area of security? What are your tips for bringing non-security professionals into a security mindset? Is there anything you're specifically working on within SFI? Resources: View Arjun Gopalakrishna on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

Jim Hull, Program Manager at MSRC joins Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone on this week's episode of The BlueHat Podcast to share insights into his role in reviewing vulnerability reports and managing cases. They dive into the submission process, detailing the types of reports accepted by MSRC and what happens after a researcher submits a potential vulnerability. The conversation also highlights the accessibility of the portal for anyone interested in identifying security issues, whether they are professionals or hobbyists. Jim explains the importance of providing clear proof of concept when submitting a vulnerability and walks through the steps MSRC takes to triage, reproduce, and resolve reports. In This Episode You Will Learn: Why a detailed proof of concept is essential when submitting a vulnerability How the MSRC collaborates with engineers at Microsoft to resolve vulnerabilities The importance of including video or image documentation to support reports Some Questions We Ask: What is the vulnerability triage process at MSRC? How long does it take to fix a vulnerability after it’s been reported? Why is it important to use the researcher portal instead of email or social media? Resources: Microsoft Security Response Center View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts The BlueHat Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.

Ryen Macababbad, Principal Security Program Manager at Microsoft joins Nic Fillingham on this week's episode of The BlueHat Podcast. Ryen discusses their career journey, including the return to Microsoft after working in security architecture and customer trust engineering. Ryen shares insights from their time at Hacker Summer Camp 2024 in Las Vegas, emphasizing the importance of creating frictionless security measures that don't hinder productivity. They explain that when security becomes a barrier, users will find workarounds, potentially compromising security. The conversation touches on the evolving relationship between security and productivity teams, highlighting the need for security to be an enabler rather than an obstacle. In This Episode You Will Learn: How investing in security helps maintain customer trust and protects revenue Why security should be built-in by default so users don't need to be security experts The importance of incorporating feedback and diverse viewpoints to enhance security Some Questions We Ask: How is a seamless security and productivity experience provided for end users? Can security researchers contribute to identifying gaps and improving product security? What motivated the shift from a focus on identity and program management to defensive security? Resources: View Ryen Macababbad on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts

Yonatan Zunger, CVP of AI Safety & Security at Microsoft joins Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone on this week's episode of The BlueHat Podcast. Yonatan explains the distinction between generative and predictive AI, noting that while predictive AI excels in classification and recommendation, generative AI focuses on summarizing and role-playing. He highlights how generative AI's ability to process natural language and role-play has vast potential, though its applications are still emerging. He contrasts this with predictive AI's strength in handling large datasets for specific tasks. Yonatan emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations in AI development, stressing the need for continuous safety engineering and diverse perspectives to anticipate and mitigate potential failures. He provides examples of AI's positive and negative uses, illustrating the importance of designing systems that account for various scenarios and potential misuses. In This Episode You Will Learn: How predictive AI anticipates outcomes based on historical data The difficulties and strategies involved in making AI systems safe and secure from misuse How role-playing exercises help developers understand the behavior of AI systems Some Questions We Ask: What distinguishes predictive AI from generative AI? Can generative AI be used to improve decision-making processes? What is the role of unit testing and test cases in policy and AI system development? Resources: View Yonatan Zunger on LinkedIn View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn Related Microsoft Podcasts: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson Uncovering Hidden Risks Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts