The RMM protocol: Remote, risky, and ready to strike.

The RMM protocol: Remote, risky, and ready to strike.

Author: DISCARDED | N2K Networks July 1, 2025 Duration: 38:40
Please enjoy this encore of Only Malware in the Building. Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠ intelligence analyst and host of their podcast ⁠⁠DISCARDED⁠⁠. Inspired by the residents of a building in New York’s exclusive upper west side, Selena is joined by ⁠⁠N2K Networks⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Dave Bittner⁠⁠ and our newest co-host, ⁠Keith Mularski⁠, former FBI cybercrime investigator and now Chief Global Ambassador at ⁠Qintel⁠. Being a security researcher is a bit like being a detective: you gather clues, analyze the evidence, and consult the experts to solve the cyber puzzle. On this episode, our hosts discuss the growing trend of cybercriminals using legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools in email campaigns as a first-stage payload. They explore how these tools are being leveraged for data theft, financial fraud, and lateral movement within networks. With the decline of traditional malware delivery methods, including loaders and botnets, the shift toward RMMs marks a significant change in attack strategies. Tune in to learn more about this evolving threat landscape and how to stay ahead of these tactics.

Each month on Only Malware in the Building, a trio of cyber-savvy partners-in-crime dissects the surprising and often alarming connections between the digital threats we face and the cinematic stories we watch. This podcast emerges from a collaboration between N2K CyberWire and the Proofpoint DISCARDED podcast, bringing together distinct expertise. Host Selena Larson, a Threat Researcher at Proofpoint, Dave Bittner of the CyberWire Daily podcast, and Keith Mularski, whose background includes serving as an FBI Cyber Division Unit Chief, provide a unique lens. They uncover the secrets behind some of the most notorious cyber incidents, using film and television as a framework to explore real-world tactics, motivations, and consequences. Listeners will hear detailed breakdowns of how fictional plots mirror actual malware campaigns, social engineering schemes, and geopolitical hacking operations. The conversation is grounded in technical reality but elevated by a shared appreciation for narrative, making complex security topics accessible and engaging. It’s for anyone curious about the intersection of our digital vulnerabilities and our cultural storytelling, where an analysis of a heist film might reveal the mechanics of a ransomware gang, or a spy thriller could illustrate state-sponsored espionage. The tone is conversational and deep-dive, blending insider knowledge with pop culture critique. You’ll come away with a sharper understanding of the threat landscape and a new perspective on your favorite screens.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 26

Only Malware in the Building
Podcast Episodes
Trusting the wrong package. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:54
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠…
Mythbehavior under investigation. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:56
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…
Who’s logging in? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:39
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ i…
AI swarms and cyber alarms. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:31
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ intel…
When legit is the trick: Phishing’s sneaky new moves. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:55
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ intellige…
Poisoned at the source. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:45
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ intelligence…
Yippee-ki-yay, cybercriminals! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:18
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Wrap yourself in a warm blanket, pour your favorite mug of tea, and join us each month as we unwrap the season’s juiciest cyber mysteries. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selen…
Pass the intel, please. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:06
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠ intelligence anal…
When malware goes bump in the night. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:38
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠ intelligence anal…
Hot sauce and hot takes: An Only Malware in the Building special. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:37
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building — but this time, it’s not just another episode. This is a special edition you won’t want to miss. For the first time, our hosts are together in-studio — and they’r…