About the show

The Three Buddy Problem is a popular Security Conversations podcast that goes beyond industry talking points to discuss what others won’t -- nation-state malware, attribution, cyberwar, ethics, privacy, and the messy realities of securing computers and corporate networks.

Hosted by three veteran security pros -- journalist Ryan Naraine and malware paleontologists Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade -- the weekly show attracts a highly engaged audience of security researchers, corporate defenders, CISOs, and policymakers.

Connect with Ryan on Twitter (Open DMs).

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Episodes

  • Apple’s iOS forensics freeze, WhatsApp zero-click, China outs NSA

    October 24th, 2025  |  2 hrs 11 mins
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 69: We dig into news that Apple's iOS 26 has quietly killed the shutdown.log forensic artifact used to spot signs of infections and what it means for threat hunters. Plus, whispers of a million-dollar WhatsApp zero-click exploit that never materialized at Pwn2Own, a surreal court case linking a Trenchant exploit developer to Russian buyers, and Chinese threat intel reports pointing fingers at the NSA.

    We also discuss calls for the US government to build a structured, lawful ecosystem for private-sector offensive operations to address existing chaos and market gaps.

    Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    JAGS LABScon 2025 keynote: Steps to an ecology of cyber

    October 18th, 2025  |  31 mins
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem (Episode 68): The buddies are trapped in timezone hell with cross-country travel this week.

    In this special episode, we present Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade's LABScon 2025 keynote-day presentation on the state of cybersecurity and why this phase of our collective project has failed, and how to build something smarter, more sustainable, and deeply interconnected in its place.

    Juanito traces the field’s evolution from chaos to consolidation, weaving in cybernetics, standardization, and the dawning coexistence of human and artificial evaluative power. The result is part philosophical sermon, part rallying cry, an invitation to reject the industry’s slave morality, rethink our tools, and steer the next era of defense with intention.

  •

    Apple Exploit-Chain Bounties, Wireless Proximity Exploits and Tactical Suitcases

    October 11th, 2025  |  2 hrs 23 mins
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 67: We discuss the rise of automated red-teaming, Apple’s $2 million exploit chain bounties aimed at outbidding spyware brokers and the iPhone maker's focus on wireless proximity attacks and “tactical suitcase” Wi-Fi exploits. We also hit the news of Paragon spyware targeting European executives and the bizarre story of NSO Group’s supposed US investor buyout.

    Plus, an update on Oracle’s zero-day ransomware fiasco, Ivanti’s endless patch delays, the ethics of journalists enabling ransomware operations on leak sites, Europe’s latest failed push for Chat Control, and VirusTotal’s new pricing tiers.

    Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Chris Eng on lessons learned from the NSA, @Stake, Veracode, and 20 years in cybersecurity

    October 7th, 2025  |  44 mins 54 secs
    cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, pen-test, secure by design, supply chain

    This week on Security Conversations, Ryan sits down with Chris Eng, former Chief Research Officer at Veracode, to talk about life after nearly two decades at one company and the lessons learned along the way. They dig into a career start at the NSA, the early days of @Stake and the Symantec acquisition, and the birth and ambitions of Veracode.

    Plus, thoughts on how helping startups shape product strategy, what it takes to translate technical expertise into business impact, and how security culture has evolved since the early “hacker-to-enterprise” days. The conversation touches on defining your career beyond titles, how the perception of “cybersecurity” has changed over the years, and why the industry still has plenty of room for curiosity, reinvention, and good storytelling.

  •

    Oracle cl0p ransomware crisis, EU drone sightings, Cisco bootkit fallout

    October 3rd, 2025  |  2 hrs 3 mins
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 66: We discuss drone sightings that shut down airports across Europe and what they reveal about hybrid warfare and the changing nature of conflict; Oracle ransomware/extortion campaign tied to unpatched E-Business Suite vulnerabilities and the company’s muted response.

    Plus, the TikTok–Oracle deal and the strange role Oracle now plays in U.S. national security; OpenAI’s Sora 2 launch and its implications for social media and human expression; Palo Alto’s “Phantom Taurus” APT report, a follow-up on Cisco’s ArcaneDoor disclosures, and the impact of the U.S. government shutdown on CISA.

    Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Cisco firewall zero-days and bootkits in the wild

    September 27th, 2025  |  1 hr 54 mins
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 65: We zero in on one of the biggest security stories of the year: the discovery of a persistent multi-stage bootkit implanting malware on Cisco ASA firewalls. Details on a new campaign, tied to the same threat actors behind ArcaneDoor, exploiting zero-days in Cisco’s 5500-X series appliances, devices that sit at the heart of government and enterprise networks worldwide.

    Plus, Cisco’s controversial handling of these disclosures, CISA's emergency deadlines for patching, the absence of IOCs and samples, and China’s long-term positioning. Plus, thoughts on the Secret Service SIM farm discovery in New York and evidence of Russians APTs Turla and Gamaredon collaborating to hit Ukraine targets.

    Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Live at LABScon: Aurora Johnson and Trevor Hilligoss on China's 'internet toilets'

    September 24th, 2025  |  22 mins 13 secs
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 64: SpyCloud Labs researchers Aurora Johnson and Trevor Hilligoss discuss the world of “internet toilets," the toxic online communities in China where harassment, stalking, and sextortion thrive. We explore how these groups operate, from doxing ex-lovers and enemies to running coordinated campaigns of cyberbullying that often spill into real-world harm. (Recorded at LABScon 2025).

    Cast: Aurora Johnson, Trevor Hilligoss Ryan Naraine and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Live at LABScon: Visi Stark shares memories of creating the APT1 report

    September 24th, 2025  |  28 mins 50 secs
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 63: Co-founder of the Vertex Project Visi Stark joins the buddies to reminisce about his work writing Mandiant's famous APT1 report, the China-nexus threat landscape, the value of cyber threat intelligence, APT-naming schemes, and more... (Recorded at LABScon 2025).

    Cast: Visi Stark, Ryan Naraine and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Live at LABScon: Lindsay Freeman on tracking Wagner Group war crimes

    September 24th, 2025  |  31 mins 52 secs
    apt research, cyberespionage, military contractors, nation-state, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 62: Lindsay Freeman, Director of the Technology, Law & Policy program at the Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley School of Law, joins the show to discuss her team's meticulous work to document the Wagner Group's chain of command, military operations in parts of Africa, and the broadcasting of war crimes on social media platforms like Telegram. (Recorded at LABScon 2025)

    Cast: Lindsay Freeman, Ryan Naraine and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Can Apple's New Anti-Exploit Tech Stop iPhone Spyware Attacks?

    September 9th, 2025  |  2 hrs 45 mins
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, spyware, surveillance, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 61: We cover a pair of software supply chain breaches (Salesforce Salesloft Drift and NPM/GitHub) that raises big questions about SaaS integrations and the ripple effects across major security vendors.

    Plus, Apple’s new Memory Integrity Enforcement in iPhone 17 and discussion on commercial spyware infections and the value of Apple notifications; concerns around Chinese hardware and surveillance equipment in US infrastructure; Silicon Valley profiting from China’s surveillance ecosystem; and controversy around a Huntress disclosure of an attacker’s operations after an EDR agent was mistakenly installed.

    Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Salt Typhoon IOCs, Google floats ‘cyber disruption unit’, WhatsApp 0-click

    August 29th, 2025  |  2 hrs 24 mins
    apt research, china, microsoft, nation-state, russia, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 60: We dissect a fresh multi-agency Salt Typhoon advisory (with IOCs and YARA rules!), why it landed late, why the wall of logos matters (and doesn’t), and what’s actually usable for defenders: new YARA, tool hashes, naming ambiguity across reports, the mention of Chinese vendors, and a Dutch note that smaller ISPs were hit.

    Plus, Costin details his hunting stack and philosophy (historic IOC/malware hoarding, fast pivots, and AI as analyst “wingman”) and a new Chinese APT report that may intersect with LightBasin and the murky PSOA world.

    We also debate Google’s proposed “cyber disruption unit” versus Microsoft’s DCU (legal vs. “ethical” takedowns, PR, and business models); react to Anthropic’s report on real attacker use of Claude; note Amazon’s APT29 watering-hole disruption; and close on a fresh WhatsApp-to-ImageIO zero-click chain and practical phone OPSEC.

    Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.

  •

    Zero-day reality check: iOS exploits, MAPP in China and the hack-back temptation

    August 22nd, 2025  |  2 hrs 32 mins
    apt research, cyberespionage, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

    Three Buddy Problem - Episode 59: Apple drops another emergency iOS patch and we unpack what that “may have been exploited” language really means: zero-click chains, why notifications help but forensics don’t, and the uncomfortable truth that Lockdown Mode is increasingly the default for high-risk users. We connect the dots from ImageIO bugs to geopolitics, discuss who’s likely using these exploits, why Apple’s guidance stops short, and the practical playbook (ADP on, reboot often, reduce attack surface) that actually works.

    Plus, we debate Microsoft throttling MAPP access for Chinese vendors, the idea of “letters of marque” for cyber (outsourced offense: smart deterrent or Pandora’s box?), and dissect two case studies that blur APT and crimeware: PipeMagic’s CLFS zero-day and Russia-linked “Static Tundra” riding seven-year-old Cisco bugs.

    Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.