Intelligence Center

Threat Research

Unleashing the Kraken ransomware group

In August 2025, Cisco Talos observed big-game hunting and double extortion attacks carried out by Kraken, a Russian-speaking group that has emerged from the remnants of the HelloKitty ransomware cartel. Learn More

Velociraptor leveraged in ransomware attacks

Cisco Talos has confirmed that ransomware operators are leveraging Velociraptor, an open-source digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) tool. Learn More

Too salty to handle: Exposing cases of CSS abuse for hidden text salting

A simple yet effective tactic, known as hidden text salting, is increasingly used by cybercriminals over the past few months to evade even the most advanced email security solutions, including those powered by machine learning and large language models. Learn More

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Latest Talos Takes Podcast Episodes

November 25, 2025
When You’re Told “No Budget”: The Blueprint for Staying Secure

What happens when your to-do list keeps growing but your budget doesn’t? Hazel is joined by three Cisco Talos Incident Response experts to talk about the reality many organizations face: rising threats, aging infrastructure, and fewer people to defend it all.From configuring what you already have, to open-source strategies, to the impact of cybersecurity layoffs, this episode is packed with practical guidance for securing your organization during an economic downturn.Resources mentioned:https://blog.talosintelligence.com/cybersecurity-on-a-budget-strategies-for-an-economic-downturn/https://blogs.cisco.com/news/doubling-down-on-resilient-infrastructurehttps://talosintelligence.com/incident_response

November 13, 2025
How Attackers Use Your Own Tools Against You (IR trends Q3 2025)

In this episode of Talos Takes Hazel sits down with Talos' Bill Largent and Craig Jackson to discuss the latest Cisco Talos Incident Response Quarterly Trends Report (Q3 2025). From a wave of Toolshell events, to a rise in post-exploitation phishing, and the misuse of legitimate tools like Velociraptor, this quarter’s cases all point to a theme: attackers are getting very good at living off what’s already in your environment. Read the full report at https://blog.talosintelligence.com/ir-trends-q3-2025/

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