Defending the Frontline: Ransomware, AI, and Real-World Lessons | Alexander Rau | The Defender's Log

Have cyber attacks ever been this bad? According to our guest, this was the busiest summer for incident response on record.

In this episode, host David Redekop sits down with Alexander Rau, Partner in Cybersecurity at KPMG, to share real-world "horror stories" from the front lines of digital defense. Alex reveals why a flood of zero-day vulnerabilities in firewalls kept his team at capacity and what he expects for the rest of the year.

Join us as we pull back the curtain on the evolving tactics of modern threat actors.

You'll learn:
How ransomware groups are using AI chatbots to conduct initial negotiations.
Why attackers are so busy, some have stopped stealing data just to encrypt faster.
The human element: How deepfakes and social engineering are bypassing traditional defenses.
The immense (and unaddressed) risk facing small-to-medium businesses (SMBs).
The "marathon, not a sprint" mindset required to survive a major breach.
The complex business and ethical dilemma of whether or not to pay the ransom.

This is an in-the-trenches look at the state of cybersecurity that you don't want to miss. Alex's final piece of advice, especially for small businesses, is simple: "Ask for help."

Find Our Guest:
Alexander Rau: Partner, Cybersecurity at KPMG

Subscribe to The Defender's Log for more insights from the industry's top security chiefs, CISOs, and architects.