Name: Black Hat 2023 — Max Damage: Ransomware's Evolving Exploitation Techniques
Start: 2023-08-24T13:54:00Z
End: 2023-08-24T13:54:14.000Z
Location: BrightTALK

Akamai is the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. Our market-leading security solutions, superior threat intelligence, and global operations team provide defense in depth to safeguard enterprise data and applications everywhere. Akamai’s full-stack cloud computing solutions deliver performance and affordability on the world’s most distributed platform. Global enterprises trust Akamai to provide the industry-leading reliability, scale, and expertise they need to grow their business with confidence. Learn more at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on X and LinkedIn.

LLMs are becoming high-value attack surfaces — vulnerable to prompt injection, data exfiltration, AI-specific DoS, and output manipulation. Traditional security stacks have to evolve to see, understand, or stop these threats.

In this episode, we’ll take you under the hood of Akamai’s Firewall for AI — a purpose-built solution designed to protect generative AI and LLM applications from real-time exploitation. We’ll walk through the system’s architecture, policy models, and detection capabilities — and showcase a live demo of how it stops AI-layer threats otherwise missed.

You’ll learn:
- How Firewall for AI enforces security policies against prompt injection, jailbreaks, and abuse
- How configurable context-aware detections protect AI APIs and chat interfaces
- How organizations can monitor, control, and secure LLMs without disrupting performance or innovation

Whether you're deploying third-party models, fine-tuned internal copilots, or exposing AI via APIs — this session shows how to make AI defenses operational, scalable, and resilient by design.

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

Firewall for AI: The Next Gen-AI Protection is Here

Cyber insurance premiums continue to rise, and insurers are increasingly refusing coverage to organizations with weak security postures. In this session, we will explore how Microsegmentation directly influences security readiness, premium costs, and coverage eligibility.

Join this engaging session to delve into:
- Methods of security evaluation by cyber insurers
- The impact of security readiness on insurance premiums and coverage eligibility
- Case study insights on the successful maintenance of insurance terms post a cyber-attack
- Strategies that turned network vulnerabilities into opportunities

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

Lower Premiums, Stronger Security: Microsegmentation for Cyber Insurance

As AI continues to accelerate software development, new risks are emerging faster than most security teams can respond. Developers are building faster with AI-generated code, giving rise to “Shadow AI”: unsanctioned tools, agents, and automations that operate beyond the reach of visibility and governance. Every one of these AI workflows depends on APIs, and every hidden API represents potential exposure.

In this next session of Akamai’s “APIs in the Age of AI” series, experts from Akamai and Snyk unpack how to bring security back into focus. You’ll learn how AI is changing the way applications are built, why visibility into API schemas is the foundation of control, and how organizations can close the gap between AI-driven development and traditional AppSec.

What you’ll learn:

•How “Shadow AI” emerges across enterprises—and why APIs are at the center of it
•The risks of AI-generated code and agent-to-agent communication
•How visibility and schema discovery can eliminate blind spots in your API landscape
•Practical steps to integrate continuous API testing and runtime protection
•How Akamai and Snyk’s joint approach helps secure both the APIs and the AI systems they power
 
Join us to explore how to go from Shadow AI to Secure APIs—and how to safely accelerate innovation in an AI-powered world.

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

APIs in the Age of AI: From Shadow AI to Secure APIs

In this final If APIs Could Talk session of 2025, we’ll review the most impactful updates to Akamai API Security that improved visibility, control, and usability across the platform. We’ll revisit how APIs from Code expanded discovery into source repositories, the Compliance Dashboard simplified framework alignment, and Automatic Testing for APIs enhanced validation of authentication issues directly from the inventory. We’ll also discuss how GenAI and LLM endpoint tagging helps teams monitor emerging AI-related APIs, and highlight key UI improvements that make investigation and data analysis more efficient. This session is designed for practitioners who want a clear understanding of what has changed, why it matters, and how to maximize the benefits of these capabilities in their day-to-day operations.

Ep. 22 - 2025 Recap: Features That Delivered Real-World Impact

Watch this video to learn how AI factories combine data, compute, and automation to continuously build, deploy, and evolve AI systems capable of delivering real-time intelligence at scale.

AI Factories

Cybercriminals are firmly on the naughty list this holiday season. From phishing emails to scams that exploit festive goodwill, social engineering remains one of the most effective tools in an attacker’s playbook.

In this on-demand episode of The SIG Download, Tricia Howard and Steve Winterfeld explore social engineering for both good and evil, counting down the “12 Threats of Christmas” and unpacking how these tactics are being used in real-world attacks.

In this session, you’ll learn:
- How social engineering drives modern attacks—and how it can also be used ethically
- Examples of real-world holiday-season scams and exploits
- Practical steps to help protect your organisation into the new year

Watch this festive and thought-provoking episode on demand.

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in the 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

SIG Download: Episode 25 – The 12 Threats of Christmas – Social Engineering for Good and Evil

Generative AI spending is projected to surge nearly 75% in 2025, as enterprises race to stay competitive while pursuing low-risk adoption strategies. This on-demand session explores key findings from The State of Enterprise AI study, revealing how organizations are approaching AI to drive value securely and at scale.

The research shows that leading enterprises are prioritizing proven use cases to quickly build AI fluency, deliver measurable ROI, and minimize security and operational risks. This strategic approach enables safe experimentation and lays the groundwork for future innovation.

Key Takeaways:
- How to balance AI innovation with built-in risk mitigation.
- Which AI use cases are delivering fast, measurable value today.
- Why infrastructure is critical for secure, scalable AI adoption.

Watch now to gain strategic insights and actionable guidance for your organization’s AI journey.

Forrester Insights: The State of Enterprise AI Adoption and Risk Management

Smarter, faster-moving cyberthreats, tighter regulations, and rising insurer demands have put network segmentation strategy back in the spotlight, but many enterprises are struggling to keep pace. Enterprise segmentation adoption is high, at a basic level. However, maturity, in the form of microsegmentation, remains low. Why the disconnect?

Independent research commissioned by Akamai reveals a clear gap between segmentation intent and execution, a gap leaving many enterprises exposed. Many enterprises still rely on legacy north–south segmentation approaches, making them vulnerable to growing cyberattacks, including those using generative and agentic artificial intelligence (AI).

Join us as we deep dive the data, and learn how early adopters, particularly large organizations with mature security operations, are already realizing multiple advantages:
- Lower insurance premiums
- Faster claims processing
- Stronger audit readiness
- Better ransomware outcomes

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

Segmentation Impact Study 2025: Why Microsegmentation Matters Now

AI is redefining both innovation and attack surface. The rise of Agentic AI systems and autonomous AI bots has unleashed a new wave of threats — from intelligent scraping and adaptive fraud to Offensive AI models like FraudGPTand GhostGPT that automate reconnaissance and exploit generation.

This session explores the complex duality of AI as both attacker and target, examining the OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications and highlighting a commerce-sector case study. Join Ryan Gao who uncovers how threat actors are exploiting vulnerabilities such as prompt injection, data poisoning, and model denial-of-service — and how organizations can enhance visibility, safeguard AI-driven traffic, and implement stronger controls to protect their AI environments.

Key Takeaways:
- Uncover AI’s dual risk — attacker and target.
- Understand the mechanics of Offensive and Agentic AI threats.
- See how AI-based bots operate in a real commerce case study.
- Explore the OWASP Top 10 for LLM vulnerabilities.
- Gain practical strategies to strengthen AI resilience.

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

The Dual Nature of AI: Understanding AI as Both Target and Threat

DDoS attacks remain a persistent threat to network responsiveness and profitability. But they not only represent risk, they’re also an untapped opportunity.

Join Akamai and Corero Network Security for a 30-minute, informative conversation exploring DDoS challenges, and how they can become growth opportunities. 

You’ll discover:
-Four hidden challenges driving DDoS-related costs in service provider networks
-Why sub-second mitigation, in-network visibility, and distributed protection are essential
-How to create tiered DDoS protection offerings that your customers will pay for

This discussion will give you a framework to turn those DDoS disruption pain points into business advantages.

Turning Today's DDoS Challenges into Opportunities

Join Tricia Howard and Ryan Barnett for Episode 24 of The SIG Download. Ryan shares findings from his recent Black Hat research on how attackers exploit Unicode and encoding quirks to conceal malicious activity. They also break down the most significant attacks observed over the past 30 days and offer practical guidance on how to defend against them.

In this on-demand session, you’ll learn:
- How seemingly normal text can be weaponized
- The impact of Unicode confusables, casing, and truncation
- Recent real-world attacks and actionable mitigation strategies

Watch now to get the insights you need to strengthen your defenses.

Earn CPE Credits
Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Watch the webinar and provide your ISC2 Member ID in the Question or Rate This section to receive credit.

SIG Download: Episode 24 - Lost in Translation: When Benign Text Turns Malicious

Our latest research reveals how AI-driven bots are reshaping the digital landscape — from content scraping that undermines publishers to commerce surges exceeding 25 billion bot requests in just two months.

Watch this on-demand webinar to explore which regions and industries are seeing the sharpest rise in AI bot traffic, and learn how understanding bot identity and intent can help you distinguish between helpful and harmful automation.

In this session, you’ll learn:
• Why bot identity and intent are critical
• Where AI training bots introduce new challenges
• How OWASP guidance can strengthen fraud defenses while preserving good bot traffic

Speakers:
Moderator: Tricia Howard, Security Intelligence Group, Akamai
Presenters:
• David Sénécal, Director of Engineering – Fraud and Abuse, Akamai
• Tom Emmons, Principal Product Architect, Akamai

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching this webinar and providing your ISC2 Member ID number in the “Question” or “Rate this” section.

Watch the webinar on demand now and gain insights to help protect your business from the next wave of AI-driven threats.

SOTI Fraud and Abuse Report 2025: Navigating the AI bot surge

Cyberattacks are growing more sophisticated, leaving no industry untouched. As organizations expand digital operations and interconnect systems, the attack surface widens — particularly in high-target sectors like retail. One of the most dangerous tactics used by attackers is lateral movement, allowing them to silently escalate access and compromise critical assets.

When you're under attack, every second counts — and Akamai can help, whether you're a customer or not. From the moment a threat is detected, Akamai provides immediate support to contain and neutralize attacks in progress.

Organizations around the world rely on Akamai Guardicore to stop lateral movement through real-time microsegmentation, minimizing breach impact and securing high-value systems. And with Akamai Hunt’s proactive threat-hunting services, backed by behavioral analysis, anomaly detection, and IOC identification, even stealthy threats can be uncovered and addressed before they cause serious harm.

No matter your size, industry, or existing setup — if you're under attack, Akamai is ready to help.

Join us to learn how to:
- Contain ransomware with microsegmentation that stops lateral movement.
- Detect early-stage attacks using behavioral analysis and IOCs.
- Uncover stealthy threats through proactive threat hunting with Akamai Hunt.
- Implement Zero Trust controls across hybrid and cloud environments.

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

Isolating Ransomware Attacks to Block Lateral Movement and Protect Critical Assets

Join host Tricia Howard (appearing as a zombie bot!) and legendary security expert Graham Cluley for a Halloween-themed dive into real-world cybersecurity scares. From insider schemes to AI-driven mischief, discover how human error, greed, and deception continue to haunt even the most secure systems.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How insider threats can manipulate systems for financial gain, including ransom diversions and fraud.
- The rise of AI-driven attacks and blackmail scenarios targeting organisations.
- How crypto-focused malware and hoax incidents highlight the evolving threat landscape.

Catch up on-demand.

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in the 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

SIG Download: Episode 23 - Night of the Living Threats – A Halloween Cybersecurity Special

Join Akamai's Director of Field Security Technology, Michael Villar, for a live webinar where we break down the microsegmentation playbook—what it is, how it fits into a Zero Trust architecture, and how to deploy it for maximum visibility and control. Whether you're defending your enterprise against lateral movement or isolating critical workloads, microsegmentation is your MVP for reducing risk.

In this session, you'll learn:
- How to tackle lateral movement and insider threats
- Key components of a successful microsegmentation strategy
- Real-world use cases and deployment tips

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE Credits by watching our Webinar and providing us with your ISC2 Member ID number either in 'Question' or 'Rate this' section.

Endpoints to End Zone: Build Your Microsegmentation Defense

In this "If APIs Could Talk" episode, we’ll explore the Akamai API Security integration with ServiceNow and how it helps organizations bring visibility and control to API security. APIs are often invisible to traditional asset management and security tools, leaving gaps in governance and response. With this integration, you can automatically push API data into the ServiceNow CMDB, link vulnerabilities to the AVR module, and give IT and security teams shared visibility and workflows for remediation. The session will include a walkthrough of how the integration works, examples of how API findings are surfaced in ServiceNow, and practical tips for streamlining response and closing security gaps more efficiently.

Akamai is an approved ISC2 CPE Submitter Partner. Earn CPE credits by watching our webinar and providing your ISC2 Member ID in the 'Questions' or 'Rate This' section.

Ep. 20 From Discovery to Remediation:  Managing API Security with Akamai and ServiceNow

Security buyers face endless claims about protection efficacy — but how do you separate marketing from measurable reality?

In this session, SecureIQLab and Akamai break down the results of the industry’s only recurring, standards-based comparative WAAP test. Join Cameron Camp, Analyst Security Researcher and Akamai’s Brent Maynard, to learn how independent testing is conducted, why resiliency and false-positive avoidance matter as much as detection rates, and where most vendors still fall short.

We’ll share Akamai’s top-performing results, key market learnings, and the practical questions every security leader should ask when evaluating a WAF or WAAP. Walk away with actionable insights to validate your current defenses and strengthen your buying decisions.

Want to learn more? Compare WAAP vendor efficacy data in this 2025 report: https://www.akamai.com/lp/report/2025-waf-comparison-report

Additional Resources:

-On-Demand Webinar: Extend WAF Protections: https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/13169/646081
-Webinar: Adaptive Security Engine: Next-Gen WAAP: https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/13169/651706

Independent Testing, Real Results:  How Secure Is Your WAAP?

Ransomware groups are on the move, using methods of victimization such as 0-day and 1-day vulnerability abuse, and multiple extortion schemes to maximize damage to businesses. Learn how you can stop this threat.

Black Hat 2023 — Max Damage: Ransomware's Evolving Exploitation Techniques

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Black Hat 2023 — Max Damage: Ransomware's Evolving Exploitation Techniques

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