Explore every episode of the podcast Behind the Binary by Google Cloud Security

Ever wonder who names the world's most notorious APTs? In this episode, we sit down with Greg Sinclair, a reverse engineer from the FLARE team at Google. Greg not only hunts down sophisticated malware but also shares the behind the scenes story of how he discovered and named the North Korean APT, the Lazarus Group. He also discusses his innovative methods for identifying malware families through binary similarities. Get ready for an inside look at the challenges, triumphs, and the sheer passion that defines a cutting-edge reverse engineer.

What goes into creating effective software protections? This episode features a conversation with Tim Blazytko, Chief Scientist and Head of Engineering at Emproof, about the essential strategies for protecting software intellectual property. We cover the core concepts of code obfuscation and anti-reverse engineering and discuss practical, modern approaches to implementing these defenses effectively, while also shedding light on the significant challenges and trade-offs involved. Listeners will gain insight into the defender's mindset, the evolution of protection techniques, and the fundamental difficulties in truly hiding secrets within executable code.

In this episode, we’re joined by Thomas Roccia, a security researcher at Microsoft. Thomas discusses the growth of the Unprotect Project, how AI is changing security research, and the impact of data visualizations for conveying technical information. Drawing on his experience, Thomas offers a unique perspective on the intersection of open-source collaboration, artificial intelligence, and effective communication in the cybersecurity field.

This episode shines a light on abuse.ch, a vital non-profit project built by and for the global cybersecurity community. We chat with founder Roman Huessy about the collective effort behind tracking malware and botnets for over a decade. Discover the journey of maintaining a crucial shared resource—the technical challenges of hosting an open platform designed for community benefit, and how collaboration fuels the fight against threat actors. Roman shares insights into the future of community-driven threat intelligence and the constant vigilance required to provide this essential service that empowers defenders worldwide.

Find more information at abuse.ch.

In this episode, we have a fascinating conversation with Jordan Wiens, developer of the widely used Binary Ninja, and co-founder of Vector 35. Jordan brings his expertise as an avid CTF player to a discussion about the complexities of building a commercial reverse engineering platform, the importance of community growth, and the significant future role of AI. We also delve into the unique nature of having active adversaries inherent in cyber security work.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Code visualization: https://github.com/voidALPHA/cgc_viz

Binary Ninja features: https://binary.ninja/2024/11/20/4.2-frogstar.html#language-representations

Reversible debugger: https://web.archive.org/web/20150915000000*/https://www.raytheon.com/news/technology_today/archive/2010_issue1.pdf

In this episode, we're sitting down with Duncan Ogilvie, the creator of x64dbg! We'll dive deep into how one of the most popular Windows debuggers got its start, explore the real-world challenges of running a major open-source software project, and even get a glimpse into the future of this essential tool. You'll also learn how piano tuning almost stopped this project from existing!

Resources mentioned in this episdoe:

Discord community for x64dbg: discord.x64dbg.com

Saumil Shah, a security researcher, discusses his journey into reverse engineering, starting with his early interest in patching games and analyzing viruses. He emphasizes the evolution of reverse engineering tools and techniques, from manual approaches to AI-driven automation, and shares his insights on the future of the field and the importance of continuous learning. We also discuss his journey from veteran Black Hat instructor to starting his own security conference.

In this episode, we are joined by Stephen Eckels of the FLARE team at Google (Mandiant). Stephen discusses his journey into the field, starting with his early interest in video game modding and hacking. He shares his experience in discovering the Sunburst backdoor in the SolarWinds attack and emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, community engagement, and the evolving landscape of reverse engineering tools and techniques.

Join us as I sit down with renowned threat hunter, Ryan Chapman. Ryan shares his incredible journey from a curious young hacker to a formidable force in cybersecurity. Discover how his early fascination with software cracking ignited a passion for reverse engineering, ultimately leading him to the front lines of cyber defense. In this conversation, Ryan delves into his early days learning reverse engineering and recounts some pivotal moments. He discusses the evolution of malware obfuscation and what makes the field so engaging. And finally, Ryan shares insights into learning and building community to help anyone's career grow. Whether you're a seasoned security professional or just starting your cybersecurity journey, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration.

In this episode we’re sitting down with Victor Manuel Alvarez, the creator of YARA. YARA is one of the most powerful tools in cybersecurity. We discuss his early career, what motivated him to create YARA, and the role the community has played in its development. Plus, Victor shares his thoughts on the future of YARA and YARA-X, which is a ground-up rewrite of this venerable tool.

Nick Harbour discusses his career journey from his early days in the Air Force to his work at Mandiant. He shares insights into the evolution of malware, his contributions to the field of malware analysis, and the development of the Flare-On contest, a reverse engineering challenge.