Show Notes
The internet once came this close to crashing—and Microsoft was on the front line.
In this episode, cybersecurity veteran Christopher Budd takes us inside the Microsoft Security Response Center during one of the most chaotic cyber events in modern history. From the Nimda worm of 2001 to ransomware turf wars, and the weird future where threat actors post job ads for ransom note writers, Christopher lays it all out with perspective only decades in the game can bring. If you think AI or ransomware is the endgame, you’re not seeing the whole board.
Impactful Moments:
00:00 - Introduction 04:35 - Breaking down the Nimda attack 07:00 - “We carried 90% of the internet” 10:37 - Ransomware gangs fighting for headlines 15:26 - Secure perimeter is officially dead 17:31 - AI as your cybernetic exosuit 24:00 - Filtering 100,000 security emails with AI 27:05 - Privacy tension in AI-powered defense 32:00 - The inevitable swing back to local control 35:31 - “You will”: when sci-fi became real
Links:
Connect with our guest, Christopher Budd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbudd/
Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams
Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional:
https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio
Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com
Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord
Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/
Recent Episodes
Digital Clutter and the Death of Passwords with Collin Sweeney & ...
Passwords are the original digital clutter—messy, overstuffed, and way too easy to forget. Like a junk drawer full of old keys and cables, we keep tossing more into them, hoping they’ll somehow ...
What Most Cybersecurity Advice Misses—And How to Fix It with ...
What if the biggest threat to cybersecurity isn’t attackers—but the defenders themselves? Why are we still building tools for experts in a world where technical skills are fading fast? In this ...
Hackers Have HR Now? featuring Christopher Budd
The internet once came this close to crashing—and Microsoft was on the front line. In this episode, cybersecurity veteran Christopher Budd takes us inside the Microsoft Security Response Center ...
Staying Ahead in the Age of AI Agents with Marco Figueroa
Marco Figueroa is back, and his AI predictions aren’t just coming true—they’re unfolding faster than anyone expected. AI agents aren’t on the horizon—they’re already here, and security teams are ...
I Built an AI Version of Myself – Here’s Why with Marcus J. Carey
The best time to be alive is right now—if you know how to use AI. Marcus J. Carey, Principal Research Scientist at ReliaQuest, is harnessing AI to supercharge creativity, cybersecurity, and ...
Cyber Warfare, Digital Deception, and the Hidden Threats We Ignore ...
We’re already in World War III—just not the kind you’re thinking of. Cyber warfare is here, and the battlefield is your inbox, your bank account, and your digital identity. So why are we still ...
The AI Shift You Can’t Ignore with Marco Figueroa
AI isn’t just evolving—it’s sprinting, and cybersecurity needs to keep up. Ron Eddings is joined again by cybersecurity leader Marco Figueroa, Program Manager for Gen AI at the ODIN Bug Bounty ...
Superhuman Productivity and AI Mastery with Pedram Amini
What if you could have a conversation with yourself—years into the future? Or leave behind an AI-powered avatar that understands your thoughts, philosophies, and even your voice? In this ...
Cybersecurity Meets AI: The Good, The Bad & The Janky
There’s no doubt that AI is changing the game in cybersecurity, but not always in the ways we expect. In this episode, Ron Eddings shares his firsthand experience with AI-powered tools that make ...
A Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity with Edna Conway
What if cybersecurity was more than just tech—what if it was about the people it serves? In this episode, Edna Conway, Founder and CEO of EMC Advisors, shares her incredible journey from law to ...
WORK WITH US
PODCASTS + SPEAKING + EVENTS
Are you the best kept secret in cybersecurity? Let's change that by partnering together for podcast ads, social campaigns, and your next event or keynote. Send us your details to get started.
Thank you!
We will be in touch soon and reach out to you at