The Gate 15 Interview EP 69: Hank Teran on info ops, extremism, AI threats and challenges and the amazing New York City!

On this week's Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics:Opening:• TribalHub Regional Tribal Technology Forums• WaterISAC H2OSecCon 2026. Virtual Event: 02 Jun, 11am-5pm ET Overview, Registration, Agenda, Speakers• Offensive AI: What Red Teams and Attackers are Doing Now - Gate 15Main Topics:Vercel April 2026 security incident Vercel 20 Apr 2026. Vercel said it identified unauthorized access to certain internal systems and initially found a limited subset of customers whose credentials were compromised. The company said the incident originated with a compromise of Context.ai, a third-party AI tool used by a Vercel employee, which then enabled takeover of that employee’s Google Workspace account and access to some Vercel environments and non-sensitive-marked environment variables. Vercel said services remain operational, law enforcement has been notified, and customers who were not contacted are not currently believed to have had credentials or personal data compromised. Vercel is a cloud platform used for frontend hosting, serverless functions, and deploying websites, particularly those built with React or Next.js. It enables developers to easily build high-performance, edge-optimized applications. Key features include automatic Git integrations (CI/CD) for instant deployments, preview environments, and edge storage. • Vercel confirms breach as hackers claim to be selling stolen data • Breaking: Vercel Breach Linked to Infostealer Infection at Context.ai • Vercel’s security breach started with malware disguised as Roblox cheatsWiz: 80% of cloud breaches are caused by basic mistakes - IT Pro - 13 Apr 2026 IT Pro reports that Wiz Threat Research found most cloud breaches in 2025 were driven by familiar security mistakes rather than entirely new vulnerability classes, with AI expanding the places where known risks can appear. The article frames the problem around scale, shared trust, and increasingly complex cloud and AI environments rather than exotic attack novelty. Target is cloud security teams, platform engineers, and enterprise risk leaders with Dig highlighting that basic exposure management, identity control, and configuration discipline remain the decisive factors in many modern cloud compromises. Fire As An Act Of Sabotage Guidance UK National Protective Security Authority 25 Sep 2024. The NPSA guidance outlines how to mitigate the risk of deliberate fire-setting used as sabotage against premises and infrastructure that may be attractive targets. Although not new, it remains operationally useful because it provides protective security and risk management guidance for owners and operators responsible for physical sites and critical functions. The relevance is heightened in an environment where sabotage, arson, and hybrid disruption are increasingly discussed alongside state and extremist threat models. From tabletop reality 10 gaps executive cyber exercises consistently reveal - SANS Institute - 2026 This analysis identifies recurring gaps observed during executive cyber exercises, including communication breakdowns and decision-making delays. It highlights the importance of realistic training scenarios to improve organizational readiness. The findings provide actionable insights for strengthening incident response at the leadership level. • Critical infrastructure resilience escalated threat navigation initiative - Canadian Centre for Cyber Security • Preparing for severe cyber threat why leaders must act now - NCSC UK • CISO Survey 2026: The State of Incident Response Readiness Quick Hits:• The State of Ransomware in Q1 2026 - Emsisoft • Safeguarding Our Data, Intellectual Property, and Technology from Non-traditional Collectors

In this week's Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics:Opening:• Gate 15: Leveraging AI for Proactive Physical Threat Detection and Emergency Response• Cloud Security Alliance: The “AI Vulnerability Storm”: Building a “Mythos-ready” Security Program • Cyber.gov.au: Frontier models and their impact on cyber security• Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Frontier artificial intelligence - • Anthropic: Glasswing• A.I. Is on Its Way to Upending Cybersecurity • U.S. Department of the Treasury: Treasury Launches Cybersecurity Information Sharing Initiative for the Digital Asset Industry• Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology Digital Assets Report EO14178 • Treasury debuts effort to share cyber threat intel with crypto firms • Crypto Firms Can Now Access Treasury’s Cybersecurity Info to Bolster Defense Against Attacks Main Topics:FBI Releases the 2025 Internet Crime Report: “Cryptocurrency and AI Scams Bilk Americans of Billions” — 07 Apr 2026. The FBI says IC3 received about 453,000 cyber enabled fraud complaints with losses exceeding $17.7 billion, and that investment fraud accounted for nearly half of all scam related losses. The bureau says complaints involving cryptocurrency produced the highest losses with 181,565 complaints totaling more than $11 billion, while the 2025 IC3 report also says cryptocurrency investment fraud alone reached $7.2 billion and that AI related cybercrime complaints totaled 22,364 with losses nearing $893 million. Threat Landscape Report 2025: A Year in Review — 08 Apr 2026. CERT-EU said it tracked at least 174 distinct threat actors affecting Union entities or their ecosystem in 2025, up from 110 in 2024, and said cyberespionage and prepositioning remained the dominant motives while cybercrime also rose. The report says exploitation of vulnerabilities in internet-facing software remained the highest-impact initial access vector for the second consecutive year and that edge devices from vendors including Fortinet, Ivanti, Cisco, and Palo Alto accounted for much of the observed attack activity. Quick Hits:• CSU Forecast for 2026 Hurricane Activity & CSU researchers predicting somewhat below-average Atlantic hurricane season for 2026, PDF. • The first predictions for hurricane season are in and El Niño’s fingerprints are all over it • Super Typhoon Sinlaku Slams Northern Mariana Islands and Guam with Devastating Winds and Catastrophic Flooding, A Travel Nightmare Unfolds• 2026 Cyber Claims Report & 86% of businesses refused to pay cyber ransoms in 2025: Coalition insurance • DHS Shutdown Day 58: Secretary Mullin Orders All Staff Back to Work Despite No Congressional Deal

In this episode of The Gate 15 Interview, Andy Jabbour speaks with Hank Teran. Hank is the CEO of Open Measures, an open source social intelligence platform built to help researchers identify online threats like disinformation and extremism to mitigate offline harms. Open Measures covers a wide range of social media platforms from mainstream to fringe, with a unique focus on emerging - or alternative - platforms. In the past Open Measures has been used in investigations on a range of topics including Russian information operations in the Sahel, AI deepfakes targeting celebrities and athletes, and the proliferation of stolen logs sales across channel-based messaging apps. Before building Open Measures, Hank led business development and operations teams across industries including M&A, rideshare, and software security & management. Throughout his career he’s been driven by a desire to create meaningful ownership opportunities for workers, both on the cap table and in the workplace. Hank and his team at Open Measures are based in NYC. When he’s not busy helping teams identify online threats, he can be found working on the Sunday crossword or researching the best nearby diner options.Hank on LinkedInHank in Politico, “The limits of making social media political,” 29 Jan 2026⁠ Open MeasuresOpen Measures NewsletterIn the podcast the team and Andy discuss:Hank, Open Measures and info ops.Threats, extremism and the impacts of AI.The importance of having a “human in the lead framework.”Why organizations need to prioritize visibility.Emerging challenges and the normalization of AI-generated content.We play 3 Questions! and discuss New York City, food, culture, Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega and is this the same Tom’s Diner Hank is telling us about?!Hank closes us out noting, “This work is a marathon, not a sprint” and discussing the importance of mental health.And more!Open Measure links that may be of interest:Michigan-specific election conspiracy theoriesSmear campaign directed at CAIRNGOs targeted as "Antifa" Cracker Barrel CEO targeted amidst rebrandAE Good Jeans Ad sparks inauthentic backlashNeo-Nazi Active Clubs youth recruitmentAnti-abortion activism that puts clinics and practitioners at risk

In this week's Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics:Opening:• Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin to lead Homeland Security as TSA standoff deepens • Auto-ISAC 2025 Annual Report — Auto-ISAC • ISACs confront AI’s promise and peril for threat intelligence-sharing — Cybersecurity Dive Podcast: What healthcare leaders face after a cyberattack — Health-ISAC• New Jersey Sign-Ups for MS-ISAC Remain Low Amid Attacks Main Topics:Cybersecurity Reports, Ransomware & Resilience• M-Trends 2026 — Google Cloud Mandiant — 24 Mar 2026. The PDF version of M-Trends 2026 shows that high tech was the most targeted industry in 2025 at 17 percent of investigations, followed by financial services at 14.6 percent, business and professional services at 13.3 percent, and healthcare at 11.9 percent. It also shows voice phishing at 11 percent of initial intrusion vectors and says ransomware appeared in 13 percent of incidents that Mandiant investigated in 2025. • M-Trends 2026 Report — Google Cloud • M-Trends 2026 reveals threat landscape shaped by faster, coordinated, and industrialized cyberattacks • High-Tech Sector Overtakes Finance as Top Target of Cyber-Attacks in 2025 • The phone call is the new phishing email • M-Trends 2026: Initial Access Handoff Shrinks From Hours to 22 Seconds • Top 50 Cybersecurity Threats — Splunk • If threat actors gave you a chance to redact the patient data they hacked before they leak it, would you take them up on the offer? Read about the Woundtech incident. • Iran-Linked Pay2Key Ransomware Group Re-Emerges • Waterfall Threat Report 2026 finds ransomware slowdown masks deeper shift toward nation-state attacks on critical infrastructure Atlantic hurricane season forecast 2026: 11-16 named storms predicted by AccuWeather — AccuWeather — 25 Mar 2026. AccuWeather forecasts a near-average Atlantic hurricane season with 11 to 16 named storms and several potential hurricanes. Target is coastal communities, emergency planners, and critical infrastructure operators preparing for seasonal storm impacts. Dig is that even an average season can produce high-impact storms that stress preparedness and response capabilities. The outlook is significant for planning purposes as organizations begin to align resources and contingency plans ahead of peak hurricane activity.• Ready.govQuick Hits:• Treasury asks whether terrorism risk insurance program should bolster cyber coverage — CyberScoop | 25 Mar 2026. Treasury is seeking public comment for a report to Congress on the effectiveness of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program and specifically asked whether changes should better address cyber related losses arising from acts of terrorism. The notice highlights a persistent gap because even catastrophic cyber incidents may fall outside the program unless Treasury certifies them as terrorism under current law. Target: insurers, critical infrastructure operators, large enterprises, and policymakers evaluating how to manage systemic cyber loss from high consequence attacks. Dig: this is an important resilience and policy signal because it could shape future federal backstop discussions for cyber insurance ahead of the law’s scheduled 2027 expiration. (CyberScoop)

In the latest Nerd Out, Dave and Alec welcome back some old friends - Bridget Johnson and Joe Levy - to talk about Iran, including the threat tactics and capabilities, how individuals and organizations can be prepared and what could come next. The group then talked about some pop culture items and what they are currently watching and looking forward to.Some items reference in the discussion include:Iran and Terrorism: What the U.S. Strikes Could Mean for Homeland Security - https://www.cfr.org/articles/iran-and-terrorism-what-the-u-s-strikes-could-mean-for-homeland-securityWill Iran Turn to Terrorism? - https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/will-iran-turn-terrorismHybrid Threat Signals: Assessing Possible Iranian Involvement in Recent Attacks in Europe - https://icct.nl/publication/hybrid-threat-signals-assessing-possible-iranian-involvement-recent-attacks-europeGroup claiming Europe antisemitic attacks tells CBS News it will target "U.S. and Israeli interests worldwide" - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/europe-antisemitism-attacks-group-threatens-us-israel-interests-worldwide/Stryker attack highlights nebulous nature of Iranian cyber activity amid joint U.S.-Israel conflict - https://cyberscoop.com/stryker-cyberattack-iranian-hackers-handala/Competing Narratives: Understanding All Sides’ Approach to the War in Iran - https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2026-march-24/

On this week's Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics:Opening:• President Donald J. Trump Unveils National AI Legislative Framework - The White House • Emerging Attack Vectors: AI Agents & Prompt Injection Gate 15 | 16 Mar 2026• The AI Landscape in Cybersecurity • An AI cyberattack could trigger a satellite apocalypse in the next 2 years. Are we prepared? • WaterISAC & EPA National Security Information Sharing Bulletin – Q1 2026 WaterISAC • Food and Ag-ISAC finds 72 active threat actors behind persistent, sophisticated cyber attacks targeting food supply chains • The E-ISAC's 2025 Report: Real Progress, Remaining Constraints Main Topics:Severe Weather• Spring outlook: Drought forecasted to expand in U.S. West, parts of Plains — NOAA | 21 Mar 2026• Get Ready for a Year of Chaotic Weather in the US — Wired, 19 Mar 20262026 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community — Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 18 Mar 2026. The ODNI released its 2026 Annual Threat Assessment outlining key threats including China’s cyber and military expansion, Russia’s hybrid operations, Iran’s regional aggression, and persistent cyber threats from nation-state and criminal actors. The report underscores increasing convergence between cyber operations, information operations, and physical-world impacts across critical infrastructure sectors.Islamic State group activity in the US in 2025 Institute for Strategic Dialogue | 11 Mar 2026. ISD assesses that Islamic State inspired activity in the United States remained persistent in 2025, with two successful attacks, five disrupted plots, and six material support arrests, and says most cases involved teenagers. The dispatch highlights continued use of firearms, explosive devices, vehicle attacks, and newer surveillance tools such as Meta glasses and drones during pre attack planning. It also notes that targets varied widely, including public celebrations, military interests, nightlife venues, law enforcement, schools, and religious institutions, which complicates protective prioritization. Quick Hits:• Government of Iran Cyber Actors Deploy Telegram C2 to Push Malware to Identified Targets — FBI IC3• CISA Urges Endpoint Management System Hardening After Cyberattack Against U.S. Organization • CISA and FBI Release Public Service Announcement About Russian Intelligence Services Targeting Commercial Messaging Apps• Ransomware Under Pressure: Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures in a Shifting Threat Landscape — Google Cloud Blog• Ransomware Spotlight: Agenda • Amazon Threat Intelligence teams identify Interlock ransomware campaign targeting enterprise firewalls• Hastalamuerte and Gentlemen RaaS: Analyzing TTPs of a Growing Ransomware Threat • Beast ransomware server toolkit analysis • Beast ransomware’s toolkit revealed by exposed directory • Marquis ransomware gang stole data of 672,000 people in 2025 cyberattack • ESET Research: A Deep Dive into EDR Killers - a Cornerstone of Modern Ransomware Operations • Ransomware Affiliate ‘Gentlemen’ Emerges as Key Player • LeakNet Ransomware: What You Need to Know

In this special Joint episode Andy Jabbour and Toni Pepper connect at the 6th Annual Cybersecurity Summit in Jacksonville, Florida to talk Tribal-ISAC, key insights and takeaways, and other fun conversations along the way.

In this week's Security Sprint, Dave is solo and covered the following topics:Opening:• Business Continuity & Resilience: AI’s Double-Edged Impact — Gate 15 — 10 Mar 2026 — The article examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping business continuity and resilience planning across organizations. • Joint Advisory: Middle East Conflict and Critical Infrastructure — Gate 15 — 11 Mar 2026. On 11 March 2026, ten Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) joined together to release a joint advisory on the Middle East conflict and the ongoing security implications to critical infrastructure. • U.S.: Why now: Cyber policy veterans weigh in on pivotal moment in evolution of security strategy — Inside Cybersecurity — 12 Mar 2026 Cyber policy veterans told Inside Cybersecurity that the United States has reached a pivotal moment in reshaping national cyber strategy as the Trump administration promotes a more aggressive model built around offensive and defensive capabilities, emerging technology, and reduced regulation. Main Topics:Operation Epic Fury & Related: • Iran’s threat on U.S. soil: sleeper cells, lone wolves and cyberattacks — Los Angeles Times — 10 Mar 2026 U.S. security officials warn that Iran could attempt retaliation through sleeper cells, lone wolf actors, or cyber operations targeting American interests if regional conflict escalates. • DOGE government spending cuts complicate US response to Iran cyber threats — CNN — 10 Mar 2026 —— Reporting describes how federal government restructuring and spending cuts tied to the Department of Government Efficiency have disrupted cyber coordination during heightened tensions with Iran. • How ‘Handala’ Became the Face of Iran’s Hacker Counterattacks — WIRED — 12 Mar 2026 WIRED reports that Handala has become the most visible face of Iran’s retaliatory cyber campaign after the destructive breach of medical technology firm Stryker. • Iranian Hacktivists Strike Medical Device Maker Stryker in Severe Attack That Wiped Systems — Zetter Zero Day — 11 Mar 2026 Iranian hacktivist group Handala claimed responsibility for a destructive cyberattack that wiped systems belonging to medical device manufacturer Stryker. Michigan Synagogue Attack: • Michigan synagogue attack: FBI investigating as ‘targeted act of violence’ Bridge Michigan | 12 Mar 2026. Target: Temple Israel in West Bloomfield and the broader Jewish community in the Detroit area. ODU Attack: • FBI releases more details in deadly Virginia shooting — Post and Courier — 14 Mar 2026. Federal investigators released additional information about a deadly shooting in Virginia that left multiple people dead and triggered a large law enforcement response. Cyber Threats:• INTERPOL report warns of increasingly sophisticated global financial fraud threat — INTERPOL — 16 Mar 2026. INTERPOL released a report warning that global financial fraud schemes are becoming more complex and technologically enabled. • Public Service Announcement: Criminals Use Stolen Personal Information to Target Victims Through Government Impersonation Schemes — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — 09 Mar 2026 Ransomware:• Industrial Ransomware Analysis: Q4 2025 — Dragos — 11 Mar 2026 — Dragos reported that ransomware groups continue to target industrial organizations and operational technology environments, with manufacturing and industrial sectors representing a significant portion of victims. • France’s ANSSI warns ransomware gangs shifting tactics amid surge in attacks — Infosecurity Magazine — 11 Mar 2026 France’s national cybersecurity agency ANSSI warned that ransomware groups are adapting their tactics as attacks continue to increase across multiple sectors.

In this week's Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics:Opening:• Insider Threat: AI-equipped Employees - Gate 15 - 04 Mar 2026 • Communication and Collaboration Key Themes in GridEx VIII Lessons Learned Report • Health-ISAC Annual Report 2025 Shows Surge in Threat Intel and Tabletop Drills, Putting Resilience in Focus • The Gate 15 Special Edition: Iran, ISACs, & insomnia: What’s happening, and not happening, in information sharing — Gate 15 | 06 Mar 2026• White House Unveils President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America — The White House | 06 Mar 2026o Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Combats Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens — The White House o Ranking Member Thompson Statement on Trump’s 3-Page Cyber Strategy — Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee, 06 Mar 2026 • Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Combats Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens — The White House | 06 Mar 2026Main Topics:Operation Epic Fury & Related: • White House blocks intelligence report warning of rising US homeland terror threat linked to Iran war • Iran may be activating sleeper cells in the United States, officials warn • Cyber threat bulletin: Iranian cyber threat response to US–Israel strikes February 2026, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, 03 Mar 2026• Alert: NCSC advises UK organisations to take action following conflict in the Middle East, NCSC, 02 Mar 2026• U.S. threat intelligence units identify hacktivists as prime cyber vector in Iran conflict • Iran-linked hacktivists could target US state and local targets, experts warn • Trump Says ‘I Guess’ Americans Should Worry About Iran Attacks Cyber Reports• NCC Group Annual Threat Monitor Review of 2025 NCC Group, 05 Mar 2026• Patch, track, repeat: The 2025 CVE retrospective — Cisco Talos, 05 Mar 2026• Look What You Made Us Patch: 2025 Zero-Days in Review Google Cloud Blog, 05 Mar 2026• Coalition report finds sharp rise in ransomware demands as most businesses refuse to pay — Reinsurance News | 07 Mar 2026• INC Ransom Affiliate Model Enabling Targeting of Critical Networks Australian Cyber Security Centre, 05 Mar 2026Quick Hits:• Top 10 artificial intelligence security actions: A primer Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, 05 Mar 2026• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Supply Chain Risks and Mitigations Australian Signals Directorate, 04 Mar 2026• How AI Assistants Are Moving the Security Goalposts — Krebs on Security | 07 Mar 2026• Preparation hardening destructive attacks — Google Cloud Threat Intelligence | 08 Mar 2026• Tornadoes kill 6 people in Michigan and Oklahoma as powerful storms hit nation’s midsection

In this special episode of The Gate 15 Interview, Andy Jabbour speaks with experts from the Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) community on the ongoing war with Iran, implications for critical infrastructure and how the community is responding, and related conversation. Leaders and experts include:Denise Anderson, President and CEO, Health-ISAC and Chairwoman of the National Council of ISACs (NCI)Michael Ball, CEO, E-ISAC, and SVP NERCJonathan Braley, Director of Threat Intelligence, IT-ISACChuck Egli, Director of Security and Resilience Operations, WaterISACAnna Mentzer-Hernández, Cyber Threat Intelligence Senior Analyst, ONE-ISACIn the discussion the panel covers:What has been happening in information sharing, security and resilience since Operation Epic Fury beganCritical infrastructure resilienceWhat the ISACs have been doing, with members, cross-sectorally, and with government and other partnersWhat we’re seeing, not seeing, and would like to see from the U.S. Government and CISA at this timePlaying guitar, baking bread and staying sane and not burning out during crisis and incident responseAnd more, including some encouraging closing thoughtsSelected links:National Council of ISACsE-ISACHealth-ISACIT-ISACONE-ISACWaterISAC