CovertSwarm - The Podcast: Recent Episodes
CovertSwarm - The Podcast
Join CovertSwarm's CEO, Anders Reeves and COO, Luke Potter, alongside special guests, as they discuss the latest Cyber Security news, trends, 0-day exploits and research. www.covertswarm.com
There's a machine in your building controlling something physical right now. It's probably connected to the internet. And you definitely don't know it's there.
Operational technology sits in the biggest blind spot in cybersecurity. We patch our laptops every Tuesday. These systems haven't been updated in a decade.
In this episode, we sit down with Amy Brooks, a chartered engineer with 15 years defending OT across healthcare, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure, and James Smith, a CovertSwarm Hive Leader who specializes in attacking these systems before real adversaries do.
What you'll hear:
- Why that "smart" building you moved into is full of inherited vulnerabilities nobody documented
- How attackers pivot from a basic phishing email to controlling your production floor
- Why you can't patch OT the way you patch IT
- What offensive OT testing actually looks like (hint: it's about paths, not payloads)
This episode won't panic you. It'll show you what's actually at risk and what you can do about it.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
Die Hard. Christmas movie or not?
That's how we kick off this special edition of YOU DESERVE TO BE HACKED, a fireside chat recorded as 2025 comes to a close.
This year brought seismic shifts in offensive security. AI agents everywhere. Prompt injection still unsolved. Shadow AI spreading faster than IT teams can track it. And threat actors like Scattered Spider proving that the front door is still the easiest way in.
In this episode, CovertSwarm's Luke Potter (COO), James Dale (Head of Adversary Simulation), Jack Smith (Senior Hive Leader), and Dominika Pietrzak (AI Engineer) sit down to unpack what they've seen on the front lines this year.
This isn't a predictions episode. It's a reflection on what actually happened, straight from the operators running constant cyber attacks every day.
If you want an honest look at where offensive security is heading, this one's for you.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an active partner in offensive cybersecurity.
In this episode, Jim Clover, founder of Varadius Ltd and former UK Government cyber operations lead, joins Luke Potter, COO at CovertSwarm, to explore how AI is changing the way real attacks are planned and executed.
Jim brings a grounded perspective shaped by years of experience and a deep understanding of AI model safety. Luke provides insight from the front line of offensive operations, where AI is already accelerating reconnaissance, social engineering, and adaptive attack planning. Together, they examine the opportunities and risks that come with integrating AI into offensive capability, and what responsible evolution should look like as the technology moves forward.
AI is not replacing human operators, but it is reshaping the craft.
This conversation uncovers how experts are navigating that shift and what it means for the future of security.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
AI is changing how we work and how we get hacked.
Every day, employees rely on large language models to draft emails, summarize data, and solve problems. But the same conversational power that makes them useful also makes them vulnerable. The words we use can shape, persuade, or even exploit the systems we trust.
In this episode, we speak with Elle Neal, AI and data scientist at Databutton and associate at AI4C, and Ibai Castells, Senior Hive Member at CovertSwarm, about how communication, psychology, and offensive security collide in the world of AI.
Together, they explore:
- How human tone and phrasing can cause AI performance to spiral or improve
- Why polite and hostile prompts reveal both emotional intelligence and risk
- How attackers are turning everyday language into prompt injection exploits
- What “AI as a new employee” means for culture, trust, and continuous testing
This isn’t about fear. It’s about awareness.
As AI becomes part of every team, the way we talk to it could define how secure or exposed we really are.
Successful companies don’t just adopt AI.
They learn to challenge it continuously.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
Nation-state attacks aren't just reserved for governments anymore. They're being repurposed, rebranded, and redirected at the private sector - and most organizations won’t see them coming.
In this episode, we speak with Chris Worthy, former UK national security lead, and Billy Giles, CovertSwarm’s Head of Adversary Simulation (US), about how enterprise targets are increasingly in scope for state-aligned threat actors.
Together, they explore:
- What an APT really is and why "advanced" doesn’t always mean complex
- How offensive tactics once limited to cyber warfare are now turning up inside businesses
- Why attribution is nearly impossible, and why it might not matter
- How organizations can build resilience and test their readiness when there are no guarantees
This isn’t about panic. It’s about clarity.
Because if your organization holds something of value, chances are someone is already working on how to take it.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
In this episode of YOU DESERVE TO BE HACKED, we sit down with representatives from the Bank of England and CovertSwarm to unpack the truth behind CBEST. This isn’t about pass/fail. It’s about exposing hidden assumptions, simulating real-world attacks, and stress-testing the entire financial ecosystem—starting at Tier 1 and scaling outward.
We explore the mindset shift, how it informs operational resilience, and why STAR-FS might be the future for the rest of the sector. Whether you’re a regulator, a red teamer, or a CISO looking for answers beyond the audit, this conversation will challenge everything you think you know about cybersecurity readiness.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
Social engineering. SIM swapping. MFA fatigue.
These aren’t just headlines from last year. They’re live tactics, straight from the Scattered Spider playbook.
In this episode, we join CovertSwarm’s own operators as we explore the methods used by threat groups like Scattered Spider. From helpdesk manipulation to full identity compromise, we break down the tactics, the weak points, and how attackers really move inside your org.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
The CovertSwarm podcast has been running for nearly three years, but it's time for a revamp. We're hitting pause briefly before returning with something fresh, new, and more disruptive than ever. Look out for YOU DESERVE TO BE HACKED The Podcast - coming soon.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
In this second episode hosted by Hacker Valley, Ron Eddings sits down with CovertSwarm’s Academy Hive Leader, Iain Jackson, for an eye-opening, innovative, and unsettling episode.
This time, Ron’s voice is cloned live on air. Using cutting-edge AI impersonation tools, Iain demonstrates how attackers can weaponize synthetic voices to breach organizational defenses, this time by cloning our host's voice. They’ll dissect the mechanics behind this tactic and reveal why phishing got much more personal.
While many still fixate on stopping email-based scams, Iain will expose the vulnerabilities in voice-based verification systems. From bypassing phone-based security protocols to exploiting human trust in familiarity, this conversation is a wake-up call.
They’ll also explore the role of a psychological phenomenon named the uncanny valley, where slight imperfections in synthetic voices or behaviors can trigger a gut feeling that something isn’t right. Trusting this instinct could be the key to spotting and stopping scammers before they succeed.
Tune in to discover how CovertSwarm’s relentless testing methodology mirrors techniques used by your worst cyber nightmares and why it’s essential to pressure-test every layer of your defenses against threats that blur the line between the digital and the social.
Hosted by Hacker Valley.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
In this episode hosted by Hacker Valley, Ron Eddings sits down with CovertSwarm's US team members Dahvid Schloss, Hive Leader, and Ilan Fehler, US Sales Lead, to uncover the hidden vulnerabilities most organizations overlook.
While many focus on fortifying their outermost defenses, Dahvid and Ilan reveal why testing the entire brand is crucial to identifying vulnerabilities in the inner layers and building cyber-maturity within your organization. They'll dive into how adversaries exploit social, physical, and digital vectors to gain access and how CovertSwarm's approach emulates real-world cyber threats acting as real APTs against our clients.
Hosted by Hacker Valley.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
In this episode, explore the most significant cyber threats impacting businesses today. From emerging risks to the persistent attack vectors that continue to catch companies off-guard, we’ll cover it all in a dynamic and insightful discussion.
Join our host, Will Morrish, as he chats with Dahvid Schloss, Swarm Leader and former State-Sponsored Hacker, to unpack these critical topics and provide actionable insights on navigating the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
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Successful companies are constant targets for attackers. Those who take security seriously don’t test their defenses once a year.
They subscribe to CovertSwarm.
Join our host and Academy Hive Leader, Iain Jackson, as he sits down with Phill and Joao, members of the inaugural CovertSwarm Academy intake. In this episode, they reflect on their transformative journey and share insights from their successful first year at the Academy.
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Earlier this month, our Swarm of ethical hackers attended DEF CON 32 in Las Vegas, one of the most anticipated events in the hacking community.
On this episode, join our Head of People and Culture and host, Ellie Lancaster, as she interviews our colleagues Faith, Alex, and Joao about their standout moments from the event. Learn about the different villages, topics, and levels needed to get the most out of DEF CON.
DEFCON #LasVegas
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Those of you at DEF CON 31 might remember the badges our swarm members had. Well, this year, we've got something even better!
With DEF CON 32 around the corner, we are ready to introduce the team behind the awesome badge we will bring to the event.
Meet our host and Head of People and Culture, Ellie Lancaster, as she discusses with Paul, John, and Ale the story behind this milestone they have achieved for the company.
ABadgeLife
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The YOU DESERVE TO BE HACKED™ has reached America to change the cybersecurity approach of CISOs in every industry.
On this episode, listen to our host and CRO, Will Morrish, as he explores with Ilan Fehler, our first hired member of the US region, what we have learned about the North American market after last year's expansion reaching a market questioning the pen-testing approach of most cybersecurity vendors.
Learn from our team the stories of how our radical slogan has started to be in everyone's mouths and how our offensive security subscription model and CovertSwarm Portal have been a highlight at every conference and show we have attended.
Thanks for listening! Follow us on LinkedIn.
Listen to our host and Swarm Director, Louis Blackburn, as he discusses with our new Hive Member, Ben Stickland, their interpretation of DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and NIS2 (Network and Information Security Directive 2) and how they will help financial entities and critical infrastructure sectors to strengthen their cybersecurity posture.
Thanks for listening! Follow us on LinkedIn.
Immerse in the world of cryptography, WWII espionage and the remarkable story behind Alan Turing and his team's groundbreaking efforts to crack the Nazi encryption system, the Enigma code, the Swarm came from all over the world to share and collaborate with each other.
On this episode of our podcast, our host and new Head of People and Culture, Ellie Lancaster, talks to members of the CovertSwarm team to learn what they think were the highlights of our 7th SwarmCon event at Bletchley Park.
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On this episode meet our CEO, Anders Reeves, as he interviews Swarm Director, Louis Blackburn, on the topics of the 'Cyber Kill Chain' and how 'Initial Access Brokers' (IAB) play a key role in enabling mass negative impact by threat actors seeking to deploy Ransomware, and more.
Watch on YouTube!
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Listen to our COO Luke Potter and our new Swarm Director talking about red team services, how the industry looks and how to ensure you choose the perfect cybersecurity partner.
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Our Offensive Operations Center just received a major upgrade that will benefit all our users from January 2024.
Listen to our CEO Anders Reeves, our COO Luke Potter and our Head of Product Ronan Mccrory dive into this new feature, its functionality and how our clients could make the most of it to evaluate their cyber maturity benchmark beyond surface-level.
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Understanding the user needs and translating them into a product strategy and road map is crucial to stay on top of other Attack Surface Management Platforms in a fast-moving industry such as cybersecurity.
Today’s host and COO, Luke Potter, talks with our new Head of Product, Ronan Mccrory, who discusses his industry experience and his thoughts on where the Offensive Operations Center is going. Learn how he plans to leverage his product knowledge to make impactful changes and bring CovertSwarm's offerings to a broader audience.
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Bug Bounty programmes can form an effective component of an organization's security strategy. However, they are prone to testing blindspots, variable quality, and uncertainty around tester skillsets and backgrounds.
Join CovertSwarm COO, Luke Potter, as he interviews Ignacio Garrido on his move from working with popular Bug Bounty vendors over to joining our Swarm of ethical hackers full-time.
Hear how his work delivering our Constant Cyber Attack service has changed his career and ability to deliver greater levels of client value each and every day through deeper cyber testing engagements founded upon context-aware relationships.
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Earlier this year Chris joined CovertSwarm having taken an unusual and inspiring route into offensive cyber security from being a member of a successful punk and metal band, through to a prolific music production career, and more recently seeing him join the world of cyber security.
Hear Chris' story and how 17 years of music performance, production and set of highly-transferrable skills led to a career in cyber, and to him joining as part of the Swarm.
Links to some of the music Chris was involved in producing and that is mentioned in this episode can be found below:
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/5845430-Chris-Edkins
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U36c8fQFVzk
- https://open.spotify.com/artist/0CBj92il3umUuKaDWh9ZSt
- https://www.last.fm/music/From+Plan+To+Progress
- https://juroruk.bandcamp.com/music
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The mission of the CovertSwarm Academy is to build a new and alternative pathway for people into the cyber industry that removes the traditional barriers to entry by increasing accessibility to a more diverse population.
On this episode hear our founder, Anders Reeves, speak with Iain and Jack from the CovertSwarm team leading the design, implementation, launch and operation of the CovertSwarm Academy.
Learn more about the 'why' behind the CovertSwarm Academy, and how its alternative approach to attracting people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, levels of education, and geographies has already resulted in an application pool for this year's cohort that positively breaks the mould of the more traditional 'graduate schemes' or cyber induction programmes.
Read more via this recent blog post, or apply to: academy@covertswarm.com
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CovertSwarm’s Will Morrish is joined by Todd Wade to discuss the evolving risk of AI, making security personal, and how to engage your teams in a security journey.
Today we are bringing a very special episode, recorded live in Las Vegas at DEF CON 31.
Hosted by CovertSwarm founder & CEO, Anders Reeves, hear him and many from the Swarm as they discuss this year's DEF CON event. Featuring, this year's CovertSwarm badge; insights; reviews on talks; tips if it's your first trip to DEF CON, and much more!
To join the Swarm why not visit our website - www.CovertSwarm.com
Luke Potter interviews Adam Govier, Lead Developer of CovertSwarm's Offensive Operations Center platform.
Previously only accessible to its subscription clients, July's public-release of CovertSwarm's Offensive Operations Center caters for the comprehensive offensive security needs of organizations ranging from single-domained businesses through to global enterprises.
In this in-depth and behind the scenes conversation Luke and Adam explore the Attack Surface Management industry, explain what it is, why it exists...and how it is ripe for disruption via the FREE access to cyber insights that CovertSwarm's Offensive Operations Center SaaS platform delivers.
For instant access to CovertSwarm:
- Threat Alerting
- Auto-recon of infrastructure assets
- Slack and JIRA integration
- MITRE & CWE aware reporting
- Vuln data
- Reporting
- ...or to simply access your latest pentest...
Join hundreds of global CovertSwarm users and sign up for FREE here:
https://subscribe.covertswarm.com
Having started in the cyber security industry at just 16 years of age, our special guest Frankie Gallop shares her thoughts, insights and experiences of the rapid changes occurring within the domain these past 5 years.
Discussing how to approach, build and deploy an effective security programme, and sharing the number 1 security risk in practically every business today, listen to Frankie describe the importance of training your people, and how the emergence of mass-market AI is likely to impact your security posture.
CovertSwarm's COO, Luke Potter, welcomes returning guest Haroon Mahmood to this episode of our podcast focusing on the many aspects necessary to gain and employ insights derived from Threat Intelligence (TI). Learn how best to identify, report and take action on threats with expert opinion and advice from Haroon.
Hear special guest and privacy expert Ulrika Dellrud share her experiences with Luke around building and maintaining a data privacy-centric organizational culture; the importance of data privacy champions; and where NOT to maintain the reporting line for data privacy within your organization.
Delve behind the scenes at this month's SwarmCon event as Luke interviews several CovertSwarm ethical hackers around their expectations from the event; their career backgrounds; explores the launch of CovertSwarm's new "Academy" programme; and brings to life some of the presentations planned for SwarmCon#5.
Having spent a career working in 40 countries as a self-proclaimed 'curioso', Dominic Cameron has joined CovertSwarm as Chairman of the Board.
Starting with his attraction to working with technology startups that are transforming and disrupting industries, and supporting the people-needs of rapidly scaling and evolving businesses, hear the former Managing Director of ITV.com, founding CTO at lastminute.com, and Group CTO of Moonpig.com and Photobox share his thoughts on what makes the companies he engages with competitive; his refreshing views on doing dynamic business outside the UK; how the levels of technology complexity and business change have increased to 'scary' levels during his career; and much more...
Recorded in the heart of London, U.K.
We're excited to mark the start of 2023 with the news that Will Morrish has joined CovertSwarm as Chief Revenue Officer.
On this episode hear CovertSwarm founder and CEO, Anders Reeves, interview Will as he shares his thoughts around the opportunities for organisations to enhance their security posture via an offensive security strategy, and the moment his jaw dropped when he learned what CovertSwarm's red team of ethical hackers deliver to our clients every day...
Social. Digital. Physical.
CovertSwarm COO, Luke Potter, and Haroon Mahmood - Offensive and Defensive Infomation Security Specialist - discuss collaborative "Purple teaming", and how it can address and resolve the disconnect that can exist between the traditional Red:Blue cyber testing dynamic.
For more information on CovertSwarm, or to speak with one of our Swarm of ethical hackers please visit our website - www.covertswarm.com
On today's episode CovertSwarm COO, Luke Potter is joined by one of our newest recruits, Hive Member - Tony Dixon.
Within a few short months since joining CovertSwarm Tony has already noticed how differently we do things. With over 15 years of experience in the information technology and security sectors, he’s sharing his views on how cyber security needs to change, how CovertSwarm is leading the charge, and how organisations can better protect themselves in the future.
To read more from Tony head to our recent blog post - https://www.covertswarm.com/post/one-hive-member-s-insights-into-how-and-why-our-industry-should-change
For more information on CovertSwarm, or to speak with one of the team, please visit our website - www.covertswarm.com
We're hiring! Please visit our careers page for current vacancies - www.covertswarm.com/careers
On a very special episode of The CovertSwarm podcast we welcome John Elliott - Security Advisor at Jscrambler, to discuss PCI DSS 4.0 and why you must mitigate skimming attacks!
For more information on CovertSwarm, or to speak with one of the team, please visit our website - www.covertswarm.com
We're hiring! Please visit our careers page for current vacancies - www.covertswarm.com/careers
On today's episode CovertSwarm's COO, Luke, is joined by one of our brilliant Hive Members, Jorge, to discuss his first ever DEF CON experience, what he learnt and how this new knowledge can be used to further compromise our clients.
For more information or to speak with one of the team, please visit our website - www.covertswarm.com
We're hiring! Please visit our careers page for current vacancies - www.covertswarm.com/careers
Today we are bringing a very special episode, recorded live in Las Vegas at DEF CON 30!
Join CovertSwarm CEO, Anders and COO, Luke as they discuss this years iteration of the world's largest hacker convention - DEF CON. Featuring, this years badge, talks and the latest and most exciting exploits!
Visit our website - www.covertswarm.com
On today's episode CovertSwarms CEO, Anders Reeves, and COO, Luke Potter, discuss what we like to call the 'Cyber Value Proposition' and how with a simple shift in thinking modern businesses can transform their cyber culture.
For more information or to speak with one of the team, please visit our website - www.covertswarm.com
We're hiring, please visit our careers page for current vacancies - www.covertswarm.com/careers
On today's episode CovertSwarms CEO, Anders Reeves, and COO, Luke Potter, are joined by Doug Tognarelli and Jack Smith from our Swarm.
Today's topic of conversation is 'How to get into the Cyber industry'.
Listen as we remove the mystery and share practical advice on how to join the fascinating world of Cyber Security.
Visit our website - www.covertswarm.com
Careers - https://www.covertswarm.com/careers
On this episode we discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and how businesses around the world, and their employees, can better protect against the increasing risk of cyber attacks.
We would like to offer an open invitation for any advice or support for our network and the wider industry during this difficult time. We are here to help.
Our thoughts and prayers are with anyone affected by the crisis .
Further information can be found here - www.covertswarm.com/post/the-emerging-crisis-in-ukraine
Welcome to the first CovertSwarm podcast!
On this episode we discuss 'Why the penetration testing industry needs to change', alongside a host of other topics, trends and industry challenges.
TPM Blog post can be seen here - www.covertswarm.com/post/how-secure-are-tpm-chips
Visit our website - www.covertswarm.com