Defend Against Hacktivist Groups like APT Handala | The Cyber Security Podcast

Threat Talks - Your Gateway to Cybersecurity Insights

Content provided by Threat Talks. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Threat Talks or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

3M ago 30:32

MP3•Episode home

Hacktivists don’t need zero-days to hurt you—they weaponize people. Host Lieuwe Jan Koning sits down with Yuri Wit (SOC analyst) and Rob Maas (Field CTO) to dissect APT Handala: how they hunt targets, deliver wipers, and brag about leaks. We map their moves to the Lockheed Martin Kill Chain and turn it into a Zero Trust defense playbook you can actually use—today.

(00:00) - - 01:40 - Introduction
(01:40) - - 02:27 - What is APT Handala?
(02:27) - - 05:27 - Kill Chain Step 1: Reconnaissance
(05:27) - - 06:43 - Kill Chain Step 2: Weaponization
(06:43) - - 10:39 - Kill Chain Step 3: Delivery
(10:39) - - 14:37 - Kill Chain Step 4: Exploitation
(14:37) - - 17:34 - Kill Chain Step 5: Installation
(17:34) - - 23:39 - Kill Chain Step 6: Command and control
(23:39) - - 26:40 - Kill Chain Step 7: Act on objectives
(26:40) - - 29:35 - How to respond to being hacked
(29:25) - - 30:22 - Closing notes

Key Topics Covered
• Handala’s playbook: people-centric recon, phishing kits, wipers, boast-and-leak ops.
• Zero Trust counters: deny-by-default egress, newly-registered-domain blocks, hard EDR, passkeys.
• SOC tells: DNS DGA spikes, encrypted C2 on common apps, “human error” as the biggest CVE.
• Comms reality: when openness helps—and when strategic silence limits amplification.

Additional Resources
• ON2IT Zero Trust: https://on2it.net/zero-trust/
• Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/cyber/cyber-kill-chain.html
• Tor Project (onion services): https://www.torproject.org/
• Threat Talks hub: https://threat-talks.com/

Click here to view the episode transcript.
🔔 Follow and Support our channel! 🔔
===
► YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@ThreatTalks
► SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SXUyUEndOeKYREvlAeD7E
► APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/threat-talks-your-gateway-to-cybersecurity-insights/id1725776520

👕 Receive your Threat Talks T-shirt
https://threat-talks.com/

🕵️ Threat Talks is a podcast created in collaboration with ON2IT and AMS-IX. Each episode features leading cybersecurity experts sharing real-world insights on emerging threats, trends, and defense strategies — helping organizations stay secure in today’s rapidly evolving digital world.

ON2IT website: https://on2it.net/
AMS-IX website: https://www.ams-ix.net/ams

100 episodes

#News #Tech News #Threat Talks