Insights into the clustering and reuse of phone numbers in scam emails
Talos has recently started to collect and gather intelligence around phone numbers within emails as an additional indicator of compromise (IOC). In this blog, we discuss new insights into in-the-wild phone number reuse in scam emails.
UAT-8302 and its box full of malware
Cisco Talos is disclosing UAT-8302, a sophisticated, China-nexus advanced persistent threat (APT) group targeting government entities in South America since at least late 2024 and government agencies in southeastern Europe in 2025.
CloudZ RAT potentially steals OTP messages using Pheno plugin
Cisco Talos discovered an intrusion, active since at least January 2026, where an unknown attacker implanted a CloudZ remote access tool (RAT) and a previously undocumented plugin called “Pheno.”
Great responsibility, without great power
In this week’s newsletter, Hazel uses International Superhero Day as a springboard to explore why empathy — rather than just technical prowess — is the most essential, underrated superpower for navigating the human side of cybersecurity.
AI-powered honeypots: Turning the tables on malicious AI agents
Just as AI brings time-saving advantages to our lives, it brings similar advantages to threat actors. We can take the advantage back. This blog shows how generative AI can be used to rapidly deploy adaptive honeypot systems.
Five defender priorities from the Talos Year in Review
With attackers moving faster than ever, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This blog breaks down five practical priorities from the Cisco Talos 2025 Year in Review to help defenders focus and prioritize, amidst all the noise.
It pays to be a forever student
In this newsletter, Joe discusses why understanding other disciplines can often flow back into the macro and micro of cybersecurity, especially in a world of AI.
UAT-4356's Targeting of Cisco Firepower Devices
Cisco Talos is aware of UAT-4356's continued active targeting of Cisco Firepower devices’ Firepower eXtensible Operating System (FXOS). UAT-4356 exploited n-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-20333 and CVE-2025-20362) to gain unauthorized access to vulnerable devices.
IR Trends Q1 2026: Phishing reemerges as top initial access vector, as attacks targeting public administration persist
Phishing reemerged as the most observed means of gaining initial access, accounting for over a third of the engagements where initial access could be determined. Phishing has not been the top vertical for initial access since Q2 2025.