Safe Mode Podcast – "Behind the Scenes of the Socksescort Takedown"

Date: March 19, 2026
Host: Greg Otto (Cyberscoop)
Guests: Matt Kapko (Cyberscoop Senior Reporter), Michael Covington (VP of Strategy, Jamf)
Main Theme:
A deep dive into recent developments in cybersecurity policy and a focused analysis on the leaked "Dark Sword" iOS exploit kit, along with practical advice for enterprises navigating the rapidly evolving world of mobile security threats.

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded at the 2026 RSA Conference, covers two primary threads:

• Insights from the RSA Conference: the new U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy and the trend toward "active disruption" rather than "hack back," perspectives from industry panelists, and the role of major tech firms like Google.
• A comprehensive interview with Michael Covington from Jamf on the implications of the Dark Sword iOS exploit kit leak, what it means for enterprises, and pragmatic steps for securing Apple mobile devices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Evolving Federal Cybersecurity Strategy ([00:33]–[08:48])

Government’s Shift in Strategy

• Active Disruption: The government is urging tech firms to disrupt cybercriminals by removing resources, not by retaliatory hacking.

• Industry Collaboration: Post-strategy, federal policy insiders report more open dialogue and collaboration.

• Panel Reflections: Experts Jamil Jaffer, David Lashway, and Wendy Whitmore note a “market change” since the strategy was released, focusing on transparency and reach.

  Quote:

  • Jamil Jaffer: “What we want to do is treat this as like a bully in the schoolyard... instead of being quiet about it, we want to be loud about it. If we get punched in the face, we can punch back, tell everybody we punched back, and we're not going to be messed with.” ([04:40])

Big Tech’s Role in Disruption

• Google’s Approach: Led by Sandra Joyce at Mandiant, Google is emphasizing “threat disruption units” and being more public and vocal about their takedown efforts.

• There’s more formal recognition, but, as reported by Google insiders:
  “We've been doing this for years... the real change is we're just going to be a little bit more loud about it and... let the threat actors know it was us.” ([06:58])

• Industry Hesitancy: Only a handful of giants (Google, Microsoft, Palo Alto) are proactively taking this stance, likely due to their ability to absorb potential blowback.

2. Agentic AI and Industry Concerns for the Future ([08:48]–[15:20])

Agentic AI: Hype vs. Uncertainty

• Buzz at RSA: CISOs are wary. One unnamed CISO admitted:
  “I was giving a talk on agentic AI, but... I don't know what I'm doing. And I know some of those other CISOs... are saying, I don't know what I'm doing either.” ([09:21])
• Double-Edged Sword: Industry leaders expect major, fast-moving threats from AI; uncertainty is widespread.

“Exploit Wednesday” and Open Source Risks

• Alex Stamos (paraphrased): Soon, after Patch Tuesday, we could see “exploit Wednesday,” where attackers rapidly weaponize weaknesses, especially in widely-used open source components. ([11:36])
• Morgan Adamski:
  “This technology is going to find yesterday's exploits.” ([13:07])
  AI agents are already discovering critical bugs missed by humans for decades.

Recent Trivi Hack as a Harbinger

• Trivi Supply Chain Attack:
  • Open source vulnerability scanning tool compromised.

  • 1,000 companies impacted in days; potential for 10,000 (Mandian estimate).

  • Matt Kapko:
    “Security tools and security vendors are under attack... It's a growing trend.” ([14:08])

3. In-Depth: The Dark Sword iOS Exploit Kit Leak ([16:41]–[33:49])

The New Paradigm for Enterprise iOS Security ([16:41]–[19:37])

• Dark Sword on GitHub: Public release accelerates weaponization of high-level iOS exploits, changing the security landscape for Apple’s traditionally “walled garden.”
• Good News First:
  iPhones and iPads have strong baseline security—as highlighted by recent NATO approvals for handling classified information.
  But in real-world conditions, best practices often aren’t followed, and operational deployment leads to “good devices, not necessarily very well maintained.” ([18:10])

Risks and Gaps for Enterprises ([19:37]–[21:33])

• Expanding Use: Enterprises now use iOS devices for much more than email, increasing stakes for intellectual property and critical workloads.
• Visibility Issues:
  “Most businesses lack visibility into what’s happening on mobile—they don’t even know if their devices are being used, let alone how.” ([20:14])
• Threat Escalation: The arrival of commodity exploit kits means even low-tier cybercriminals could target enterprises.

Practical Steps for Defense ([21:33]–[26:06])

• Get Back to Basics:

  • Track device inventory, establish configuration standards, assess OS versions and patch status.
  • “Most organizations need to start with that inventory of their mobile assets. Most of them don't have it.” ([23:01])
  • Look at installed apps and their SDKs—a known attack vector.
  • Monitor baseline telemetry: apps, SDKs, network components. Incorporate threat intelligence into your SOC.

• Beyond Dark Sword:

  • Monitoring shouldn’t be single-exploit focused.
  • “It’s better that you just start with really establishing a good baseline... hardening the stack... batting away the low hanging fruit—phishing attacks...indicators of C2...” ([24:59])

• Apple’s Lockdown Mode:

  • Effective for targeted use cases (e.g., executives in high-risk regions) but not practical for general enterprise deployment due to hampered usability ([26:38]).

Remediation and the Bright Side ([27:14]–[28:40])

• Incident Response:
  • Standard procedures still apply: containment, isolation, device reissuance.
  • Silver lining: Public tool release allows for better defensive research and more mature vendor defense.
  • “This is now available for researchers to download, to analyze, to really understand how it is, how the attacks are being implemented and how the infrastructure supports its long term utilization.” ([27:45])

Rethinking Apple’s “Inherent Security” ([28:40]–[31:11])

• Perception Gap Closing:
  • No platform is immune; attackers focus on high-value targets, not just platforms.
  • “When I see some of these more sophisticated malware and spyware attacks hitting mobile, they're not specific in the platform they're going after. They're specific in the individual.” ([29:43])
• Need For A Collective Approach:
  • Organizations, vendors, and device manufacturers must collaborate for effective defense and telemetry gathering.

Patch Management and Zero Trust ([31:11]–[33:49])

• Patch Reality:
  • Many organizations run outdated, vulnerable iOS versions.
  • Best approach: Mass-patching where possible, but also intelligent, risk-based updates (e.g., gating access to sensitive data/apps on device compliance).
  • “When you have an individual that's trying to access a rather sensitive data set or application, do a risk assessment on the device at that time and if you see that the device is not compliant... force the update then.” ([33:21])

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Jamil Jaffer: “What we want to do is treat this as like a bully in the schoolyard...” ([04:40])
• Unnamed CISO: “I don't know what I'm doing... anybody got any answers?” ([09:21])
• Alex Stamos (paraphrased by Greg Otto): “We have patch Tuesday and then we have exploit Wednesday...” ([11:36])
• Morgan Adamski: “This technology is going to find yesterday's exploits.” ([13:07])
• Michael Covington:
  • “Good devices, not necessarily very well maintained.” ([18:10])
  • “Most businesses lack visibility into what’s happening on mobile...” ([20:14])
  • “Start with that inventory of their mobile assets. Most of them don't have it.” ([23:01])
  • “[Lockdown mode] limits so much functionality...it's not why people picked the iPhone in the first place for a work tool, right?" ([26:38])
  • “This is now available for researchers to... really understand how... the attacks are being implemented...” ([27:45])
  • “They're not specific in the platform they're going after. They're specific in the individual they're going after.” ([29:43])
  • "You want this information, go and action this update. And that will... pull your users along at the right time...” ([33:21])

Memorable Moments

• Game of Thrones Analogy:
  Google’s new approach compared to Lady Olenna’s “Tell Cersei it was me,” marking a more public, proactive industry stance ([06:58]).
• Agentic AI Realism:
  Widespread CISO uncertainty; experts admit no one has clear answers yet—the field is collectively “figuring it out as we go” ([09:21]).
• “Exploit Wednesday” Fear:
  Acute expert anxiety about the speed and scale at which AI will transform vulnerability discovery and exploitation ([11:36]).
• Massive Supply Chain Attack:
  Trivi tool attack exemplifies downstream consequences and open source risks ([14:08]).
• Practical Mobile Security:
  Michael Covington repeatedly urges a return to basics, dispelling silver bullet myths for defending Apple devices ([21:49], [23:01], [24:59]).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:33] – RSA Conference Policy Takeaways & “Active Disruption”
• [06:38] – Google/Mandiant Threat Disruption, Formal Industry Shifts
• [08:48] – Agentic AI Uncertainty & Industry Fears
• [11:36] – “Exploit Wednesday” & Open Source Attacks
• [14:08] – Trivi Supply Chain Incident
• [16:41] – Interview with Michael Covington (Dark Sword iOS Exploit Kit)
• [18:10] – State of Apple Ecosystem Security
• [21:33] – How Enterprises Should Respond
• [26:38] – Limitations of Lockdown Mode
• [27:45] – Research Value of Public Exploit Kit
• [29:43] – Security Reality for Mixed Device Fleets
• [33:21] – Modern Patch Management & Zero Trust
• [34:11] – Closing Remarks

Summary

Takeaways:
The podcast paints a portrait of an industry increasingly forced out of its comfort zone: old problems persist but new ones—like AI-wielded exploit automation and open source supply chain breaches—loom even larger. For enterprises, the leaked Dark Sword iOS exploit kit is a wake-up call, but the answers remain familiar: focus on visibility, inventories, basic patching, and collective defense strategies—there’s no silver bullet, only disciplined security hygiene and adaptability.

Actionable Advice:

• Don’t assume “walled gardens” are impenetrable; invest in mobile asset visibility and basic hygiene.
• Monitor the whole attack surface—not just trending exploits.
• Prepare for AI-driven threats with rapid patching, supply chain vigilance, and risk-based access controls.
• Embrace industry collaboration, collective threat intelligence, and transparency—no one wins alone.