Episode 168: September 16, 2026

This episode digs into Iran's use of Telegram bots to control surveillance malware, Cisco's emergency zero-day patch for compromised email gateways, and a hacker who just cashed in on bug bounties using AI-written exploits. Adrian North walks through 2026's biggest breaches so far and what it means when everyday infrastructure becomes the weapon. Stories covered: - Iranian Hackers Use Telegram-Controlled Malware to Spy on Dissidents and Journalists (The Hacker News) - https://thehackernews.com/2026/09/iranian-hackers-use-telegram-controlled.html - Leaks, data breaches, and ransom notes: The worst hacks of 2026 so far (TechCrunch) - https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/15/the-worst-hacks-and-breaches-of-2026-so-far/ - Cisco patches Secure Email Gateway zero-day exploited in attacks (BleepingComputer) - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-cisco-secure-email-zero-day-exploited-to-execute-commands-as-root/ - Exclusive: AI-written malware helped a hacker cash in on bug bounty programs - Axios (Axios) - https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxNVzZqVnlJM0s0SktKaVpvZjBHRktKaXBIT2YybndFMjRvXzlfdzFXT3RyeFBFY29KNjJtcDBZcGVwRHY1UEt1Rk9QNENYZmlzT2tXeU0tSGpWci1aSDhFNk16Z284ck9YVXRScENxNXNkb3UzUDBUZERlSWdHMnZCZA?oc=5 - 6 Running Form Tips for Beginners — and Everyone Else (iRunFar) - https://www.irunfar.com/six-running-form-tips-for-beginners-and-everyone-else - The Roman telescope has enough gas for 22 years, double NASA's expectations (Ars Technica) - https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/the-roman-telescope-has-enough-gas-for-22-years-double-nasas-expectations/