The January 2026 Tech Talk – Part II delivers a comprehensive and often urgent exploration of today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, highlighting real-world attack trends, new technology risks, and the growing impact of AI and quantum computing on organizational security.
The presentation begins by underscoring how quickly modern threat actors—especially ransomware groups operating in New York State—are bypassing traditional endpoint defenses, often moving from compromise to data theft or ransomware deployment in minutes rather than hours. It emphasizes “machine‑speed attacks” and the need for machine‑speed defense, supported by security operations centers (SOCs), continuous monitoring, robust identity controls, and strong cyber hygiene.
A large portion of the presentation covers email security, including the rise of M365 Direct Send attacks, new Google and Barracuda filtering updates, and current spam and phishing trends. This section also details Google’s 2025 shift toward strict DMARC enforcement and the need for organizations to tighten SPF/DMARC configurations.
The talk then shifts to two rapidly emerging privacy risk areas:
- AI Notetakers, which introduce legal and compliance concerns related to recording, consent, retention, and data‑training usage. The presentation provides a practical compliance checklist for organizations adapting to these tools.
- Web Browser Extensions, which have become one of the largest hidden data‑exfiltration vectors. The deck highlights recent incidents where malicious extensions harvested credentials, AI‑chat data, and session tokens over multi‑year periods, and recommends enterprise strategies for extension governance.
The presentation also addresses password threats, MFA enforcement changes, and Microsoft’s push toward passkeys, while dispelling myths about the privacy implications of using personal devices for authentication.
A forward‑looking section explores the implications of quantum computing, including Y2Q (“Q Day”), Grover’s algorithm, quantum random number generation, and the anticipated risk that quantum breakthroughs pose to today’s encryption. Related to this theme, the session includes a technical refresher on Y2K38, the upcoming Unix time overflow that will impact legacy systems on January 19, 2038.
Finally, the Tech Talk provides strategic insights about APT attack behaviors, emphasizes the importance of realistic tabletop exercises, and highlights upcoming Acture/CSI events, cybersecurity partnerships, and ongoing educational resources.
Watch the recording here.
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