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I Am the Cavalry is a grassroots initiative focused on digital security where it meets public safety and human life. A September 14, 2023 CyberScoop podcast marked a decade of its work. The episode title also points to a Microsoft mystery and Trickbot sanctions, but its published page does not include a transcript or explain how those stories were discussed. The likely Microsoft reference is the Storm-0558 investigation; that identification is an inference, not a confirmed episode detail.
What the episode says about I Am the Cavalry
CyberScoop’s Safe Mode episode page, published September 14, 2023, describes a conversation between senior editor Elias Groll and I Am the Cavalry co-founders Josh Corman and Beau Woods. Its synopsis frames the discussion around a decade of work on the security of connected devices, from fridges and medical devices to power stations, and the risks of bringing devices online without adequately considering security.
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The initiative’s stated concern is broader than protecting data: connected technology can affect safety and human life. Its 2014 open letter to the automotive industry describes the goal as ensuring that “technologies with the potential to impact public safety and human life are worthy of our trust.” The letter sets out five capability areas for manufacturers:
- Safety by design: Treat safety as a core design concern rather than an afterthought.
- Third-party collaboration: Work with outside researchers and other parties to identify and address security issues.
- Evidence capture: Preserve information needed to understand and investigate security incidents.
- Security updates: Provide a way to correct vulnerabilities after products are deployed.
- Segmentation and isolation: Limit the ability of a compromise in one system to affect another.
The automotive letter makes the last principle concrete: “We believe a compromise of non-critical systems (like entertainment) should never adversely affect critical/physical systems (like braking).” These are organizational practices for manufacturers, not a consumer product checklist.
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What “a Microsoft mystery revealed” likely refers to
The most plausible match is Microsoft’s September 6, 2023 report on Storm-0558, a China-based threat actor that acquired a Microsoft signing key and used it to forge authentication tokens for Outlook accounts. Microsoft said the report concluded its major technical investigations. The connection between that report and the podcast title is not confirmed by CyberScoop’s synopsis, which does not identify the mystery or provide episode-level detail.
Microsoft updated its report on March 12, 2024. In that addendum, the company said further research had not changed the customer guidance it had previously shared and had not revealed additional impact to Microsoft or its customers. Those are Microsoft’s conclusions, not an independent finding. See Microsoft’s investigation report and update for its account and guidance.
What the Trickbot sanctions did—and did not—mean
On September 7, 2023, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions coordinated with the United Kingdom against 11 individuals it said were associated with the Russia-based Trickbot cybercrime group. Treasury’s release also noted that the U.S. Department of Justice was unsealing indictments against nine individuals in connection with Trickbot and Conti schemes.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThese were two distinct government actions. A sanctions designation is an administrative measure; an indictment is a criminal accusation, not a conviction. The indicted defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Treasury’s announcement is available at the department’s September 7, 2023 release.
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In its contemporaneous account, DOJ said Conti ransomware had been used against more than 900 victims worldwide. That figure refers to Conti, not a total number of Trickbot victims. DOJ’s announcement and allegations are described in the department’s case release.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the three strands have in common—and what remains unclear
The initiative’s decade-long focus is the broadest of the three subjects: how to make connected technology safer as it enters systems with consequences for people. Storm-0558 and the Trickbot action are specific events from September 2023, presented in the episode title as additional strands. The primary sources establish Microsoft’s account of its investigation and the U.S. government’s sanctions and indictments; CyberScoop’s synopsis establishes the episode’s general subject and participants.
Without a transcript or more detailed show notes, it is not possible to say what Corman, Woods, or Groll specifically said about Storm-0558 or the Trickbot actions, or how the episode connected those events to I Am the Cavalry’s work. Corman’s separate May 18, 2022 testimony to the U.S. Senate HELP Committee included the phrase “Cyber Safety is Patient Safety”; that is useful context for his public safety focus, but it is not a verified quote from the 2023 podcast.
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