The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast 4.30.25
Ep 43 | 4.30.25

Inside THOR Collective, a Dispersed Team Delivering Open-Source Research

Show Notes

In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host⁠ ⁠⁠Sherrod DeGrippo⁠ is joined by ⁠Lauren Proehl⁠⁠Sydney Marrone⁠, and ⁠Jamie Williams⁠ to dig into the THOR Collective — a fresh, community-driven initiative bringing modern energy to threat intel. 

The group discusses the ongoing tension where developers focus on user-friendly design while security professionals aim to break things to prevent malicious use. They also dive into the THOR Collective, a community-driven initiative with open-source projects like Hearth and their twice-weekly Substack newsletter, Dispatch, which combines research, memes, and real-world lessons to uplift the InfoSec community. The conversation touches on the challenges of security, the disconnect between the public and understanding risks, and the need for more user-friendly, AI-driven security solutions that cater to various skill levels.

In this episode you’ll learn:     

  • The value of consistently publishing high-quality content
  • How the THOR Collective addresses this issue through innovative and digestible content

The importance of making complex InfoSec topics approachable for different experience levels

Some questions we ask:    

  • What’s going on with the rise in toll scam text messages?
  • Why has social engineering remained such a successful tactic for threat actors?
  • How does THOR Collective welcome new voices in InfoSec, and why is this crucial in today’s security landscape?

Resources: 

⁠View Lauren Proehl on LinkedIn⁠

⁠View Sydney Marrone on LinkedIn⁠ 

⁠View Jamie Williams on LinkedIn⁠ 

⁠View Sherrod DeGrippo on LinkedIn⁠ 

⁠THOR Collective⁠

Related Microsoft Podcasts:                  

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at⁠ ⁠⁠microsoft.com/podcasts⁠ 

Get the latest threat intelligence insights and guidance at Microsoft ⁠Security Insider⁠

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.