Abhijith B R moderated a panel with Bryson Bort, Anant Shrivastava, and Gordon Boom at DEF CON 33 to explore why adopting an adversarial mindset and thinking like an attacker has become essential in today's threat landscape. DEF CON 33
Watch the full panel on the Adversary Village YouTube channel.
At DEF CON 33, our founder Abhijith B R moderated this Adversary Village panel on why an adversarial mindset has moved from a nice-to-have to a necessity. As threat actors get faster, stealthier, and more sophisticated, defending on instinct alone no longer holds, and the panel made the case for defenders learning to think like the attackers they face.
Bryson Bort, CEO and founder of SCYTHE, Anant Shrivastava, founder and chief researcher at Cyfinoid Research, and Lt. Col. Gordon “Fizzle” Boom of the U.S. Air Force's 567th Cyberspace Operations Group brought perspectives spanning commercial adversary emulation, independent security research, and military cyberspace operations. The discussion moved from red teaming and threat-informed defense to how organizations actually embed adversarial thinking into their security programs, and stretched into the evolving warfare landscape, the use of technology by adversaries during conflicts, and the countermeasures that work against them.
More on the session, the speakers, and the full Adversary Village program is on the Adversary Village at DEF CON 33 page.
As threat actors evolve in speed, sophistication, and stealth, traditional defense strategies alone are no longer sufficient. This panel delves into the strategic importance of adopting an adversarial mindset, where defenders must think like attackers to stay ahead. Industry experts will discuss how adversary emulation and offensive cyber security techniques are being used not just to test systems, but to actively inform and strengthen defensive strategies. From red teaming to threat-informed defense, the panel will dive into how organizations are embedding adversarial thinking into their security programs to uncover blind spots, reduce response times, and build resilience against real-world threats. Whether you are defending an enterprise or building the next wave of security tools, embracing the adversarial mindset is no longer optional, it is essential. The panel will also cover a range of adversarial scenarios, including not only nation-state sponsored threat actors and targeted cyberattacks, but also the evolving warfare landscape witnessed recently, the use of technology by adversaries during conflicts, and effective countermeasures to address these challenges. DEF CON 33 · Adversary Village panel abstract
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