Former FBI agent and attorney Vincent “Vinnie” D’Agostino (now Head of Digital Forensics & Incident Response at BlueVoyant) joins us to unpack dark web takedowns, real DFIR process, and how a “range” of skills (law, tech, stand-up, curiosity) compounds into cyber success.
We cover:
How a team helped take down the dark web—twice
DFIR reality vs myth: scoping, persistence hunts, EDR triage, due diligence in M&A
The RDP ≈ drunk driving analogy you’ll never forget
FBI - Private sector: what translates (and what doesn’t)
Career advice for students & pros in the age of AI: become “rangeful,” seize moments
👥 Guest: Vincent D’Agostino — Head of DFIR @ BlueVoyant; former FBI agent & attorney
🎙 Hosts: Frank Downs & Dustin Brewer
📌 Subscribe for deep, funny, legit cyber every week.
Chapter List
0:00 Cold Open — “Dark Web x2”
0:22 Intro & Who is Vincent D’Agostino
1:05 8086, 5MB HDD & falling in love with computers
5:30 From law to FBI: timing, tech, and reality checks
10:45 Cyber squads, TOR, Bitcoin & dark web context
16:30 DFIR in practice: scoping, EDR, persistence hunts
24:30 The RDP ≈ drunk driving analogy every CISO needs
29:30 Competence over politics (how to show up in calls)
34:30 Career “Range”: why hobbies compound into expertise
45:30 M&A due diligence: IR skills without the sirens
51:00 Humor as a tool: rapport in dark situations
57:00 3 Takeaways + Subscribe/Next Episode
#DarkWeb #DFIR #DigitalForensics #IncidentResponse #FBI #BlueVoyant #Cybersecurity #CyberPodcast #ThreatHunting #EDR #Velociraptor #SentinelOne #Ransomware #CISO #Bitcoin #TOR #BlueTeam #CareerAdvice #AI #LegitimateCybersecurity #MandA #DueDiligence
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