Episode 0011 - CISAs Thorium A New Era in Malware Defense

Welcome to episode 11 of the Bots and Bosses podcast, presented by John Binks. Today we delve into the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, and real-world business. In this episode, originally aired on August 1st, 2025, we explore the groundbreaking innovation in cybersecurity presented by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) - a new tool named Thorium.

This episode offers a deep dive into how Thorium, developed in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories, is set to disrupt cybersecurity with its free, automated anti-malware capabilities. Designed to tackle the relentless evolution of malware threats, Thorium empowers cyber defenders to operate at machine speed, democratizing advanced malware analysis and enhancing accessibility for organizations of all sizes.

Listeners will gain insight into Thorium's core functionalities, including its ability to run over 1,700 jobs per second and process 10 million files per hour. Learn about how this powerful tool leverages Docker images for seamless integration and Kubernetes for orchestration, providing scalability and security through its distributed architecture.

The episode also addresses the potential implications and benefits Thorium brings to day-to-day cybersecurity work, from speeding up malware analysis to enabling faster incident responses, all while raising thought-provoking questions about the future of cyber defense collaboration and innovation.