He Helped Take Down the Dark Web (Twice) — Vincent D’Agostino on DFIR, FBI & Real-World Cyber

Legitimate Cybersecurity Podcasts

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