Hacker And The Fed
Chris Tarbell & Hector Monsegur
Show overview
Hacker And The Fed has been publishing since 2022, and across the 4 years since has built a catalogue of 132 episodes, alongside 1 trailer or bonus episode. That works out to roughly 120 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 47 min and 1h 1m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Technology show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed yesterday, with 20 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 46 episodes published. Published by Chris Tarbell & Hector Monsegur.
From the publisher
Former FBI Special Agent, Chris Tarbell, and ex-Anonymous/LulzSec blackhat hacker turned network penetration tester, Hector Monsegur (aka Sabu), once faced off as adversaries in cyberspace before becoming close friends and now podcast co-hosts. Whether you are a legal professional, cybersecurity practitioner, or forensic investigator, Chris and Hector will bring you their unique perspectives on the latest developments in cybersecurity.
Latest Episodes
View all 132 episodesThe Student Hack That Crashed Bitcoin
AI Deleted the Entire Database in 9 Seconds
The Crypto Hacks Funding North Korea
Europe Is Quietly Preparing for a Tech War
The Origin Story
How One Developer Took Down the Supply Chain
What CISOs Actually Worry About
Chris and Hector are joined again by an anonymous CISO for a candid follow up conversation on the realities of modern cybersecurity. They explore why compliance often turns into security theater, how geopolitical conflict is shaping defensive strategy, and what actually keeps security leaders up at night. The discussion cuts through dashboards and certifications to focus on risk, trends, and the uncomfortable truth that many organizations look secure on paper while remaining deeply vulnerable in practice. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
The Biggest Cybersecurity Grift in Years
Chris and Hector break down a major compliance scandal where a startup allegedly sold fake SOC 2 certifications using templated reports and questionable auditing practices. They explore how the breach exposed sensitive internal documents, why companies may have knowingly gone along with it, and what it says about trust in the cybersecurity industry. The episode also covers a massive GPU smuggling case tied to China, the collapse of a major cybercrime forum, and a real-world prompt injection attack that compromised thousands of developer environments. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
A Petabyte of Data Stolen and Nobody Noticed
Chris and Hector break down a massive breach involving claims of a petabyte of stolen data and question how something that large could go unnoticed. They also dive into a critical vulnerability in McKinsey’s internal AI platform that exposed millions of records through basic API and SQL flaws, along with ongoing credential theft campaigns targeting VPN users Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
iPhone Zero Days Are Now Fueling Crypto Crime
Chris and Hector break down a new US cyber strategy calling for a more aggressive posture against hackers, then dive into a bizarre case where a sophisticated iPhone exploit kit meant for espionage ended up powering crypto theft. They also revisit the arrest of a contractor’s son accused of stealing $46 million in seized cryptocurrency and discuss how bragging on Discord brought the whole scheme crashing down. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
When AI Makes Hacking Easier Than Ever
Chris and Hector discuss an AI assisted hacking campaign that compromised more than 600 Fortinet firewalls and what it reveals about persistent security failures. They also cover cyber operations tied to geopolitical conflict, leadership turmoil at CISA, and new research showing how AI can expose supposedly anonymous online identities Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
The FBI Drug Market Rumor, Blue Checkmarks, and Government Backdoors
Chris and Hector break down a headline that made it sound like the FBI was running a dark web drug market and separate rumor from reality. They revisit how confidential sources actually work, the fallout from past undercover operations, and why media framing matters. The conversation then shifts to zero click exploits sold to foreign actors, the risks behind LinkedIn identity verification, and a security researcher who found a simple but devastating vulnerability only to be threatened by lawyers. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
What CISOs Won’t Say in Public
Chris and Hector sit down with an anonymous CISO who pulls back the curtain on how cybersecurity actually works inside large organizations. From security theater and boardroom politics to AI risk, bug bounties, and why CISOs are often the fall guy during major incidents, the conversation gets candid fast. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
One Stolen Password Can Take Down a Nation
Chris and Hector break down how familiar security failures continue to fuel major cyber incidents. They explore a large scale cloud worm campaign, a ransomware attack that disrupted a national oil pipeline operator, and a payment processor outage that impacted businesses across the United States. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
The Moment AI Stopped Waiting for Humans
Chris and Hector dive into the sudden rise of AI-only social networks where autonomous agents communicate, collaborate, and sometimes spiral into unexpected behavior. They explore MoltBook, the appearance of AI-driven black markets, and the real world risks of giving autonomous systems access to personal devices and data. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
From Doorbell Cameras to Seized Crypto
Chris and Hector take on the uneasy space where privacy, technology, and law enforcement overlap. They break down how encrypted data was accessed through BitLocker recovery keys, how doorbell cameras are quietly becoming part of policing and immigration enforcement, and how an alleged insider siphoned millions in seized cryptocurrency from government controlled wallets. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
Inside China’s Leaking Cyber Machine
Chris and Hector unpack new signs of internal strain inside China’s cyber ecosystem. From leaked intelligence and exposed tools to China cutting off Western security technology, they explore what happens when a tightly controlled cyber machine starts showing cracks. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
Cyber Attacks Without a Declaration of War
In this episode, Chris and Hector dig into how cyber operations are no longer a background activity but a core part of modern conflict. They break down reported US cyber actions tied to operations in Venezuela, Chinese state sponsored email intrusions targeting congressional staff, and the global scam economy built on human trafficking and crypto fraud. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
Everyone Has Your Data and Nobody Is Accountable
In the first days of 2026, the line between reality and fiction is already collapsing. From massive data thefts and cloud misconfigurations to deepfakes, AI hype, and executives openly calling for limits on free speech, the guys break down how cybersecurity, media, and power are colliding. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]
We Gave AI the Keys and It Learned to Steal
Chris and Hector look back at a year where AI quietly reshaped the threat landscape and look ahead to what 2026 may bring. From zero click AI browser attacks and runaway automation to insider threats, mass breaches, and the growing tension between security and convenience, they break down how small design decisions are creating big risks. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at [email protected]