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Hacking Humans

Hacking Humans

802 episodes — Page 8 of 17

S6 Ep 251Barking up the wrong Facebook page.

Mallory Sofastaii, consumer investigative reporter from WMAR TV, is discussing animal rescue organizations on Facebook pages being taken over by hackers. Listener George writes in to share how his bank is not doing enough to protect against fraud going on. Dave's story follows scammers using new tricks, across the nation, to receive bitcoin and gift cards after threatening stores with bomb scares. Joe has the story on Chinese hackers that have targeted the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and other State and Commerce Department officials. Our catch of the day comes from listener Steve who shares a fishy looking email stating that he is going to be the beneficiary to "Thirty Nine Nine million, eight hundred thousand dollars." Links to stories: Scammers Target Stores With Bomb Threats, Seeking Bitcoin and Gift Cards Chinese Hackers Targeted Commerce Secretary and Other U.S. Officials Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jul 20, 202354 min

S1 Ep 10Encore: rogue access point (noun) [Word notes]

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1. A wireless access point installed by employees in an office or data center environment as a convenience to connectivity without the consent or the knowledge of the network manager. 2. A wireless access point, sometimes called an Evil Twin, installed by a cyber adversary in or near an office or data center environment designed to bypass security controls, gain access, and/or surveil the network traffic of the victim’s network. Both kinds, the employee installed and the adversary installed rogue access points, increase the attack surface of the organization. The employee installed device, because of its electronic footprint range, might make it easier for hackers and mischief makers outside of the organization’s network to bypass the corporate security controls and gain access without permission. The adversary installed device is designed specifically to bypass the security controls of the target network.

Jul 18, 20234 min

S5 Ep 213Encore: The rise in fraudulent online content.

Guest Jane Lee, Trust and Safety Architect from Sift joins Dave to discuss the rise of fraudulent online content and fake crypto platforms. Dave and Joe share some listener follow up regarding the debate over "mum" versus "mom" and who speaks which pronunciation more. Dave has two stories this week, one story follows a Twitter thread about a man who shared his story about selling a desk on Facebook and the dangers that come with that. His second story is about how hackers are using a clever new phishing technique to create email threads with multiple responses to trick potential victims into thinking bogus messages are legitimate. Joe shares the story of hackers new way to get information positioning themselves in the middle of your browser between the server and your computer. Our catch of the day has a little bit of everything from Peter who writes in about an email he received pulling out all the stops to get him to give over his information. Links to stories: Twitter thread https://www.cyberscoop.com/phishing-scheme-targeting-mideast-researchers/ Serious Security: Browser-in-the-browser attacks – watch out for windows that aren’t! Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jul 13, 202350 min

S1 Ep 1Encore: NMAP (noun) [Word Notes]

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A network mapping tool that pings IP addresses looking for a response and can discover host names, open communications ports, operating system names and versions. Written and maintained by Gordon Lyon, a.k.a. Fyodor, it is a free and open source software application used by both system admins and hackers alike and has been a staple in the security community for well over two decades. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/nmap

Jul 11, 20233 min

S6 Ep 250Indicators to insider threats.

Our UK correspondent Carole Theriault is talking with London insurance market CISO Thom Langford about insider threats. Joe and Dave share some listener follow up from Waldo who writes in to share a video explaining how bad guys are able to hack users. Joe shares a report from Verizon, one of the industries leading phone companies, about social engineering. Dave's story follows a gentleman who was able to steal one million dollars from at least 700 DoorDash drivers, and now police are warning against this sophisticated phishing scam. Our catch of the day comes from listener Ami who writes in to share her victory in catching a scammer after receiving a weird voicemail from a so called police officer. Links to stories: 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report A Stamford man allegedly stole $1M from 700 DoorDash drivers. Police say his victims are hard to ID. Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jul 6, 202340 min

S2 Ep 100Encore: Diamond Model (noun) [Word Notes]

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A cyber threat intelligence analysis model that defines relationship pairs between four core components in the shape of a diamond of adversary playbook activity across the intrusion kill chain: the adversary, their capability, the infrastructure used or attacked, and the victim. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/diamond-model Audio reference link: “Diamond Presentation v2 0: Diamond Model for Intrusion Analysis – Applied to Star Wars’ Battles,” Andy Pendergrast and Wade Baker, ThreatConnect, YouTube, 4 February 2020.

Jul 4, 20237 min

S6 Ep 249Beware ChatGPT curious: Fleece-ware chabot apps.

Guest Sean Gallagher, Principal Researcher with Sophos Xops team, joins us to discuss "'FleeceGPT' mobile apps target AI-curious to rake in cash. Joe shares some listener feedback from Jon about "No Stupid Questions" podcast. Dave's story is from Reddit about a free piano scam. Joe's got a story on a woman pleading with her bank to stop a fake wire transfer, but they were too busy. Our Catch of the Day comes from Rob about a fake student loan help ticket. Links to stories: “FleeceGPT” mobile apps target AI-curious to rake in cash Just ran into the most sophisticated "free piano" scam I've ever seen Wells Fargo bankers tell East Bay customer they're too busy to stop wire scam Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jun 29, 202348 min

S3 Ep 153CISA (noun) [Word Notes]

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A US Department of Homeland Security agency tasked with supporting cyber and physical security for US critical infrastructure. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency Audio reference link: CISA, 2021. CISA Director Jen Easterly’s Keynote at Black Hat USA 2021 [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7bu-L-m4K4.

Jun 27, 20237 min

S3 Ep 154spam (noun) [Word Notes]

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Unsolicited, unwanted, and sometimes malicious electronic messages indiscriminately transmitted to a large number of people. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/spam Audio reference link: zumpzump, 2007. Monty Python - Spam [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE.

Jun 27, 20237 min

S6 Ep 248Risky chat applications.

Toby Pischl, Head of Information & Email Security at Broadcom, sits down with Dave to discuss how Slack and Microsoft Teams phishing is an open door into businesses. Joe and Dave share some follow up regarding a case of a woman claiming to have cancer to receive over $37,000 from donors on GoFundMe. Joe has the terrible story out of Michigan where a high schooler committed suicide after a sextortion scam. Dave has a story on job seekers around the country and how likely they are to fall for a job scam. Our catch of the day comes from listener Albert, who writes in regarding the German phishing emails he keeps receiving. Links to stories: Madison Russo pleads guilty to theft in cancer scheme High school football player Jordan DeMay driven to suicide after Nigerian sextortion scam, anguished family reveals Michigan family sounds alarm on son's 'sextortion' suicide after arrests of 3 Nigerian men Three Nigerian Men Awaiting Extradition For Committing Sexual Extortion 1 in 3 Recent Job Seekers Have Been Tricked Into Applying for a Fake Job Scam Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jun 22, 202351 min

S3 Ep 153CISA (noun) [Word Notes]

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A US Department of Homeland Security agency tasked with supporting cyber and physical security for US critical infrastructure. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency Audio reference link: CISA, 2021. CISA Director Jen Easterly’s Keynote at Black Hat USA 2021 [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7bu-L-m4K4.

Jun 20, 20237 min

S6 Ep 247Replier attacks: the latest tool in a hacker's arsenal.

This week, Jeremy Fuchs from Avanan joins Dave to discuss how hackers are using replier attacks. Replier attacks are attacks in which hackers change the reply-to address to send emails from what appears to be a reputable company, when in reality it's a spoofed account. Joe and Dave share some follow up from listeners Wayne who writes in with some comments on episode 245, and listener Michael, who writes about his first ChatGPT experience. Dave's story follows the alarming new trend happening, where sextortionists are making AI nudes from people's social media images. Joe's story uncovers the social engineering trick hackers use from their personal scammers handbook. Our catch of the day comes from listener Tim, who shares a message from a "dear friend." Links to stories: Sextortionists are making AI nudes from your social media images Offbeat Social Engineering Tricks in a Scammer’s Handbook Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jun 15, 202352 min

S3 Ep 152dumpster diving (noun) [Word Notes]

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The act of searching through an organization's trash for discarded sensitive material. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/dumpster-diving Audio reference link: “Better Call Saul jimmy digs in the Sandpiper trash scene,” uploaded by Robert Bowersock, 18 September 2022.

Jun 13, 20237 min

S3 Ep 20Criminals...assemble! [Hacking humans goes to the movies]

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Thanks for joining us again for another episode of fun project brought to you by the team of Hacking Humans, the CyberWire's social engineering podcast. Hacking Humans co-host Dave Bittner is joined by Rick Howard in this series where they view clips from their favorite movies and television shows with examples of the social engineering scams and schemes you hear Dave and co-host Joe Carrigan talk about on Hacking Humans. In this episode, Dave and Rick watch each of the selected scenes, describe the on-screen action for you, and then they deconstruct what they saw. Grab your bowl of popcorn and join us for some fantastic scams and frauds. Links to this episode's clips if you'd like to watch along: Dave's clip from the movie: Ocean's 8 Rick's clip from the movie: Avengers Endgame

Jun 11, 202330 min

S6 Ep 246The rise of ChatGPT: A look into the future of chatbots.

This week, our CyberWire UK Correspondent Carole Theriault is talking with Paul Ducklin from Sophos about where ChatGPT could be going in the future. Joe and Dave share quite a bit of follow up from listeners, discussing several people writing in about dating apps and the men who use them, along with a question from listener Bryan who asks about an email scheme an intern working for his company received. Joe's story hones in on AI, discussing in particular how artificial intelligence is changing the social engineering game forever. Dave has the story on how hackers hide malicious links within pictures to redirect users to phishing sites. Our catch of the day comes from listener Cyrus, who shares an email they received about benefits with a hilarious twist. Links to stories: How AI Is Changing Social Engineering Forever The Picture in Picture Attack Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jun 8, 202353 min

S3 Ep 151SEO poisoning (noun) [Word Notes]

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The manipulation of search engine optimization, SEO, to promote malicious sites in search engine results. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/search-engine-optimization-poisoning Audio reference link: Brown, B.E., 2021. The Ending Of The Waldo Moment Explained [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsWja44-EMg.

Jun 6, 20236 min

S6 Ep 245Are you who you say you are?

Bala Kumar of Jumio joins to discuss how travel companies can combat the exponential rise in fraud and ensure their traveler is who they say they are. Dave and Joe share some listener follow up, with the first from Matt, who writes in with a strange Dick's Sporting Goods story about gift cards and credit cards. Our second follow up comes from listener King, who writes in regarding the QR discussion in episode 243. Dave's story follows how almost every US state has sued a telecom company after being accused of routing billions of illegal robocalls to millions of US residents on the do not call list. Joe's story is about a family losing $730,000 in a wire fraud scam, but with a twist ending. Our catch of the day comes from listener William, who writes in with an email laced with so much fraud, Gmail didn't even want Joe to open it to read it for this episode. Links to stories: 48 states sue phone company that allegedly catered to needs of robocallers Family loses $730K in wire fraud scam — and gets it all back Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Jun 1, 202349 min

S3 Ep 149passkey (noun) [Word Notes]

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A passwordless authentication protocol based on the FIDO2 standard. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/passkey Audio reference link: Summers, J., 2023. Google Passkeys Have Arrived (here’s how to use them) [All Things Secured Channel]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFO7JgUx-bU.

May 30, 20237 min

S3 Ep 150catfish (noun) [Word Notes]

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The practice of crafting a fake online persona for malicious purposes. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/catfish Audio reference link: netbunny, 2013. Catfish - The Movie - Ending Scene [Movie Scene]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR_NIN6zy0U

May 30, 20237 min

S6 Ep 244Bringing in the human side of scamming.

Nick Percoco from Kraken sits down to discuss the human factor of crypto scams, including going over common red flags and what to do when a third party is exerting pressure that taps into a human emotions. Listener Sean writes in with some follow up to discuss the increase in AI scams and if people would be more likely to talk about falling for these scams as AI becomes better and better. An anonymous listener also reached out with some follow up regarding there experience with corporate ID theft. Joe's story follows the report on "dark patterns," and what they are. Dave's story is on people who got hired as customer service reps, but instead helped lure in lonely and lovestruck through a network of dating and hookup sites. Our catch of the day comes from listener Gareth who shares his catch of a phishing scheme from the "NSA." Links to stories: Guide to Dark Patterns – Terms and examples from the CCPA and the CPA Bringing Dark Patterns to Light This Is Catfishing on an Industrial Scale Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

May 25, 20231h 6m

S3 Ep 148QR code phishing (noun) [Word Notes]

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A type of phishing attack that uses QR codes as the lure. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/qr-code-phishing Audio reference link: KNR, 2018. Batman The Dark Knight Joker bomb blast by phone calls scene [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB_fXfzB4z0.

May 23, 20237 min

S3 Ep 19Who says the perfect heist doesn't exist? [Hacking Humans Goes to the Movies]

Thanks for joining us again for another episode of fun project brought to you by the team of Hacking Humans, the CyberWire's social engineering podcast. Hacking Humans co-host Dave Bittner is joined by Rick Howard in this series where they view clips from their favorite movies and television shows with examples of the social engineering scams and schemes you hear Dave and co-host Joe Carrigan talk about on Hacking Humans. In this episode, Dave and Rick watch each of the selected scenes, describe the on-screen action for you, and then they deconstruct what they saw. Grab your bowl of popcorn and join us for some fantastic scams and frauds. Links to this episode's clips if you'd like to watch along: Dave's clip from the movie Out of Sight Rick's clip from the movie The Thomas Crown Affair

May 21, 202322 min

S6 Ep 243Data privacy in a consumers world.

Our guest, Mark Kapczynski from OneRep, joins Dave to discuss what consumers should know about data privacy. Listener Jon writes in to the show with some follow-up with some thoughts on tap interface. Another anonymous listener wrote into the show discussing ethical hacking. Dave's story is on fake QR codes and how people are getting scammed out of money after receiving a fake QR code parking ticket survey. Joe's story follows an attempted attack at Dragos and what they didn't get. Our catch of the day comes from listener Richard who writes in with a fun scam he caught from the "Marine Corps." Links to stories: QR codes used in fake parking tickets, surveys to steal your money Deconstructing a Cybersecurity Event Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

May 18, 20231h 4m

S3 Ep 147attribution (noun) [Word Notes]

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Definition one: The recognition of a set of repeatable attack patterns across the intrusion kill chain. Definition two: Determining the responsibility for offensive cyber operations. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/attribution Audio reference link: Nunnikhoven, M., 2018. Cybersecurity Basics #9 - Attack Attribution [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlyMz5jN_Vs

May 16, 20239 min

S6 Ep 242Remedies for infectious computers.

Our guest, CW Walker, Director of Security Product Strategy at SpyCloud, joins to discuss post-infection remediation and ransomware defense. Joe compliments one of his least favorite big tech companies. Joe and Dave share quite a bit of follow-up; one from listener Clayton who writes in about “fast idiots” from a previous episode. The other is from listener Robert, who writes in about the wallet versus smart phone debate, and which is safer. Joe shares a few stories this week, all regarding ATM scams and lost or stolen credit cards including his own sons ATM nightmare. Dave's scary story is on the latest hot topic in the cyber industry: AI, and how families are being scammed by believable voice AI to sound like loved ones. Listener Michael shares this week's catch of the day on an IRS scam he came across in his email. Links to stories: Chase Bank didn't believe customers with accounts drained by ATM 'tap' feature scam Lost or Stolen Credit, ATM, and Debit Cards Family targeted by AI scam using loved one’s voice Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

May 11, 202357 min

S3 Ep 146spear phishing (noun) [Word Notes]

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A type of cyber attack where an attacker sends a targeted and personalized email or other form of communication to a specific individual or a small group of individuals with the intention of tricking them into divulging sensitive information, such as a password, or convincing them to click a malicious link that will enable the attacker to take control of the victim's machine. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/spearphishing Audio reference link: Richardson, T., 2014. What is the difference between phishing and spear-phishing? [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpx5IMduWX4.

May 9, 20237 min

S5 Ep 203Encore: Human errors and why they're made.

Josh Yavor, CISO at Tessian, joins Dave to discuss a new report they released on cyber mistakes and why employees make them. Joe and Dave share a listener follow-up from Jon, who writes in about mental illness, a serious epidemic taking over the nation. Jon shares interesting tidbits on social media linking to mental illness and the impact it's creating. Dave's story is on hackers trying an old trick with new mechanics: impersonating well known companies. This time, hackers are posing as Quickbooks. Joe's story describes how LinkedIn users are being targeted yet again. These fraudsters are now creating significant threats to users, according to the FBI. Finally, our catch of the day comes from listener Jennifer, who writes in and shares her story of a scammer using SMS to tell her that her Venmo account was hacked, even though she does not have one. Links to stories: Sending Phishing Emails from QuickBooks FBI says fraud on LinkedIn a ‘significant threat’ to platform and consumers Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter

May 4, 202350 min

S3 Ep 145resiliency (noun) [Word Notes]

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The ability to continuously deliver the intended outcome despite adverse cyber events. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/resiliency Audio reference link: Cameron, J., 1984. The Terminator [Movie]. IMDb. URL www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/. Clip Nation, 2012. The Arnold Schwarzenegger “I’ll Be Back” Supercut [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YEG9DgRHhA. Coops, C., 2013. Terminator 2 Theme [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVZ2NShfCE8.

May 2, 20237 min

S5 Ep 241Is the industry ready for AI?

This week, Carole Theriault, CW UK correspondent, sits down with Cisco Talos' Vanja Svacjer discussing if the security industry is ready for AI. Joe and Dave share some follow up regarding a new term, "yahoo boy" after reading it in an article. Joe's follows a story about a scam where five mastermind business men were able to scam ordinary investors out of a billion dollars. Dave's story is on a basic iPhone feature that is helping criminals steal your entire digital life. Our catch of the day comes from William who writes in about an email he received from "Bob William" who shares that he works at a law firm and one of his clients has an insurance policy where his client did not write a will. Bob wants to share the amount of $12,820,000 with charity and then split the rest of the funds. Links to stories: On the hunt for the businessmen behind a billion-dollar scam A Basic iPhone Feature Helps Criminals Steal Your Entire Digital Life Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Apr 27, 202342 min

S3 Ep 144Security Operations Center (SOC) (noun) [Word Notes]

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A centralized facility or team responsible for monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity incidents within an organization. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/security-operations-center Audio reference link: AT&T Tech Channel, 2012. A tour of AT&T’s Network Operations Center (1979) [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=cigc3hvMyWw.

Apr 25, 20237 min

S5 Ep 240Lazarus Group: Breaking down the evolution.

This week, our guests are Jean Lee and Geoff White from BBC and the Lazarus Heist talking about what is coming up in Season 2 of their show and how the Lazarus Group is evolving. Joe briefly discusses Generative AI before going into his stories for this week. Joe's first story comes from Lauren Jackson from WBRC who writes in with a disturbing tire scam causing businesses to lose thousands. Joe's second story is from David Sentendrey from KDFW, who shares a story about a woman who fell victim to a romance scam loosing $75,000. Daves story follows a casino scam in Colorado, which was the largest heist in the states history. Our catch of the day comes from listener Morten who received a confusing message regarding an inheritance payment fund. Links to stories: Cullman Police warn of returning scam that has local businesses out thousands of dollars Woman who lost $75K in worldwide online romance scam warning others of the danger Black Hawk casino heist is largest in Colorado history Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Apr 20, 202349 min

S3 Ep 143Hunt forward operations (noun) [Word Notes]

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Defensive cyber operations carried out by U.S. Cyber Command's Cyber National Mission Force, CNMF at the request of allied nations. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/hunt-forward-operation Audio reference link: Paul Nakasone, G., 2022. Vanderbilt Summit Keynote [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axg4s9l9wi0.

Apr 18, 20236 min

S5 Ep 239Inside the history of a child hacker.

Paul Dant, Illumio's Senior Director for Cybersecurity Strategy and Research, is sharing how his history as a child hacker informed his thinking today. Joe and Dave share some listener follow up from Anthony, who writes in about a scam from the app Nextdoor, regarding scammers trying to upgrade Xfinity customers using their computers rather than the usual method, which throws up red flags. Dave's story this week follows a principal from a Florida science and technology charter school who mistakenly wrote a check for $100,000 to an Elon Musk impersonator. Joe's story is on email compromise, and the increase we have seen in the last several months, including an "increase in ‘novel social engineering attacks’ across thousands of active Darktrace/Email customers from January to February 2023." Our catch of the day comes from listener JP, who writes in regarding a suspicious looking email they received from "Norton" saying they will increase the price of their service being used. Links to stories: School principal resigns after writing $100,000 check to Elon Musk impersonator Tackling the Soft Underbelly of Cyber Security – Email Compromise Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Apr 13, 202346 min

S3 Ep 142Cyber gravity (noun) [Word Notes]

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The invisible force that governs the movement of data across networks. Audio reference link: “Things to Come 1936 - HG Wells.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Sept. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atwfWEKz00U.

Apr 11, 20238 min

S3 Ep 18As a scammer, sometimes you need to fake it till you make it. [Hacking Humans Goes to the Movies]

Thanks for joining us again for another episode of fun project brought to you by the team of Hacking Humans, the CyberWire's social engineering podcast. Hacking Humans co-host Dave Bittner is joined by Rick Howard in this series where they view clips from their favorite movies and television shows with examples of the social engineering scams and schemes you hear Dave and co-host Joe Carrigan talk about on Hacking Humans. In this episode, Dave and Rick watch each of the selected scenes, describe the on-screen action for you, and then they deconstruct what they saw. Grab your bowl of popcorn and join us for some fantastic scams and frauds. Links to this episode's clips if you'd like to watch along: Dave's clip from the movie The Princess Bride Rick's clip from the movie Now You See Me 2

Apr 9, 202329 min

S5 Ep 238Protecting against financial cybercrimes.

Keith Houston, Chief prosecutor in financial cybercrimes at Harris County District Attorney's Office in Houston, TX, shares some scams that have come through his office and advice on how to protect yourself. Dave and Joe share some follow up from listener Nevile, who writes in about a news story he came across regarding pendrive bombs, wondering what do you do if you're a reporter and someone sends you a scoop in a pendrive? Joe has two stories regarding AI, and how scammers were able to use AI software to clone voices the victims would recognize and then con them out of thousands of dollars. Dave's story is on a new report stating that the most common combosquatting keyword is support. Our catch of the day comes from listener Shawn who writes in sharing an email they received from their companies HR team warning them of a suspicious package that has been circulating around the office. Links to stories: N.L. family warns of possible AI voice clone scam that cost them $10K How scammers likely used artificial intelligence to con Newfoundland seniors out of $200K The Most Common Combosquatting Keyword Is “Support” Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter

Apr 6, 202345 min

S3 Ep 141Artificial Intelligence (AI) (noun) [Word Notes]

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The ability of computers to execute tasks typically associated with human intelligence, including natural language processing, problem solving, and pattern recognition. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/ai Audio reference link: Staff, 2016. Alan Turing - The Imitation Game - Can Machines Think? [YouTube Video]. Learn Understand Create. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs7Lo5MKIws.

Apr 4, 20238 min

S5 Ep 237Seeking employment fraud?

Kathleen Smith, CMO from ClearedJobs.Net sits down with Dave to talk about how job seekers are susceptible to employment fraud. Joe and Dave share some listener follow up from Steve, who writes in to share a scary and frustrating story as hackers were able to scam their way into his and his wife’s Verizon Wireless account. Dave's story follows giveaway scams, which are scams that impersonate celebrities and brands, most notably Elon Musk and the companies he is associate with, to try and get victims to believe they have won a large sum of cryptocurrency. Joe's story is on a scary development in the AI world, regarding family emergency scams. Scammers are now using AI to enhance the believability. Our catch of the day comes from a listener named Jim who writes in about a scam he came across in his spam folder from a "Sgt. Nolla E. Donald" who wants to give him millions of dollars to keep safe while she fights over in Iraq. Links to stories: Chatbots, Celebrities, and Victim Retargeting: Why Crypto Giveaway Scams Are Still So Successful Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter

Mar 30, 202359 min

S3 Ep 140Certification (noun) [Word Notes]

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A credential demonstrating an individual's knowledge in the field of cybersecurity, usually obtained by passing an exam or series of exams. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/certification Audio reference link: Bombal, D., 2022. Are certifications important in Cybersecurity? [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdgf_Wr82rs.

Mar 28, 20236 min

S3 Ep 17Fingerprinting fights off fraud? [Hacking Humans Goes to the Movies}

Thanks for joining us again for another episode of fun project brought to you by the team of Hacking Humans, the CyberWire's social engineering podcast. Hacking Humans co-host Dave Bittner is joined by Rick Howard in this series where they view clips from their favorite movies and television shows with examples of the social engineering scams and schemes you hear Dave and co-host Joe Carrigan talk about on Hacking Humans. In this episode, Dave and Rick watch each of the selected scenes, describe the on-screen action for you, and then they deconstruct what they saw. Grab your bowl of popcorn and join us for some fantastic scams and frauds. Links to this episode's clips if you'd like to watch along: Dave's clip from the movie I dream of Jeannie Rick's clip from the movie Ant Man

Mar 26, 202323 min

S5 Ep 236Do you have curtains on your house?

On this episode, the CyberWire's UK Correspondent Carole Theriault talks with Iain Thomson from the Register about why he has no IoT in his house and what advice he offers for those who do. Joe's story features ten social engineering techniques. Dave has a story starts with an order by the FTC against Epic Games for tricking users to make in-game purchases in Fortnite using dark patterns. Our Catch of the Day comes from listener Lauren sharing a phishing attempt at her company where the scammers obviously did their homework on who to contact in the organization. Links to stories: Ten Social Engineering Techniques Used By Hackers FTC Finalizes Order Requiring Fortnite maker Epic Games to Pay $245 Million for Tricking Users into Making Unwanted Charges What are deceptive patterns? Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter

Mar 23, 202349 min

S3 Ep 139Network slicing (noun) [Word Notes]

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A technique used to create virtual networks within a shared physical network infrastructure. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/network-slicing Audio reference link: Whitehead, D.N., 2021. 5G Smart Networks Part 1: Network Slicing [Video]. YouTube. URL www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCt3rYODZ7g.

Mar 21, 20236 min

S5 Ep 235Changing the face of identity.

Eric Olden, Chief Executive at Strata, sits down with Dave to discuss the changing face of identity; where we’ve been, where are going, and the bumps along the way. Dave and Joe share some listener follow-up from Michael, who writes in about advertisements on YouTube and other social networks claiming magical results. Dave's story follows a new tool released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help with slow and stop the spread of sextortion of minors. Joe's story is on a LinkedIn post by Gary Warner regarding why we have so much fraud. Our catch of the day is from listener Shon, who writes in about an email they received about “Meta Resources Recruiter” informing them of an open “CISO Lead role.” Links to stories: Teens can proactively block their nude images from Instagram, OnlyFans Why do we have so much fraud? Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter

Mar 16, 202353 min

S3 Ep 138Device trust (noun) [Word Notes]

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The process of verifying that a device is known, secure, and uncompromised before allowing it to connect to a network or access resources. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/device-trust Audio reference link: “Favorite Scene of Alan Rickman from Die Hard.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Jan. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mklnXM3LIXo.

Mar 14, 20236 min

S5 Ep 209Encore: Scams in the media.

Mallory Sofastaii from Baltimore's WMAR 2 News sits down with Joe to talk about some recent stories on scams she's covered on Matter for Mallory. Dave and Joe share some listener follow up from Robert who writes in about the technical means to protect phones from robocalls. He shares some insight on how carriers up in the north are able to protect phones. Dave shares a twitter thread from Brian Jay Jones, who is an author of biographies of Jim Henson, George Lucas and Dr. Seuss, who shares how he would have almost had his Twitter account hijacked if it weren't for 2-step verification. Joe's story is on a gentleman pleading guilty in PAC scams, raising almost 3.5 million by making false and misleading representations in the 2016 election. This week we have a string of catch of the days from different listeners sharing different SMS scams. Links to stories: Associate of scam PAC operator pleads guilty Twitter thread of Brian Jay Jones Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter

Mar 9, 202352 min

S3 Ep 137ZTNA (noun) [Word Notes]

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A technology set design to support the cybersecurity first principle strategy of zero trust, that limits device people and software component access to only designated authorized resources and nothing more. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/zero-trust-network-access Audio reference link: “Zero Trust Explained by John Kindervag.” YouTube, YouTube, 2 Oct. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LZe4Vn-eEo.

Mar 7, 20237 min

S5 Ep 234Saving the world from cybercrime.

Dan Golden and Renee Dudley, reporters at ProPublica and authors of "The Ransomware Hunting Team: A Band of Misfits' Improbable Crusade to Save the World from Cybercrime," discuss their book. Dave and Joe share some follow up form listener Ignacio who writes in to share thoughts on Joe's preference to using open source options for password managers. Joe's story this week follows Coinbase, who recently had a cybersecurity breach but their cyber controls prevented the attacker from gaining direct system access and prevented any loss of funds or compromise of customer information. Dave's story is on people trying to gain cryptocurrency back after it was hacked and stolen from them, only to wait and receive nothing in the long run. Our catch of the day comes from listener Josh, who writes in about an email he received that stated that his wallet would be suspended if he did not download a verification link. Links to stories: Who You Gonna Call? The Ransomware Hunting Team. Social Engineering - A Coinbase Case Study These Companies Say They Can Recover Stolen Crypto. That Rarely Happens. Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Mar 2, 202356 min

S3 Ep 136GDPR (noun) [Word Notes]

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A data privacy legal framework that applies to all countries in the European Union, regulating the transmission, storage, and use of personal data associated with residents of the EU. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/general-data-protection-regulation Audio reference link: “Mr. Robot Predicts JPM Coin!” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Feb. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ee-cHbCI0s.

Feb 28, 20236 min

S5 Ep 233Password managers and their benefits.

Corie Colliton Wagner from Security.org joins to discuss the company’s research of password manager tools and their benefits, identity theft, and the market outlook for PW managers. Dave and Joe share quite a bit of follow up from listeners Mitch, Neville, and Richard. Mitch writes in to share about gift card scams, and Neville and Richard both share their thoughts on the pros and cons of having a cloud-based password manager. Dave's story is about employees around the globe and their internet habits inside the workplace. Joe's story follows a new release of data from the FTC on romance scams, including the top lies being told by scammers. Our catch of the day comes from listener Gordy, who writes in about an email he received regarding a new position scammers are trying to fill in an open job. Links to stories: Are Your Employees Thinking Critically About Their Online Behaviors? New FTC Data Reveals Top Lies Told by Romance Scammers Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter.

Feb 23, 202350 min

S3 Ep 135ChatGPT (noun) [Word Notes]

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A conversational language model developed by the company OpenAI. CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/chatgpt Audio reference link: jeongphill. “Movie - Her, First Meet OS1 (Operation System One, Os One, OS1).” YouTube, YouTube, 29 June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV01B5kVsC0.

Feb 21, 20238 min