In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host David Hollingworth and journalist Daniel Croft discuss the week that was with DeepSeek versus South Korea, the latest ransomware news, and two malware campaigns spreading their payloads via video games.

• Hollingworth and Croft open with what is becoming a regular chat about the trials and travails of Chinese AI DeepSeek, which this week violated South Korean data privacy laws. The pair also discuss Elon Musk’s attempt to buy out OpenAI and his efforts to ban chat-up Signal on his X platform.
• Hollingworth then discusses how ransomware-as-a-service operations are driving a sharp increase in ransomware attacks. The pair then discuss some of the more alarming Australian hacks this week: the Australian National University and IVF clinic Genea.
• Finally, it’s time to talk video games, with game distribution platform Steam pulling a game that was spreading an info stealer, and a seemingly Russian campaign that was installing crypto-mining malware via torrented games.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Liam Garman welcomes Cyber Daily's David Hollingworth, a cyber security expert and Cyber Uncut podcast host, to unpack the latest in hacking and cyber security in the new era of grey-zone warfare and nation-state cyber attacks.

They begin the podcast examining real world examples of warfare-motivated hacking, threat actors for hire, the impact of cyber threats and incidents for nations around the world.

They then discuss the differences between "smash-and-grab" ransomware attacks with persistent and embedded state-sponsored cyber attacks.

The podcast wraps up examining the increasing speed, accuracy and impact of cyber attacks on industry and government infrastructure across international lines.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host David Hollingworth talks about all the latest AI and cyber news with journalist Daniel Croft - more local ransomware attacks, more data breaches, and scams to watch out for.

• Hollingworth and Croft open once again with all the latest AI news, from more bans of the Chinese chatbot DeepSeek to Elon Musk and a whole bunch of venture capitalists wanting to buy OpenAI to Sam Altman's promise that AI will inevitably get cheaper over time.
• The pair then discuss the week of cyber attacks against Australian organisations. From medical imaging data of Aussies being posted to the dark web to a ransomware gang taking responsibility for hacking an Australian university, it's been a grim week in cyber crime.
• Finally, it's Valentine's Day, and scammers will be out in force, so Hollingworth runs through some common scams to watch out for. Croft then discusses a win for Australian investigators against a Russian hosting service facilitating hackers targeting local companies and individuals.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman quizzes Cyber Daily’s deputy editor, David Hollingworth, on geopolitics, cyber crime reporting, and the latest hacking news.

• Garman and Hollingworth begin with a discussion about DeepSeek and its geopolitical implications, as well as its biases and possible advantages over other GenAI products – and the fact that it probably cannot be trusted.
• Hollingworth then goes into a deep dive about cyber crime reporting: why it matters, how companies should include media response as part of their planning for attacks, and some of the ways companies can do better when handling that first phone call from a journalist planning on writing a story.
• The pair finish up by talking about North Korean hackers using LinkedIn to lure their victims into installing a swathe of malware and a general look at the state of cyber politics.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson, Liam Garman and Phil Tarrant unpack the latest in the AI race, and how the United States is seeking to use tariffs to regain the economic edge.

• They begin the podcast examining the DeepSeek phenomenon, why Nvidia share prices took a hit, and looking under the hood to see if the tech is as good as advertised.
• They then look at the recent threats and imposition of tariffs and how this will impact the US, and whether a strengthening US dollar is indicative of growing consumer optimism.
• The podcast wraps up examining the relationship between foreign aid and national security and moves in the US to suspend aid.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, hosts David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft look back on their week reporting on cyber crime in Australia and abroad.

• Croft opens the show with a round-up of the biggest story of the week – Chinese AI platform DeepSeek. From how it works, why it’s trashed NVIDIA’s stock, and the very real security concerns, DeepSeek is going to be a story for some time.
• Hollingworth then looks at the recent spate of ransomware posts made by the Clop gang – it promised last year that it had stolen a lot of data via vulnerabilities in Cleo’s file transfer software, and over the weekend, the gang posted the details of 60 victims, including three Australian firms.
• Finally, after talking about the dangers of mistaken identity in cyber crime reporting, the pair talk about infamous hacker IntelBroker and his decision to retire from the role of admin on a popular hacking forum.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

As the global economy and political environment continue to become increasingly unpredictable, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack what’s in store for 2025 using diplomacy, information, military and economic (DIME) analysis. This podcast represents the second of two episodes, where the hosts provide insight into the latest military and economic events, and how they impact us at home in Australia.

• The trio begin examining the recent appointment of Pete Hegseth as the US Secretary of Defense and how the incoming administration will shape the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
• They then look at the global economy, and whether the US economy will undergo a resurgence with a strengthening US dollar and an ambition to reduce the government’s $36 trillion debt.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, hosts David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft look back on their week reporting on cyber crime in Australia and abroad.

• Croft and Hollingworth talk about a hack that really wasn’t – the 2023 Dymocks data breach is commonly resold on hacking forums, and Croft has found another instance of an enterprising type trying to make money from a previous compromise, and it did not end well for them.
• Finally, the pair discuss how hacktivists crave publicity in return for very little actual hacking and Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) most recent investigation into another alleged data breach, before talking about the state of cyber crime reporting in the first month of 2025. Buckle in; it’s going to be one heck of a year.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

As the global economy and political environment continue to become increasingly unpredictable, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack what’s in store for 2025 using diplomacy, information, military and economic (DIME) analysis. This podcast represents the first of two episodes, where the hosts provide insight into the latest diplomatic and information events, and how they impact us at home in Australia.

• The trio begin by examining the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, and whether it will likely hold in the current environment.
• They then turn to the Ukraine War and Britain’s 100-year pledge.
• They then look at the incoming White House’s approach to TikTok, and whether information should be considered a military domain.

Stay tuned for the next episode, where the trio unpack military and economic power.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, hosts David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft take yet another look back at a year of cyber incidents and talk about how 2024 saw incidents rise by almost half again. The pair also look at a hacktivist group targeting Australian websites, the still ongoing UnitedHealth saga, a dangerous hacking that may be on the horizon, and the latest in ransomware attacks on Australian organisations.

• Hollingworth and Croft kick off the chat with Check Point Software Technologies’ look back at the year that was, with 2024 seeing 44 per cent more cyber incidents than the previous year. The pair talk about how that matches their expectations, from nation-state actors to hacktivists and, of course, ransomware and cyber crime.
• Croft then goes into his own investigations into the RipperSec hacktivist group, while Hollingworth looks into vulnerabilities impacting a popular firewall device that has been extensively exploited in the past and could well be about to be hacked en masse again.
• Finally, Croft looks at the latest chapter in the UnitedHealth hack from last year and some rather disturbing allegations that the giant insurance company is not entirely being above board with its reporting. The pair then look back at the week that just passed and the nearly half-dozen ransomware attacks targeting organisations in the ANZ region. It’s been a busy start to the year.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team