Easy Prey

Technology is a double-edged sword. It can empower us, connect us, and solve problems, but it can also be used to exploit, manipulate, and harm. When it comes to protecting children online, that line gets especially thin. Digital forensics, AI-powered image classification, and global law enforcement collaboration are now essential tools for keeping families safe in a world that moves faster than most of us can keep up.

Debbie Garner knows this world intimately. She's a retired Special Agent in charge with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and former commander of the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. For years she led efforts to track down online predators and bring justice to survivors. These days she's working in the private sector, serving on the boards of Raven and Revere Technologies, pushing for smarter tech solutions and stronger training to support those still on the front lines.

In this episode we talk about the growing problem of online child exploitation, the reality of underfunded cybercrime units and the ways technology is being used to fight back. Whether you're a parent, an educator or just someone who cares about kids online, you need to hear this.

• [00:58] Debbie shares her law enforcement background over 30 years. She even worked undercover buying crack!
• [02:19] She spent the last 8 years of her career as the Supervisor Special Agent in charge of GBI's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit.
• [02:45] Now that she's retired from law enforcement, she works in the private sector with technology companies.
• [05:36] It's become her passion, even in retirement, to help those who are victims of exploitation.
• [07:09] Most children are victimized by someone they know. There's also plenty of predators online.
• [08:55] There are multiple organizations that work on child exploitation investigations.
• [10:53] People in law enforcement do tend to prioritize these types of crimes.
• [12:12] We talk about how the investigations begin.
• [13:53] Cases have increased from 2400 tips a year to over 30,000.
• [15:17] There's never enough technology to keep up with the increase.
• [16:41] RAVEN is a lobbying group to request additional funding from Congress.
• [18:33] With over 30,000 tips last year Georgia made over 450 arrests.
• [22:13] There's now technology that will help find CSAM on phones. There are also some amazing investigations on the dark web.
• [25:15] OSINT is helping investigate and it's a collaborative community.
• [27:55] Channels to report exploitation. Start with the platform, then National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and law enforcement.
• [31:34] Don't put images on the internet. Websites like Take It Down can help with images of underage people and Take It Down can help adults.
• [33:43] Always mention if the person is underage when you make a report.
• [34:10] Talk to your kids and start early with age appropriate conversations about CSAM.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Debbie Garner - LinkedIn
• [email protected]
• The Innocent Justice Foundation
• Child Exploitation And Computer Crimes Unit
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• StopNCII.org
• Take It Down

We may not always understand the evolution of the internet and how tech monopolies exist, but having digital freedom fighters is vital to making conscious change. Today's guest is Cory Doctorow. Cory is a science fiction author, activist, and journalist. He is the author of many books and most recently, Picks and Shovels, The Bezel, and The Lost Cause, a solar punk science fiction novel of hope amidst the climate change emergency.

His most recent nonfiction book is the internet con How to Seize the Means of Corruption, a big tech disassembly manual. Other recent books include Red Team Blues, a science fiction crime thriller. In 2020, he was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame

Cory talks about the slow decline of online platforms and has spent decades fighting for digital rights, fair tech policy and a better, freer internet. His work spans peer to peer networks to antitrust reform and his books—fiction and nonfiction—have become battle cries for tech reformers and digital freedom fighters around the world.

In this episode we talk about how we got here, what Cory sees as the most urgent threats to digital freedom and the small cracks in the system that might finally let the light back in. From jailbreaking laws and app store monopolies to what comes after big tech's dominance, Cory shares a roadmap for reclaiming the internet—not just as consumers but as citizens.

• [00:59] Cory shares his background. He's a science fiction novelist, activist, and journalist. He worked with the Electronic Frontier Foundation for over 23 years.
• [01:20] Cory has written more than 30 books. Most of them are science fiction novels. He's also co-owner and was co-editor for 19 years for the blog Boing Boing.
• [02:43] Being born in 1971 with a computer scientist father meant they had teletype terminals in the house.
• [04:01] Cory shares his interesting and pioneering internet and tech history.
• [05:17] We learn about the origins of Cory's love for science fiction.
• [07:21] Cory shares a story about how he was mentored by Judy Merril.
• [09:08] Cory talks about the internet and the changes we've seen from modems and memory cards to FidoNet to now.
• [15:09] Currently, he's as worried about the internet as he is excited about its potential.
• [16:13] He's concerned about the internet becoming a powerful tool of surveillance and control.
• [18:46] Possible paths forward or hill climbing and reevaluating.
• [22:00] We discuss why printer ink is $10,000 a gallon. It's about laws protecting big tech.
• [29:45] The hopeful optimistic view of the internet. We're close to making positive changes.
• [32:31] Advice for consumers is to be a citizen.
• [34:16] Cory talks about the Electronic Frontier Alliance or EFA.
• [45:30] Talking about Cory's books and art.
• [46:31] He says he writes when he's anxious. He talks about his book Red Team Blues. He wrote the last book first and realized that you can write in any order.
• [49:01] Bizarre early computers and the storyline of the new.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Cory Doctorow - Pluralistic
• Cory Doctorow's Craphound
• Books by Cory Doctorow
• Cory Doctorow - Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Boing Boing
• Cory Doctorow - X

Scammers aren't just phishing your inbox anymore—they're impersonating your voice, your face, and even your coworkers. Deep fakes and social engineering have moved beyond clever tricks and become powerful tools that bad actors are using to infiltrate businesses, breach accounts, and dismantle trust at scale. What used to take a hacker hours and expensive tools can now be done in minutes by anyone with a Wi-Fi connection and a little malicious intent.

Our guest today is Aaron Painter, CEO of Nametag, a company leading the charge in next-generation identity verification. Aaron's background includes 14 years at Microsoft and executive roles in cloud tech across Europe and Asia. After witnessing firsthand how easily identity theft could unravel lives—especially during the shift to remote everything—he founded Nametag to answer a critical question: how can we know who's really behind the screen? With Nametag, Aaron is building real-time, high-security ID checks that are already reshaping how help desks and businesses protect users.

In this conversation, we unpack the difference between authentication and identity, why traditional methods like security questions are dangerously outdated, and how mobile tech and biometrics are changing the game. Aaron also shares practical tips on protecting your most valuable digital asset—your email—and what consumers and companies alike can do to stay ahead of evolving threats. This one's packed with insight, and more relevant than ever.

• [00:54] Aaron is the CEO of Nametag. A company he started 5 years ago that focuses on identity verification at high-risk moments.
• [01:37] He spent 14 years at Microsoft working on product including at Microsoft China. He also ran a cloud computing company that was AWS's largest partner in Europe.
• [02:12] When everything went remote in 2020, he discovered that there were identity verification issues over phone lines.
• [03:03] He began building technology that will help accurately identify people when they call in to support or help desks.
• [04:22] Most of what we think of as identity is really just authentication.
• [07:41] A common new challenge is the rise of remote work and people having to connect remotely. The rise of technologies that make it easier to impersonate someone is also a problem.
• [10:38] Knowing who you hire and who you're working with matters.
• [11:03] Deep fakes and voice cloning has become so much easier.
• [15:47] How platforms have a responsibility to know their users.
• [18:11] How deep fakes are being exploited in the corporate world.
• [19:30] The vulnerability is often the human processes. Back doors and side doors are deleting ways that companies are breached.
• [23:53] High value accounts and companies that know they have something to protect our early adopters of Aaron's technology.
• [24:50] Identity verification methods including using mobile phones. The device has cryptography.
• [27:07] Behavioral biometrics include the way we walk or the way we type.
• [29:56] If you're working with a company that offers additional security tools, take them up on it.
• [34:04] Dating sites are starting to do verification profiles.
• [43:07] We all need to push for more secure ways to protect our accounts.
• [43:48] The importance of protecting your email.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Aaron Painter - LinkedIn
• Nametag
• Aaron Painter - Facebook
• LOYAL: A Leader's Guide to Winning Customer and Employee Loyalty

Cyber warfare is no longer something that happens behind closed doors or in some far-off digital corner. It's happening now—and reshaping the rules of conflict in real time. Drone strikes controlled by apps, ransomware attacks on hospitals—today's battleground is just as likely to be online as on the ground. That science fiction scenario is now a critical, constant threat-the kind that affects us all globally.

I'm really excited to introduce you to Dr. Chase Cunningham. He's a retired Navy chief cryptologist with a wealth of experience in cyber operations for the NSA, CIA, FBI—and more. He's the one who pioneered zero-trust security strategies and advises top decision-makers in government and private industry. That gives him a front-row seat to how digital warfare is evolving—and what that means for all of us. He's also the author of Cyber Warfare and the gAbriel Series, where his real-world expertise comes to life in stories that are chillingly plausible.

We talk about how cyber conflict is already playing out in Ukraine, how different threat actors operate—and why critical infrastructure is such a tempting target. Chase shares practical advice on what individuals and small businesses can do to better protect themselves. We also look at what governments are doing to defend against these growing threats. That conversation is eye-opening-and urgent. You won't want to miss it.

• [01:21] Chase is a retired Navy Chief and a cryptologist. He also worked at the NSA. He also put Zero Trust in the formal practice at Forrester research.
• [03:24] We learn how Chase got involved with computer work and cryptology.
• [05:29] We're seeing cyber war play out in real time with Russia and Ukraine.
• [07:13] We talk about the future of war and drones.
• [08:31] Cyber warfare is just the natural evolution of conflict in the digital space. It's the bridge between espionage and kinetic activity.
• [09:40] Chase talks about the different actors in the cyber warfare space and their primary targets.
• [12:05] Critical infrastructure includes oil and gas, piping, water systems, healthcare, and even schools.
• [14:12] Some of the unique issues with dealing with the attacks from cyber criminals.
• [19:20] How the CCP plays 3D chess.
• [22:26] Reducing risk and protecting ourselves includes following best practices.
• [25:10] What the government is doing to try to mitigate cyber risk.
• [27:23] Chasing money and finding cyber crime.
• [32:04] A lot of valuable assets are being developed in the context of war.
• [35:06] Chase talks about some of the things he covers in his book.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Chase Cunningham - Dr. Zero Trust
• Dr. Chase Cunningham - LinkedIn
• Cyber Warfare – Truth, Tactics, and Strategies
• gAbrIel: A Novel in the gAbrIel Series
• Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America

Scammers are getting smarter, understanding the psychology behind social engineering and the challenges companies face every day can help keep networks secure. This episode will show how to anticipate these threats and secure networks against ever-changing vulnerabilities. We'll focus on practical, real-world solutions to protect data and trust.

Dr. Jared Smith joins us to share his insights from his role leading research and development at SecurityScorecard. He also co-founded UnCat, a B2B accounting technology company serving thousands of customers and teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and NYU. His experience shows why social engineering is so effective and how companies can adapt to a world where attackers are always refining their techniques.

This episode shows how even small oversights or minor issues can lead to big breaches. Dr. Smith shares concrete steps to strengthen defenses, and why we need both technical solutions and employee awareness. By looking at the psychology behind the attacks, he'll show that staying one step ahead depends on using smart security tools and a culture that recognizes vigilance at every level.

• [01:19] Jared is a distinguished thought researcher at SecurityScorecard. He's built systems and helps vendors monitor and secure their networks. He also has a PHD in computer science. He focuses on Border Gateway Protocol or BGP.
• [02:16] He was also a high clearance government national security researcher.
• [03:02] Jared shares a story about how sophisticated phishing scams are becoming.
• [08:43] How large language models are making more sophisticated social engineering possible.
• [10:26] The importance of thinking about cybersecurity needed in the next 10 years.
• [11:02] BGP is like the plumbing of the internet. BGP poisoning breaks the typical internet traffic route. It's very nuanced traffic engineering that uses the Border Gateway Protocol.
• [13:34] BGP is also useful when you have multiple internet connections and one goes down.
• [14:20] The most sophisticated DDoS works are called link flooding attacks, where they identify links that have a certain amount of bandwidth, and they flood that specific border gateway protocol link, effectively segmenting the internet in those places.
• [15:39] Managing DDOS attacks and where the traffic comes from.
• [16:02] Being aware of botnets, because they are what's rented out or being used for these attacks.
• [17:32] Lizard Squad launched DDoS as a service.
• [21:00] Attackers try to get the actual IP addresses from behind a CDN.
• [23:41] How AWS has the ability to manage large amounts of traffic.
• [25:24] There are some DDoS that just require sending enough traffic to fill up the buffers on the other side of the application.
• [28:15] The size of a botnet for DDoS to take down a big network like X. We explore potential paths for these attacks.
• [32:21] We talk about the uptick on attacks during tax season. A large accounting firm with a lot of clients could be spoofed.
• [36:50] The predominant attacks are coming from organized cybercrime groups and ransomware groups.
• [45:40] The vast majority of large networks taken out are usually a result of user error.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Jared M. Smith
• Dr. Jared Smith - SecurityScorecard
• Dr. Jared Smith - LinkedIn
• Uncat
• Evasive AI
• Jared Smith - X

Red models associated with AI technologies highlight real-world vulnerabilities and the importance of proactive security measures. It is vital to educate users about how to explore the challenges and keep AI systems secure. Today's guest is Dr. Aditya Sood.

Dr. Sood is the VP of Security Engineering and AI Strategy at Aryaka and is a security practitioner, researcher, and consultant with more than 16 years of experience. He obtained his PhD in computer science from Michigan State University and has authored several papers for various magazines and journals.

In this conversation, he will shed light on AI-driven threats, supply chain risks, and practical ways organizations can stay protected in an ever-changing environment. Get ready to learn how the latest innovations and evolving attack surfaces affect everyone from large companies to everyday users, and why a proactive mindset is key to staying ahead.

• [01:02] Dr. Sood has been working in the security industry for the last 17 years. He has a PhD from Michigan State University. Prior to Aryaka, he was a Senior Director of Threat Research and Security Strategy for the Office of the CTO at F5.
• [02:57] We discuss how security issues with AI are on the rise because of the recent popularity and increased use of AI.
• [04:18] The large amounts of data are convoluting how things are understood, the complexity is rising, and the threat model is changing.
• [05:14] We talk about the different AI attacks that are being encountered and how AI can be used to defend against these attacks.
• [06:00] Pre-trained models can contain vulnerabilities.
• [07:01] AI drift or model or concept drift is when data in the training sets is not updated. The data can be used in a different way. AI hallucinations also can create false output.
• [08:46] Dr. Sood explains several types of attacks that malicious actors are using.
• [10:07] Prompt injections are also a risk.
• [12:13] We learn about the injection mapping strategy.
• [13:54] We discuss the possibilities of using AI as a tool to bypass its own guardrails.
• [15:18] It's an arms race using AI to attack Ai and using AI to secure AI.
• [16:01] We discuss AI workload analysis. This helps to understand the way AI processes. This helps see the authorization boundary and the security controls that need to be enforced.
• [17:48] Being aware of the shadow AI running in the background.
• [19:38] Challenges around corporations having the right security people in place to understand and fight vulnerabilities.
• [20:55] There is risk with the data going to the cloud through the LLM interface.
• [21:47] Dr. Sood breaks down the concept of shadow AI.
• [23:50] There are also risks for consumers using AI.
• [29:39] The concept of Black Box AI models and bias being built into the particular AI.
• [33:45] The issue of the ground set of truth and how the models are trained.
• [37:09] It's a balancing act when thinking about the ground set of truth for data.
• [39:08] Dr. Sood shares an example from when he was researching for his book.
• [39:51] Using the push and pretend technique to trick AI into bypassing guardrails.
• [42:51] We talk about the dangers of using APIs that aren't secure.
• [43:58] The importance of understanding the entire AI ecosystem.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Aditya K Sood
• Aditya K Sood - LinkedIn
• Aditya K Sood - X
• Aryaka
• COMBATING CYBERATTACKS TARGETING THE AI ECOSYSTEM: Assessing Threats, Risks, and Vulnerabilities
• Empirical Cloud Security: Practical Intelligence to Evaluate Risks and Attacks
• Empirical Cloud Security: Practical Intelligence to Evaluate Risks and Attacks

What makes someone betray their country? It's rarely just about money. In this episode, you'll hear from a retired CIA officer who spent 25 years recruiting foreign spies by tapping into something deeper than greed. Jim Lawler shares real stories from his career in human intelligence, where persuasion was built on empathy, trust, and understanding what truly drives people.

From failed pitches to high-stakes successes, he explains the psychology behind espionage, how personal stress becomes a powerful leverage point, and why most people who commit treason believe they've been betrayed first.

Whether you're curious about spycraft or just want a better grasp of human behavior, this conversation pulls back the curtain on how people can be influenced to cross the line.

• [00:50] Jim was a CIA operations officer. His job was to recruit foreign spies for the CIA.
• [01:21] Most of his career was about battling weapons of mass destruction. His specialty was human intelligence and recruiting foreign spies was the backbone of that.
• [02:32] He's now a speaker and a teacher. He's also written three spy novels.
• [03:02] MICE Framework: Money, Ideology, Coercion, and Ego.
• [05:11] Jim shares a story from one of his first recruitment pitches. He also found out that revenge is a driving force for espionage.
• [11:58] Polygraph tests are stress detectors.
• [15:16] Divorce is one of the most psychologically tumultuous times in a person's life. When recruiting, Jim would become their best friend because he never once recruited a happy person.
• [16:07] He would study the crack system like a rock climber. He was a keen listener and very curious.
• [17:33] Empathy and patience were everything when recruiting spies.
• [20:21] Jim talks about the metaphysics, which is like a neural link where he would put out what he would envision as an invisible link to the brain of his recruits.
• [22:11] If something is too good to be true it is.
• [23:45] As a recruiter, he had to manipulate, exploit, and subvert people to get them to do what he wanted them to do.
• [27:58] Jim believes in treating people the way he would like to be treated. He was sincere with his actions.
• [28:35] He believes in using his powers of persuasion for good.
• [32:43] Over 90% of the people he pitched became assets.
• [33:48] Jim explains what a cold pitch is and the objective to get the second meeting.
• [36:58] His novels are thinly based on operations he did. A lot of his stories are based on things that he has done or things that his colleagues have done.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Jim Lawler - SPYEX
• The Traitor's Tale (The Guild Series Book 3)
• In the Twinkling of an Eye: A Novel of Biological Terror and Espionage (The Guild Series Book 2)
• Living Lies: A Novel of the Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program (The Guild Series Book 1)
• Soulcatcher: James Lawler Discusses The Motivations For Espionage

When it comes to cybersecurity, most people think about firewalls, passwords, and antivirus software. But what about the attackers themselves? Understanding how they operate is just as important as having the right defenses in place. That's where Paul Reid comes in. As the Vice President of Adversary Research at AttackIQ, Paul and his team work to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals by thinking like them and identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

In this episode, we dive into the world of cyber threats, ransomware, and the business of hacking. Paul shares insights from his 25+ years in cybersecurity, including his experience tracking nation-state attackers, analyzing ransomware-as-a-service, and why cybercrime has become such a highly organized industry. We also talk about what businesses and individuals can do to protect themselves, from understanding threat intelligence to why testing your backups might save you from disaster. Whether you're in cybersecurity or just trying to keep your data safe, this conversation is packed with insights you won't want to miss.

• [00:58] Paul is the VP of Adversary Research at AttackIQ.
• [01:30] His team wants to help their customers be more secure.
• [01:52] Paul has been in cybersecurity for 25 years. He began working in Novell Networks and then moved to directory services with Novell and Microsoft, Active Directory, LDAP, and more.
• [02:32] He also helped design classification systems and then worked for a startup. He also ran a worldwide threat hunting team. Paul has an extensive background in networks and cybersecurity.
• [03:49] Paul was drawn to AttackIQ because they do breach attack simulation.
• [04:22] His original goal was actually to be a banker. Then he went back to his original passion, computer science.
• [06:05] We learn Paul's story of being a victim of ransomware or a scam. A company he was working for almost fell for a money transfer scam.
• [09:12] If something seems off, definitely question it.
• [10:17] Ransomware is an economically driven cybercrime. Attackers try to get in through social engineering, brute force attack, password spraying, or whatever means possible.
• [11:13] Once they get in, they find whatever is of value and encrypt it or do something else to extort money from you.
• [12:14] Ransomware as a service (RaaS) has brought ransomware to the masses.
• [13:49] We discuss some ethics in these criminal organizations. Honest thieves?
• [16:24] Threats look a lot more real when you see that they have your information.
• [17:12] Paul shares a phishing scam story with just enough information to make the potential victim click on it.
• [18:01] There was a takedown of LockBit in 2020, but they had a resurgence. It's a decentralized ransomware as a service model that allows affiliates to keep on earning, even if the main ones go down.
• [20:14] Many of the affiliates are smash and grab, the nation states are a little more patient.
• [21:11] Attackers are branching out into other areas and increasing their attack service, targeting Linux and macOS.
• [22:17] The resiliency of the ransomware as a service setup and how they've distributed the risk across multiple affiliates.
• [23:42] There's an ever growing attack service and things are getting bigger.
• [25:06] AttackIQ is able to run emulations in a production environment.
• [26:20] Having the ability to continuously test and find new areas really makes networks more cyber resilient.
• [29:55] We talk about whether to pay ransoms and how to navigate these situations.
• [31:05] The best solution is to do due diligence, updates, patches, and separate backups from the system.
• [35:19] Dealing with ransomware is a no win situation. Everyone is different.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Paul Reid - Vice President, Adversary Research AttackIQ
• Paul Reid on LinkedIn
• AttackIQ Academy
• Understanding Ransomware Threat Actors: LockBit

Ever had that creepy feeling someone's watching you online? Now imagine if that feeling was actually your reality, not just your browsing history being tracked, but cameras following your every move on the street, your conversations being monitored, your payments scrutinized. For our guest Josh Summers, this wasn't some dystopian nightmare, it was his daily life.

Josh isn't your typical privacy advocate. As the creator behind All Things Secured (both a website and YouTube channel), his passion for digital privacy was forged through nearly 20 years living abroad, much of it in China. There, he didn't just read about surveillance, he lived under its shadow, using VPNs to bypass censorship and experiencing the gut-wrenching moment of being detained and questioned by Chinese authorities.

In our revealing conversation, Josh pulls back the curtain on what government surveillance actually feels like from the inside. He shares how these experiences transformed a personal survival strategy into a mission to help others protect themselves in our increasingly watched world.

We dive into how surveillance actually works from those eerily accurate facial recognition systems to the GPS tracking that follows your every move, and the countless ways big companies turn your personal information into profit. Josh not only makes us aware of potential problems, he offers real-world solutions that balance security with the convenience we all crave.

With Josh's guidance, we discover surprisingly simple ways to shield our digital lives from encrypted messaging apps that keep conversations private, virtual credit cards that protect your finances, and alternative mailing addresses that safeguard your physical location. He also reveals the hidden dangers lurking in those so-called smart devices scattered throughout your home, and explains why privacy matters even if you think you have nothing to hide.

• [00:34] Josh is the host of All Things Secured. He wants to help people become a hacker's worst nightmare.
• [01:30] Josh, his wife, and children lived in China. There was censorship and social platforms were blocked.
• [02:05] He began using VPNs. Over the decade there, every type of surveillance was used.
• [03:34] He had a travel site and walked around with a camera.
• [04:03] In 2018 he was detained by the government. It was scary and he realized the rights he was giving up when traveling to other countries.
• [05:53] He was kicked out of China, and became more conscious of the pervasive mass surveillance.
• [08:40] He was severely outmatched with the psychological tricks of the interrogators.
• [12:57] Even if surveillance is legal, that doesn't make it ethical.
• [13:18] Small consistent steps towards privacy will make us less of a target.
• [14:25] Josh talks about ways that we are being monitored from cameras to facial recognition. Digital currencies track what we purchase.
• [17:04] Facebook has so many files on us. Being tracked online adds up.
• [21:07] There are ways to build a privacy moat around your digital life and still stay in contact with friends and family.
• [22:27] Steps for practical privacy include being careful about how you share data, encrypted alternatives, and use masking services to reduce your digital footprint. You can also use virtual credit cards.
• [31:46] We talk about using peer-to-peer payment apps.
• [34:12] When your habits and your contacts are public, it makes it easier to social engineer.
• [35:29] Virtual mailboxes can add additional privacy.
• [39:50] Issues with IoT devices include how it's being stored, transmitted, and shared.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Josh Summers
• All Things Secured
• All Things Secured YouTube
• Go West Ventures
• Josh Summers on LinkedIn
• The Unexpected Cost of Privacy with John McAfee
• Privacy.com
• IronVest
• PostScan Mail
• Traveling Mailbox

In a world where data is more important than ever, understanding how it is acquired, shared, and misused is critical. Data brokers work behind the scenes, amassing enormous amounts of personal information from online activity, loyalty programs, and even public records, often without the users' knowledge. This data powers targeted marketing, scams, and even identity theft. But what can be done to regain control of personal privacy? Today we're diving deep into this topic with cybersecurity expert Darius Belejevas, who has spent years assisting folks in removing their data from these digital marketplaces. He is the head of Incogni and Surfshark.

In this chat, Darius is going to share how these sneaky data brokers operate. He'll break down why it's such a big deal when our data gets out there for all to see, and he'll arm us with some solid strategies to keep our privacy intact. We'll also look at practical tactics that everyone can apply to limit their exposure to hackers. We'll discuss data sharing, using privacy-focused products, and understanding legislation like GDPR and CCPA. We also dive into the shifting landscape of digital security, the role of AI in data collection and fraud, and what the future of online privacy may look like.

• [01:01] We learn about Darius's background.
• [02:16] We learn about the creation of Incogni.
• [04:04] Data brokers are businesses who collect data and sell it to other businesses. One problem can be lack of transparency of what is happening to your data.
• [07:19] There are probably a few thousand data brokers.
• [09:36] Does removing your data get you out of a breach?
• [10:48] Limiting what we share. Prevention, consequences, and clean up.
• [12:22] When giving identifiers like your phone number, stop and ask if you really need to do that.
• [14:10] Some brokers make it way more difficult to remove data.
• [20:13] We talk about privacy regulations and how they can help you or make things more difficult.
• [22:12] How AI will make malicious activities easier to scale.
• [23:41] Have people given up on privacy? At the end of the day, it's about personal comfort.
• [25:00] Privacy laws are helping with data broker issues.
• [26:59] Being mindful about what you post online. Many people don't want to share too much.
• [29:56] Physical junk mail has decreased.
• [30:52] What to do today. Think about what you want to share. Do you really need to subscribe?
• [32:21] Use a service like Incogni to help you protect your data.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Incogni
• Surfshark
• Darius Belejevas on Facebook
• Darius Belejevas on LinkedIn