The FAIK Files

Governments, Hackers, and Government Hackers (feat. Emily Crose)

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Welcome back to The FAIK Files!

In this week's episode, we sit down with Emily Crose, a former US Intelligence Officer and expert in offensive and defensive cyber security.

  • We discuss her book, "Hack to the Future," and the history of how governments pursue and domesticate hackers.
  • The evolution of the relationship between the hacking community and the US government, from the "Kevin Mitnick era" to modern recruitment.
  • How the culture of early BBS systems morphed into modern social media influence and disinformation.
  • Hidden history: The "Eligible Receiver" exercise and the mysterious "Evidence Surprise."
  • The resilience of Critical Infrastructure (SCADA) and the role of regulation in cybersecurity.


    • Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: ⁠⁠⁠https://sayhi.chat/FAIK⁠⁠⁠

    You can also join our Discord server here: ⁠⁠⁠https://faik.to/discord⁠⁠⁠


    *** NOTES AND REFERENCES  ***

    The Guest & The Book:

    • Emily Crose is a security researcher specializing in Linux behavioral threat research and development.
    • Get the Book: "Hack to the Future: How World Governments Relentlessly Pursue and Domesticate Hackers": https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Hack+to+The+Future%3A+How+World+Governments+Relentlessly+Pursue+and+Domesticate+Hackers-p-9781394169825

      • History of Government & Hacker Relations:

      • The shift from viewing hackers solely as suspects to pursuing them for technical talent.
      • The "Massive Fiasco" involving the French government's approach to hackers in the early 90s.
      • The impact of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the arrest of Kevin Mitnick.

        • Recruitment, Trust, and Culture:

        • How the 2013 Snowden revelations fractured trust between the government and the hacker community.
        • Modern recruitment leverages: NSA Centers of Academic Excellence and student loan repayment vs. patriotism.

          • Influence Operations & Social Engineering:

          • Tracing the lineage of online culture from BBS flame wars to modern algorithmic radicalization.
          • The intersection of Anonymous, LulzSec, WikiLeaks, and the Syrian Civil War.
          • Rolling Stone article on LulzSec and the FBI: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-rise-and-fall-of-jeremy-hammond-enemy-of-the-state-185363/

            • Future Threats & Hidden History:

            • The issue of ransomware and the lack of legislative solutions.
            • Eligible Receiver (1997): A famous government exercise testing US response to cyber threats.
            • Evidence Surprise: A little-known offensive exercise that took place shortly before Eligible Receiver.
            • Why the electrical grid (NERC regulations) is often more resilient than other industrial sectors (like oil/gas).
            • Book recommendation: "Dark Territory" by Fred Kaplan.

              • *** THE BOILERPLATE ***

              About The FAIK Files:

              The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.

              • Get the Book: ⁠FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions⁠ (Amazon Associates link)
              • Check out the website for more info: ⁠https://thisbookisfaik.com⁠
              • Sign up for The Mark & The Mask with Perry && Brian Brushwood: https://faik.to/Convene

                • Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast:

                • Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458⁠
                • Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA⁠

                  • Want to connect with us? Here's how:

                  Connect with Perry:

                  • Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠
                  • Perry on X: ⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠
                  • Perry on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠

                    • Connect with Mason:

                    • Mason on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/⁠
                    • Mason on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing

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                      The FAIK FilesBy Perry Carpenter | N2K Networks
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