Hacker And The Fed

This week on Hacker And The Fed former FBI agent Chris Tarbell and ex-black hat hacker Hector Monsegur discuss the largest U.S. telecom hack in history attributed to Chinese state-sponsored attackers, the FBI’s surprising push for encrypted communications, and the takedown of an encrypted messaging service used by criminals. They also tackle the bankruptcy of vodka giant Stoli following a devastating ransomware attack and share actionable advice for cybersecurity resilience.

Send HATF your questions at [email protected].

This week on Hacker And The Fed former FBI agent Chris Tarbell and ex-black hat hacker Hector Monsegur discuss their obsession with the DB Cooper case and the latest potential break in the decades-old mystery. Hector shares stories about his early days as a hacker and the challenges of trust in loosely connected cybercriminal groups. They also tackle corporate espionage and the ethics of hackers-for-hire in light of ExxonMobil’s alleged involvement in a hacking scandal. Wrapping up, they address listener questions about second chances, with Hector reflecting on his journey of redemption, and weigh in on the contentious debate around Ross Ulbricht's potential pardon.

This week on Hacker And The Fed former FBI agent Chris Tarbell and ex-black hat hacker Hector Monsegur discuss key cybersecurity challenges, from the effectiveness of phishing training to the ethical dilemmas of vulnerability disclosure. They explore how technical controls and employee education can work together to defend against increasingly sophisticated attacks, including SMS and social media phishing. They also dive into career advice for transitioning from Blue Team to Red Team roles and the complexities of the cybersecurity job market. And to close out, a heartfelt Thanksgiving message.

This week on Hacker And The Fed former FBI agent Chris Tarbell and ex-black hat hacker Hector Monsegur dive into a massive hacking scandal targeting Italian political elites, revealing insider threats and international intrigue. They break down NSA mobile device security best practices and share their own successes (and failures) in following them. Plus, updates on their personal lives, community work, and how ethical hacking can prevent breaches like this.

Send HATF your questions at [email protected].

Hacker And The Fed is back. Finally rebooting after a temporary hiatus. 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.

Send HATF your questions at [email protected].

On this episode of Hacker And The Fed we interview Special Agent Aron Mann with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crime Center about their cyber role and career opportunities. We break down the Colonial Pipeline hack, how the dark web is intensifying the insider threat, and dig into the mother of all breaches. And finally, the SEC's X account was hacked.

Links from the episode: 

https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/homeland-security-investigations

https://www.ice.gov/partnerships-centers/cyber-crimes-center

https://www.usajobs.gov/

https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/?k=homeland%20security%20investigator

Colonial Pipeline Hack - May 2021

https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/dag-monaco-delivers-remarks-press-conference-darkside-attack-colonial-pipeline

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-seizes-23-million-cryptocurrency-paid-ransomware-extortionists-darkside

https://www.justice.gov/media/1159701/dl

From Loyal Employees to Cybercriminals

https://thesun.my/opinion_news/from-loyal-employees-to-cybercriminals-AC12012406

Mother of All Breaches Reveals 26 Billion Records: What We Know So Far

https://cybernews.com/security/billions-passwords-credentials-leaked-mother-of-all-breaches/

SECGov X Account

https://www.sec.gov/secgov-x-account

Support our sponsors:

NAXO is a premier cybersecurity and investigations firm, including blockchain forensics, whose mission to fight cybercrime aligns perfectly with Hacker and the Fed’s content.

Go to cloudsolvers.com tell them “Hacker and the Fed sent you” to get a free assessment of your current environment.

This week on Hacker And The Fed we interview Greg Van Houten of Haynes Boone and policyholderplaybook.com, a seasoned civil litigator who focuses on insurance recovery. We talk to Greg about the SEC's new cybersecurity disclosure rules, which went into effect this month. We also discuss a massive hack that went unreported, a train hack due to a vendor’s geofencing feature, indictments in an 80-million-dollar pig butchering scheme, and a MongoDB security breach.

Links from the episode: 

Greg Van Houten of Haynes Boone

policyholderplaybook.com

SEC’s cyber disclosure rules: Key considerations for the board, C-suite and risk managers. Authored by Greg Van Houten (Haynes Boone), David Franzel (NAXO), and Chris Tarbell (NAXO)

https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/secs-cyber-disclosure-rules-tips/700550/

The Biggest Hack Over the Last Few Years Has Gone Unreported

https://twitter.com/mattjay/status/1735046508242780575

Train Hack Due to Vendor Geofencing Feature

https://social.hackerspace.pl/@q3k/111528165627522619

Polish Hackers Repaired Trains the Manufacturer Artificially Bricked. Now The Train Company Is Threatening Them

https://www.404media.co/polish-hackers-repaired-trains-the-manufacturer-artificially-bricked-now-the-train-company-is-threatening-them/

Four Men Indicted in $80 million ‘Pig Butchering’ Scheme

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/14/pig-butchering-scam-results-in-four-indictments-two-arrests-doj.html

MongoDB Suffers Security Breach, Exposing Customer Data

https://thehackernews.com/2023/12/mongodb-suffers-security-breach.html

Support our sponsors:

NAXO is a premier cybersecurity and investigations firm whose mission to fight cybercrime aligns perfectly with Hacker and the Fed’s content.

Go to cloudsolvers.com tell them “Hacker and the Fed sent you” to get a free assessment of your current environment.

This week on Hacker And The Fed we speak with Lance Taubin of Alston & Bird about being a cyber lawyer, the FBI shares the tactics of the ransomware gang Scattered Spider, a company pays a ransom and their data is exposed anyway, Alpha BlackCat uses government regulations to further pressure a victim to pay, and the FCC is trying to make SIM swapping more difficult.

Links from the episode: 

FBI Shares Tactics of Notorious Scattered Spider Hacker Collective

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fbi-shares-tactics-of-notorious-scattered-spider-hacker-collective/

Dolly.com Pays Ransom, Attackers Release Data Anyway

https://cybernews.com/security/dolly-data-breach-ransomware-attack/#google_vignette

Ransomware Gang Files SEC Complaint Over Victim’s Undisclosed Breach

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-gang-files-sec-complaint-over-victims-undisclosed-breach/

FCC Enforces Stronger Rules to Protect Customers Against SIM Swapping Attacks

https://thehackernews.com/2023/11/fcc-enforces-stronger-rules-to-protect.html

Lance Taubin | Technology and Privacy Attorney | Alston & Bird

Support our sponsors:

NAXO is a premier cybersecurity and investigations firm whose mission to fight cybercrime aligns perfectly with Hacker and the Fed’s content.

Go to cloudsolvers.com tell them “Hacker and the Fed sent you” to get a free assessment of your current environment.

This week on Hacker And The Fed we break down the SolarWinds hack, there are 8 new vulnerabilities found in SolarWinds, thousands of remote IT workers have been working for North Korea, hackers are targeting a company that handles data requests for law enforcement, and we answer listener questions about VPN services, password managers and patch management.

Links from the episode: 

Critical SolarWinds RCE Bugs Enable Unauthorized Network Takeover

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/critical-solarwinds-rce-bugs-enable-unauthorized-network-takeover

Thousands of Remote IT Workers Sent Wages to North Korea to Help Fund Weapons Program, FBI Says

https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-weapons-program-it-workers-f3df7c120522b0581db5c0b9682ebc9b?taid=6531b8b29c11a80001ef2a28

Hackers Target Company That Vets Police Data Requests for Tech Giants

https://www.404media.co/hackers-target-kodex-accounts-edrs/

Support our sponsors:

Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED and use the code FED20 for 20% off

Go to Cloudsolvers.com and tell them "Hacker and the Fed sent you" for a free assessment of your current environment

Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com

Send HATF your questions at [email protected]

This week on Hacker And The Fed we offer updates on the MOVEit and MGM Resorts hacks, the US State Department has no idea if its IT security actually works, the Senate's email system melts down in the face of a security test, Cisco can't stop using static passwords, and we answer listener questions about Single Sign-on, circumventing company IT rules, and LinkedIn profiles.

Links from the episode:

MOVEit Maker Announces New Critical Vulnerability Affecting a Different File Transfer Tool

https://therecord.media/progress-new-file-transfer-vulnerability

MGM Resorts Hack Update

https://x.com/brettforrest89/status/1711885567695433765

US State Dept has No Idea if its IT Security Actually Works, Say Auditors

https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/02/us_state_security_gao/

https://endoflife.date/windows

The Senate’s Email System Melted Down in the Face of Security Test

https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/09-8-2023/senate-reply-all-mess/

Cisco Can't Stop Using Static Passwords

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/10/cisco-cant-stop-using-hard-coded-passwords.html

Support our sponsors:

Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com

Send HATF your questions at [email protected]