The hacker magazine "Phrack" debuted in 1985 across various BBS systems. Its purpose was to bring phone phreakers and computer hackers together into one knowledge sharing community. Over the next 40 years, the magazine became incredibly influential, changed ownership multiple times, disappeared, started a hacker war, and re-emerged many times.

Its pages - both digital and printed - have launched thousands of cybersecurity careers, companies, and communities. Its current and former editors share a few of the war stories, and how Phrack was reborn at DEF CON 2025.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/170/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2jYG4dfTL4

Legion of Doom, step aside. There's a new elite hacker group in town, and they're calling themselves Masters of Deception (MoD). With tactics that are grittier and more sophisticated than those of the LoD, MoD has targeted high-profile entities and left an indelible mark on the internet.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/169 for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV6PXIhLRwY

In the 1970s and '80s, the Internet was home to rebels, phreakers, and knowledge seekers - that is until phone companies and governments brought the hammer down on kids sharing BBS text files.

But one organized group of hackers, The Legion of Doom, emerged from the chaos of the early Internet. And their adventures made history.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/168/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPlAvQ8HtnY

A manufacturer gets hit with ransomware. A hospital too. Learn how Threatlocker stops these types of attacks. This episode is brought to you by Threatlocker.

This episode is sponsored by ThreatLocker®. ThreatLocker® is a Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform that strengthens your infrastructure from the ground up. With ThreatLocker® Allowlisting and Ringfencing™, you gain a more secure approach to blocking exploits of known and unknown vulnerabilities. ThreatLocker® provides Zero Trust control at the kernel level that enables you to allow everything you need and block everything else, including ransomware! Learn more at www.threatlocker.com.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/#167 for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.

#sponsored
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP8j9dgpAs0

Maxie Reynolds has held many jobs: underwater roboticist, Hollywood stunt performer, quantum computing engineer. But her *favorite* line of work — the one that REALLY gets her blood pumping — is penetration testing, especially the IRL kind.

Maxie shares how a new wardrobe, a bad Swedish accent, and a TON of adrenaline are the best tools for hacking companies, governments, and the security teams that are supposed to protect them.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/166/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.

Support the show and get bonus episodes: https://plus.darknetdiaries.com/

Or get a sweet t-shirt with official Darknet Diaries artwork: https://shop.darknetdiaries.com/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmRqp4x7Nvw

Tanya Janca's worldview changed suddenly when she realized how easy it was for hackers to crack her applications. From that point on, she vowed to be both a developer AND a hacker, and to spread the gospel of application security to other programmers.

But when she took a job with the Canadian government, nothing could prepare her for the looming threats.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/165/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU9uJwZyy9Q

He started small, swiping cards, buying gift cards, and cashing out. It spiraled into a full‑blown criminal enterprise. Dozens of co‑conspirators, stacks of stolen plastic, and a lifestyle built on chaos.

Meet Nathan Michael, leader of Oak Cliff Swipers.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/164/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clPOSyMmrN8

In 2019, Ola Bini, a Swedish programmer and privacy advocate, was arrested in Ecuador with no evidence and no motive. But what's really going on goes far deeper than he could imagine.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/163/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xnX9tQtk2A

Before he even graduated high school, Hieu Minh Ngo had stolen 100,000 credit cards. But that was just the beginning of his hacking career. When he stumbled into the terrifying (and perfectly legal) world of data brokers, he built a pipeline for identity theft on a massive scale.

But why are these companies even allowed to exist? And who are they selling all our personal data to, anyway? What Hieu uncovered might change how your look at the world.

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/162/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9VEvGSzzk0

What if a USB cable could take complete control of your PC or phone? Hackers use them. Governments are using them. And it's all thanks to one security pro known only as "MG."

Visit https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/161/ for a list of sources, full transcripts, and to listen to all episodes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W81oWOf_RiE