We wrap up our special series on phone, Internet, and elder fraud with Amanda Senn, Director of the Alabama Securities Commission. In part one of our conversation, Director Senn explains the Commission’s mission to protect Alabama investors against all forms of securities and investment fraud and talks about the current trends the ACS is seeing.  

Watch this on YouTube

The Commission is committed to protecting investors against securities fraud and provides aggressive enforcement actions against any firm or individual who has violated the Alabama Securities Act or other state and federal statutes to the detriment of Alabama investors.  

The Commission licenses and regulates securities broker-dealers, agents, investment advisers and investment adviser representatives, and financial planners.  

You can prepare yourself to make an informed investment decision through Broker Check or contacting the Commission to determine if the representative and firm with whom you wish to do business are properly registered in Alabama. Our staff can also provide free information relating to the disciplinary history (crime, complaints, civil law suits, etc.), educational background and work experience of a firm or representative. 

https://asc.alabama.gov/ 

Call 1-800-222-1253 or (334) 242-2984 

This is the link to the NPR “In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson” Podcast https://www.npr.org/podcasts/946279880/in-focus-with-carolyn-hutcheson 

NASAA also produces a podcast that highlights real securities fraud cases, and we talk to the investigators and attorneys that worked the case.  https://www.nasaa.org/investor-education/multimedia-library/real-life-regulators/ 

To report fraud to the FTC, click this link: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or call the FTC's Consumer Response Center at 877-382-4357 

To report fraud that takes place over the internet go to https://www.ic3.gov/ 

In part two of our conversation with Lynn Shobe, retired Senior Special Agent with the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, we talk about personal experience wtih phone, mail, and in-person financial scams.  Lynn explains what to look for if you think a relative or friend is being scammed and how to handle some of the more common scams.  

Lynn, a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Financial Crime Investigator, has spent over half of his 40+ year career focusing on financial crime and fraud investigation. His focus on financial fraud has led him to a deep understanding of both the criminal and victim mindsets. 

You can reach Lynn through his LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-shobe-cfe-cfci-71b89017/. 

According to the FBI IC3 report on Elder Fraud, criminals stole over $3 billion from our nation’s elderly in 2022 alone, costing the average victim $35,000. https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2022_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf. 

If you or someone you know has been a victim of elder fraud, involve local law enforcement immediately. In cases of significant monetary losses, ask your local law enforcement to involve the FBI immediately. 

And contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope. 

Contact Russ Dorsey, CIO at Kassouf, for more information or if you have suggestions for additional programming.  [email protected]. 

In part 2 of our conversation with Joshua Crumbaugh, CEO of PhishFirewall, we ask the "billion dollar question" - Why haven't we fix the phishing problem?  

Joshua explains how attackers are utilizing "big data" tactics, driven by quickly evolving AI, to create sophisticated, highly adaptive phishing campaigns that can easily get by SPAM filters, leaving the users the last, best line of defense.  He goes on to explain how we are perpetuating the problem by focusing resources on the hopes that better technology will prevent attacks at the expense of better end-user training that would likely prevent more attacks.  

We talk about how criminals are exploiting ChatGPT and other cloud services and technologies to lauch their attacks at scale.  

Watch us on Youtube.

To learn more about building an efffective cyber awareness program, or to suggest a topic or guests, please contact Russ Dorsey, [email protected].

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuacrumbaugh/ 

https://www.phishfirewall.com/ 

This is Cyber Matters, part of the Kassouf Podcast Network, with host Russ Dorsey, Principal and Chief Information Officer at Kassouf. Cyber Matters discusses issues that truly matter - to us, our clients, their families, and their businesses. 

Cyber Matters is not just about code, computers, and technical jargon. Instead, we focus on the human side of cyber and technology, discussing the impact of digital advancements on our lives and livelihoods, and the key points that matter.   

In this episode we continue our conversation wtih Darren Mott, retired FBI Special Agent, cybersecurity professional, and the host of The CyBUr Guy podcast. We talk about phone and internet scams that target our parents and loved ones. We talk about phone scams, like the "Kidnapping Scam" that uses AI to generate the voices of family members.  We talk about elder fraud and how the bad guys can convince someone to go to the bank and drain their bank account.  We discuss how we can help our families avoid falling victim with some preparation and family conversations about the threats that exist. 

Darren's podcast is known for its engaging discussions with other FBI agents and professionals actively working in the field of cybersecurity, which has made it a treasure trove of insights for anyone interested in the subject.  Darren explains how most scams would be prevented if the victims had just been educated, and the sad fact that in most cases, victims wait too long to involve law enforcement, and stolen money quickly become unrecoverable  

Perhaps most crucially, we talk about what you can do if you find yourself victim of a scam. Darren stresses the importance of acting promptly and contacting the FBI and IC3.GOV as soon as possible to significantly improve the odds of recovering your money. 

To learn more about cyber security, or to suggest a topic or guest, please contact Russ Dorsey, [email protected].

The CyBUr Guy Podcast is available anywhere you get your podcasts.  

Watch the Video Here: https://youtu.be/kCAXf9RWs14 

You can reach Darren here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmott/ 

Report internet crimes here: https://www.ic3.gov/ then contact your local FBI office 

In Part Two of our summer vacation special, we discuss international travel safety and security with retired Air Force Lt. Col. Doug Wilson, co-founder of Counter Threat Group. Doug talks about the best way to be an America abroad - low key and situationally aware. He talks about how to blend in, what activities to avoid, the "right" way to get lost, and what items you should have on you for in a worst case scenario.

Catch the full video here: https://youtu.be/SpIIXCxYaR4

Here are the checklist items we cover:

For more, check out the State Department web site for international travel: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html

And for for specfic help for your organization's international travel, check out Counter Threat Group here: https://counterthreatgrp.com/

Contact Russ Dorsey, CIO at Kassouf, for more information or if you have suggestions for additional programming.  [email protected].

In our latest podcast, we welcome Lynn Shobe, retired Senior Special Agent with the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. We talk about phone, mail, and in-person financial fraud, and why criminals still use these "old school" methods. 

Lynn, a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Financial Crime Investigator, has spent over half of his 40+ year career focusing on financial crime and fraud investigation. His focus on financial fraud has led him to a deep understanding of both the criminal and victim mindsets. 

In the first part of this two-part podcast, we discuss the characteristics of scams and some of the tactics used. We talk about victims’ mindsets, and why so many people, especially the elderly, are fooled into handing over thousands of dollars, sometimes repeatedly. 

You can reach Lynn through his LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-shobe-cfe-cfci-71b89017/. 

According to the FBI IC3 report on Elder Fraud, criminals stole over $3 billion from our nation’s elderly in 2022 alone, costing the average victim $35,000. https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2022_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf. 

If you or someone you know has been a victim of elder fraud, involve local law enforcement immediately. In cases of significant monetary losses, ask your local law enforcement to involve the FBI immediately. 

And contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope. 

Contact Russ Dorsey, CIO at Kassouf, for more information or if you have suggestions for additional programming.  [email protected]. 

In Part One of our summer vacation special, we discuss international travel safety and security with retired Air Force Lt. Col. Doug Wilson, co-founder of Counter Threat Group. Doug guides us through the pre-travel checklist, highlighting the essential items you should have and preparations you should make before boarding your flight. Furthermore, we explore important considerations when it comes to international flights and regions that may require extra caution. Since this is a cyber and technology podcast, we also discuss which mobile devices you should bring along and those you should avoid, as well as how to properly prepare the devices you must take.

Here are the pre-trip checklist items we cover:

Check out Counter Threat Group here: https://counterthreatgrp.com/

Contact Russ Dorsey, CIO at Kassouf, for more information or if you have suggestions for additional programming.  [email protected].

In this episode, we talk to Renee Bord, Executive Director of the Alabama Technology Foundation, about the Foundation's mission to position Alabama as a leader in technology by providing the State's largest academic STEM database, connecting students pursuing degrees in any of the STEM fields with Alabama businesses relying on a local STEM workforce.

In addition to the student database, the Foundation works to fund STEM scholarships, arranges internships, and promotes other apprenticeship programs.

In this first episode, Renee explains how Alabama businesses that get involved with the AFT benefit from access to the growing database of STEM students. She also highlights how students who register with the database can connect with potential employers statewide.

As part of this mission, the Foundation is hosting the 2nd Annual Alabama Business Technology Conference at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center on September 14 and 15. The plenary lineup features IT and Workforce thought leaders who will explore emerging threats and trends of vital interest to all professionals, as well as provide insights on how to retain talent in Alabama.

Admission for the two-day event is only $25 for the keynotes and breakouts, with lunch and dinner options available à la carte. This makes it one of the best educational values this year.

For more information contact Renee Borg, [email protected]

And check out these sites for information on the Foundation and the Conference.  

https://atf.alabamatechnologyfoundation.org/s/

https://atf.alabamatechnologyfoundation.org/s/atf-conference

In this episode, we chat with Joshua Crumbaugh, CEO of PhishFirewall, about his career in cyber security as a an ethical hacker, and how his study of human behavior and psychology made him very effective.

We talk about how lesson learned as an ethical hacker led him to found PhishFirewall. PhishFirewall is a phishing attack simulation platform that employs adaptive AI, as well as fundamental principles of psychology, such as positive reinforcement, varied repetition, and adaptive learning, to quickly build phishing awareness at a subconcious level.  Joshua refers to this as buidling "human virus definitions."

In our discussion, Joshua shares insightful tactics on how these foundational psychological principles, when applied correctly, can serve as powerful tools in creating comprehensive cybersecurity awareness for any company seeking to improve their cyber-security posture. He emphasizes that these methodologies are not exclusive to large corporations, but rather, they can be effectively employed by organizations of any size. By doing so, companies can fortify their defenses against an extensive array of cyber threats, ensuring the digital safety of their operations. Tune in to gain valuable knowledge and tips from one of the industry's leading experts.

To learn more about building an efffective cyber awareness program, or to suggest a topic or guests, please contact Russ Dorsey, [email protected].

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuacrumbaugh/ 

https://www.phishfirewall.com/ 

This is Cyber Matters, part of the Kassouf Podcast Network, with host Russ Dorsey, Principal and Chief Information Officer at Kassouf. Cyber Matters discusses issues that truly matter - to us, our clients, their families, and their businesses. 

Cyber Matters is not just about code, computers, and technical jargon. Instead, we focus on the human side of cyber and technology, discussing the impact of digital advancements on our lives and livelihoods, and the key points that matter.   

Deon Gordon, President of TechBirmingham, talks to us about the return of Sloss Tech and the significance of this event to our tech community and the professionals and businesses that rely on a strong tech presence in this region.  

Sloss Tech brings together the best and the brightest of today’s tech entrepreneurs, both nationally and locally. The event’s mission is to become a hub for Birmingham’s tech community, where founders, startups and companies can share ideas, build relationships with one another, and push the boundaries of innovation.

To learn more about SlossTech or to suggest a topic or guest, please contact Russ Dorsey, [email protected].

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/NqgCeQ3Vw0k

Sloss Tech info here: https://sloss.tech/

Agenda and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sloss-tech-2023-tickets-588387742577

TechBirmingham info: https://techbirmingham.com/