Happy New Year! 🎉✨ We’re kicking off 2026 with cybersecurity resolutions you’ll actually stick to — no cold plunges, no green juice cleanse, just a handful of tiny ten-minute wins that make a big difference to your privacy and security.

We’ve turned the best advice from last season’s guests into a simple, practical checklist. On this episode, you’ll learn the importance of freezing your credit, using passkeys, turning on MFA, tidying up your digital “junk drawer” (and moving the important stuff into 1Password), and adopting a “politely paranoid” protocol that helps you catch scams before they catch you. ✅🔐

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Love a hot take? 🔥 You’re in luck! We’re back with a special end-of-year treat: a rapid-fire round of cybersecurity hot takes guaranteed to start arguments in your group chats and hijack at least one Slack thread. 💬

The team weighs in on bold claims like “Passwords will finally die in 2026” and “AI will solve more cybersecurity problems than it causes next year.” Then we spice things up with hot takes from around 1Password — covering everything from CAPTCHAs (a punishment?) to VPNs (are they even doing anything?) to whether New Year’s security resolutions ever last past January. 🤔✨

We also tackle a listener question in #Ask1Password. Plus, it wouldn’t be a holiday episode without a bit of nonsense, so we’ve revived an old fan-favourite game from the Random but Memorable vault. 🌍❓

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Us Anything! 

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It’s our annual festive special! 🎄✨We’re wrapping up 2025 with a holiday extravaganza packed tighter than a Christmas turkey — complete with games, AI shenanigans, and some truly unhinged cybersecurity headlines. From celebrity deepfakes to record-breaking hacks, we’re revisiting the wildest moments of the year in tech.

In “Real or AI?!”, the team tries to spot which stories, voices, and headlines are real… and which ones were cooked up by AI. 🤖🎤 Then in Crack the Code, we decode 2025’s biggest breaches using the worst passwords imaginable. 🔐 And of course, we finish with a super-charged festive edition of “Hack or Hoax?!” 

Grab a festive drink and join us as we crown this year’s Random but Memorable Festive Champion and say goodbye to another unforgettable year of hacks, hoaxes, and holiday cheer. ❄️🎙️

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Black Friday season is upon us! 🛍️ This week, we’re joined by Simon Miller from Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, to unpack the latest online scams. He shares essential tips to help you stay safe online and protect your hard-earned cash while shopping online this holiday season. 💳🔒

In Watchtower Weekly, we dive into why weak passwords are still haunting us in 2025 (yes, even “12345” is alive and well), and what the Louvre Museum can teach us about password hygiene. 🖼️🙈

Then, in Crash Course, we walk you through 1Password autofill for credit and debit cards — how it works, how it keeps your payment info secure, and why it’s a total game-changer at checkout time. ⏱️

Plus, if you’re not spent-out by then, we wrap up with a Black Friday-themed round of Hack or Hoax?! 💸

🏰  Watchtower Weekly

Why we’re still using passwords like ‘12345’ in 2025. 🔤

• 19 billion leaked passwords reveal deepening crisis: lazy, reused, and stolen
• The Louvre’s video security password was reportedly ‘Louvre’
• 📈 1Password Annual Report 2025
• 📊 1Password Survey: Holiday scammers are getting bolder with AI, and Americans are taking the bait

👨‍🏫  Crash Course

This week: 1Password autofill for credit and debit cards

Get started: Save and fill credit cards and addresses in 1Password

🎙  Guest Interview – Simon Miller from Cifas

• 👉 Visit: cifas.org.uk
• 📄 State of Scams 2025 Report
• 📈 Reports and Trends from Cifas
• 📲 Follow Simon Miller on LinkedIn
• 📲 Follow Cifas on LinkedIn

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Roo Anything! 

Please send us an email at: [email protected]

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🤷‍♂️ Hack or Hoax?!

SPOILER ALERT! 🚨: Hack or Hoax answer

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Ever wondered what happens to your online accounts when you’re gone? 💭 This week, we’re joined by Erin Bury, Co-founder and CEO of Willful, to talk about the importance of digital estate planning — what it is, why it matters, and how to make it easier. Erin breaks down how to protect your online accounts, manage your digital legacy, and give your loved ones control of the information that matters most. 📝💙

In Crash Course, we’re going back to basics with a beginner’s guide to AI in 2025 — what it really means, how it works, and why it’s transforming cybersecurity. 🤖 Then in Watchtower Weekly, we uncover the rise of AI impersonator scams including fake ChatGPT tools and malicious “AI upgrades” that trick people into giving up their data. ⚠️

🏰  Watchtower Weekly

“AI Impersonators”: The darker side of AI hype. 🤖 

• Kaspersky: ChatGPT-Mimicking Cyberthreats Surge 115% in Early 2025
• Global State of Authentication Survey 2025 – Yubico
• Cybercriminals are using SEO to get popular fake AI tools loaded with malware to rank high on Google
• Check before you click: ransomware gangs are disguising their tools as popular AI apps
• Fake ChatGPT Desktop App Delivering PipeMagic Backdoor, Microsoft says

👨‍🏫  Crash Course

This week: What actually is AI in 2025?

Understanding Transformer Neural Network Model in Deep Learning and NLP

🎙  Guest Interview – Erin Bury from Willful

• 👉 Visit: willful.co
• 👩‍🎓 Learn more: willful.co/learn
• 📚 Book Erin mentioned: The Measure: A Novel by Nikki Erlick
• 🎧 Listen to our previous Digital Estate Planning Special with Dave and Sara Teare
• 📄 1Password guide: How to get started with digital estate planning
• 📄 1Password blog: Digital estate planning: How to share digital accounts safely
• 📲 Follow @erinbury on X
• 👉 Visit: erinbury.com

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Roo Anything! 

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Ever wondered how easy it is to hack a car? 🚗💻 This week, returning guest Joseph Cox, a journalist at 404 Media, joins the podcast to dive into the secret world of car hacking. Joseph explains how modern vehicles have become rolling computers, what that means for your privacy, and the surprising ways criminals are breaking into them.

In Crash Course, we unpack SIM swapping — how hackers try to hijack phone numbers to access online accounts, and what you can do to stop it. 📱🔐

Over in Watchtower Weekly, it’s game on as we look at how cybercriminals are targeting video game players and developers, from crypto-stealing titles on Steam to lawsuits in the world of Fortnite. 🎮

Plus, we celebrate a major win — Random but Memorable just picked up a Gold Signal Award! Thank you for listening and helping us make it happen. 🏆

🏰  Watchtower Weekly

Video games: How cybercriminals are targeting players and developers alike. 🎮

• Steam game removed after cryptostealer takes over $150K
• BlockBlasters: Infected Steam game downloads malware disguised as patch
• Epic Games Suing Two Fortnite Island Makers Over Inflated ‘Bot’ Engagement
• ‘The Last of Us Part II’ Leaked Footage Reveals Major Story Spoilers
• Grand Theft Auto 6 Leaks: Everything That's Happened So Far
• Pokémon maker confirms it was victim of hack

👨‍🏫  Crash Course

This week: SIM swapping

• 1Password blog: What are SIM swap attacks, and how can you prevent them?

🎙  Guest Interview – Joseph Cox

• 👉 Visit: 404media.co
• 🎧 Listen to the 404 Media podcast
• 🎧 Listen to our previous episode with Joseph Cox: Doughnut Panic Sting Operation
• 📄 Inside the Underground Trade of ‘Flipper Zero’ Tech to Break into Cars by Joseph Cox
• 📲 Follow @josephfcox on X

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Roo Anything!

1Password blog: Closing the credential risk gap for AI agents using a browser

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How is the transition to passkeys going in 2025? 🔑 This week, we’re joined by Nick Steele from the Product team at 1Password to talk all things passwordless. He walks us through the current state of adoption and a brand-new standard that will change the way we move and share passkeys.

In Crash Course, we break down public-key encryption — the powerful technology that keeps your passkeys (and so much more) secure. 🔐 You’ll finally understand how those mysterious “key pairs” actually work.

Meanwhile, in Watchtower Weekly, we’re heading to the factory floor to explore how ransomware is hitting manufacturing hard — and what it really costs when production grinds to a halt. 🏭💥

Plus, in #Ask1Password we share tips on how to organize your vaults and tags like a pro, and wrap things up with another law-breaking round of Hack or Hoax?! 🧑‍⚖️

🏰  Watchtower Weekly

When Factories Go Dark: The Real Cost of Cyberattacks on Manufacturing. 🏭💥

• Japan days away from running out of Asahi Super Dry due to cyber attack
• Japan's Asahi hack that halted beer production claimed by Qilin ransomware group
• Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack deepens, with prolonged production outage, supply chain fallout
• Manufacturing under fire: Strengthening cyber-defenses amid surging threats
• Supply Chains Under Siege: Inside the Cyber Threats on Manufacturing
• Are manufacturing cyberattacks increasing globally in 2025?

👨‍🏫  Crash Course

This week: Public-key encryption

• 1Password blog: What is public-key cryptography?

🎙  Guest Interview – Nick Steele from 1Password

• 👉 1Password blog –1Password helps author a new standard for secure credential transfer
• 👉 FIDO Alliance: CXF specification
• 👉 Visit: passkeys.directory
• Follow Nick Steele on LinkedIn

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Roo Anything!

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Identity theft affects millions of people every year — but do you really know how it works, or how to protect yourself? This week, we’re joined by Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, who shares the latest trends in identity crime and what steps you can take if it ever happens to you. 🕵️‍♀️🔐

In Crash Course, we break down identity theft itself: the different types, how it spirals from a single scam, and the practical steps you can take to make yourself harder to impersonate.

Plus, in Watchtower Weekly, we explore how criminals are turning the human voice into the newest attack surface. From AI voice clones to professional “callers,” we unpack why vishing scams are surging — and what shifting global policies could mean for banks, carriers, and consumers. 📞🤖

And of course, we wrap things up with an extra-fishy round of Hack or Hoax?! 🎲🐟🃏

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Vote for us in the 4th Annual Signal Awards here. 🏆 

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🏰  Watchtower Weekly

The human voice as the new attack surface. 🗣️

• ShinyHunters breach Salesforce via vishing
• Crypto execs targeted with bespoke voice phishing campaigns
• Korean Supreme Court: Voice phishing loan valid with multiple checks
• Voice phishing-linked frozen bank accounts set to hit record high this year

👨‍🏫  Crash Course

This week: Identity Theft

• 1Password blog: Protect yourself from identity fraud scams

🎙  Guest Interview – Eva Velasquez from ITRC

• 👉 Visit: idtheftcenter.org
• 📺 Watch ITRC on YouTube
• Follow Eva Velasquez on LinkedIn

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Roo Anything!

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What does cyberwarfare really look like behind the headlines? This week, Roo sits down with Hayley Benedict, a cyber intelligence analyst at RANE, to explore the evolving world of digital conflict. From hacktivists to disinformation specialists, Hayley shares how nation states, criminals, and ideologically driven groups are blurring lines — and why data theft, disruption, and doubt remain the weapons of choice. 🎙️🛰️

In Crash Course, we cut through some industry jargon to explain Zero Trust: never assume, always verify. And in Watchtower Weekly, ransomware gets a 2025 upgrade. We cover LunaLock’s dystopian AI threats against artists, bargain-bin ransoms disrupting Swedish municipalities, and a UK car line halted by a hacker crew mash-up.

Plus, #Ask1Password tackles 1Password vs. Apple Passwords, and Hack or Hoax?! brings another almost-too-believable tale. 🧠🕵️‍♂️📺

🏰  Watchtower Weekly

Old-fashioned ransomware has had a glow-up.

• Artists&Clients hit with “AI training” extortion twist
• Sweden’s municipalities knocked offline for just 1.5 BTC
• Hackers linked to M&S breach claim responsibility for Jaguar Land Rover cyber-attack
• Courts have halted Pa. Attorney General’s Office cases after a ransomware attack 

👨‍🏫  Crash Course

This week: Zero Trust

• Watch: What is Zero Trust Security?
• Listen: Random but Memorable episode 12.7

🎙  Guest Interview – Hayley Benedict, RANE

• 👉 Visit: ranenetwork.com
• 🎧 Listen to RANE Podcast Series
• Follow RANE on LinkedIn
• Follow Hayley Benedict on LinkedIn
• Follow Hayley Benedict on Bluesky

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Roo Anything!

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• Show_boat’s tips for guarding against IoT vulnerabilities

Plus, join us for another instalment of our new security game, Hack or Hoax! 

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Want to work in cybersecurity but don’t know where to begin? Or just curious what it takes to break into the field? This week, we’re joined by the internet’s very own Heath Adams, better known as The Cyber Mentor. He demystifies the application process and what it takes to build a career in cybersecurity – no matter your background. 👩‍💻💼

In Crash Course, you’ll learn about Security Fatigue and why we should all be talking about it. You’ll understand why it’s affecting so many people in the industry and how to spot the early warning signs. Plus, in Watchtower Weekly we unravel the latest in IoT vulnerabilities, and why your TV could be part of a botnet. 📺🤖

We also share an extra juicy hacking story in Hack or Hoax?! 🧃

🏰  Watchtower Weekly

When Your TV Joins a Botnet: The Latest in IoT Vulnerabilities

• Hackers Hijacked Google’s Gemini AI With a Poisoned Calendar Invite to Take Over a Smart Home
• 1 Million Third-Party Android Devices Have a Secret Backdoor for Scammers
• Google is taking the hackers to court over a major Android fraud ring
• Google sues alleged hackers behind BadBox 2.0 botnet which has infected millions of devices
• Google Gemini AI Bot Hijacks Smart Homes, Turns Off the Lights
• FBI – Home Internet Connected Devices Facilitate Criminal Activity

👨‍🏫  Crash Course 

This week: Security Fatigue

• 1Password Report – The Burnout Breach: How employee burnout is emerging as the next frontier in cybersecurity

🎙  Guest Interview – Heath Adams – The Cyber Mentor

• 👉 Visit: TCM Security Academy
• 📺 Watch The Cyber Mentor on YouTube
• 📲 Follow @TCMSecurity on X
• 📲 Follow TCM Security on LinkedIn

🗣 #Ask1Password – Ask Roo Anything!

• Please send us an email at: [email protected]
• Ask us a question in the 1Password Community forum

Plus, join us for another instalment of our new security game, Hack or Hoax! 

📲  Follow Us…

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