Security Explained

With the spectacular new Dune movie just having been released, it's only appropriate to talk about one of the most devious of Internet malware denizens - worms!! While certainly technologically interesting, worms are some of the most destructive instances of malware to ever be created. What's more is that these days, worming technology is so ubiquitous that it's not something that even distinguishes malware from the pack!

Join us in this conversation about the trickiest of Internet beasts and the tool that is meant to (if unsuccessfully) protect against them!

We weren't planning on it, but too much happened since our last episode to not do another security in the news episode! We'll be covering the Twitch hack, Facebook global outage, another Epik hack release from Anonymous, and the Pandora Papers.

The news has been ripe with some pretty wild security stories recently, and in this episode we dive into the nitty gritty on the two that we found most interesting. Specifically, we're talking about the multiple Apple zero days which have been released and the controversy around them as well as the Epik hack named Epik Fail. Join us!

In this episode we dive into the details of recent (ie: the last 5 years) security trends, where things stand currently, and where those trends are likely to continue. From application security, to corporate security, to infrastructure security, to physical security, the last half a decade has seen some serious changes with respect to how secure modern enterprises are and the problems they face on a regular basis. The future of security looks bright in many ways, dark in some, but interesting in all.

If you've been keeping up on security news recently you've likely heard of the Pegasus spyware and its authors, the Israeli firm NSO Group. While Pegasus is an impressive piece of software, the capabilities it brings to the table are nothing new (nor are the ethical and moral implications of government surveillance programs).

Join us as we sit down with renowned security journalist Kim Zetter and hear what she has to say about these recent events and surveillance programs more generally.

More of Kim's work can be found at:
- https://zetter.substack.com/
- https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/219931/countdown-to-zero-day-by-kim-zetter/

Today we have special guest Kevin Mitnick. The most wanted hacker in the world now helps secure businesses worldwide. We cover the topic of social engineering as Kevin talks about his real-world exploits, he performed on some of the largest companies in the world. Join us on our lighthearted conversations on social engineering with one of the greats in the field. 

Kevin Mitnick Site:
https://www.mitnicksecurity.com/

Where to find Kevin Mitnick's books:
https://www.mitnicksecurity.com/bestselling-books-by-kevin-mitnick

With DEFCON about to start, we wanted to give folks a peek inside of what one should expect during a hacking conference as well as list some of our favorite conferences. From everyday tips and tricks for surviving the con to how to make the most of it, join us as we talk about hacker summer camp and more. 

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you. Government spying on citizens is so common place that folks are not even surprised by it any more. While US citizens are often not surprised, they are unaware of the particular details. So, sit back and relax while we walk you through some of the history of government spying on its citizens and how it impacts you.




Links:
https://www.eff.org/
https://www.aclu.org/
https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-room-641a/
https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-united-states-secrets-part-one/
https://signal.org/blog/cellebrite-vulnerabilities/

From the Colonial Pipeline to the NYC MTA, from the city of Atlanta to CD Projekt, ransomware is doing its dirty deeds across numerous sectors and industries and causing real harm to individuals and businesses. Initially more of a novelty that some creative criminals came up with, ransomware has grown into a massive criminal enterprise with significant economic upside. In the first episode of our third season we dig into the nitty gritty of what ransomware is, how it works, how it can be prevented, and what to do if you find yourself at its mercy. Join us!

It’s one of the more controversial topics within the information security realm - vulnerability research. It’s the practice of pulling software and services apart and finding how they were put together incorrectly. What you do with that research, whether it be submitting to a bug bounty, responsibly disclosing, or selling the information on an exploit broker, can seriously impact individuals and corporations. It’s an interesting topic with compelling arguments on most sides, and we’re going to dig into the details here today.