Security Explained

Whether you're on the enterprise side looking to hire some short-term expertise, or on the consulting side looking to cut your teeth and learn some security chops, security consulting is an industry that receives a bit of well-deserved attention. That doesn't come without its drawbacks, though, and in this episode we discuss at length the pros and cons of security consulting and how it might benefit you. If you've ever thought about going down the road of being a security consultant, this episode is for you!

It's a question we get all the time - "what can I do to be more secure?"

It's also a question that there's not a great concise answer to. That being said, we did our best to boil down the hottest tips that we have for keeping  your personal things and data secure. From password managers to multi-factor authentication, from browser plugins to downloading your data from companies whose services you use, we have a few recommendations that we think can meaningfully improve your security well-being with a modicum of effort (and in some cases, money). With these tricks in hand, it's likely that you won't be the lowest hanging fruit!

Securing your small business may seem like an impossible task or something you do not have to worry about right now. Unfortunately, it is something every small business has to worry about in todays world. In this episode we talk about how non-technical small business owners can improve their security around their business without breaking the bank, with most items able to be done for free.  

Is your refrigerator running? If so, perhaps it's participating in a DDOS attack.

This is the reality of the world we live in. There's a computer in just about everything, and in many cases those computers are compromised are part of a botnet. In this episode we sit down with our friend and industry expert Yacin Nadji and hear from him on what botnets are, the role they play in the modern technological world, and ways that we can protect ourselves from them and, maybe, even take them down.

https://www.benzinga.com/general/20/11/18293606/the-7-biggest-botnets-of-all-time

Hacker culture is one of those terms that means different things to just about every member of the security community, and in this episode we do what we can to describe what it means to us. From our experience in industry, to our participation in conferences and security research, to our open source projects and the ridiculous depictions of “hackers” in popular media, we cover a bit of the good, the bad, and the ugly of hacker culture as we see it. Join us in part one of this conversation around our personal experiences in the hacker community!

It's the year 2021 and just about every common household good can be purchased with a computer in it. From your refrigerator to your toaster to your television to your water bottle, it seems that there is no end in sight for just how many "helpful" things computers can do for your home and life.

We're here to challenge that assumption and hopefully convince you that not everything benefits from having a computer in it. Even moreso, this prevalence of insecure and cheap devices all across your life can leave some worrying problems behind when it comes to your privacy and security.

In today's episode we have our first installment of Righteous Hacks, a discussion of some of the coolest, most impactful, or funny hacks seen in the world. From State sponsored to lone researcher, we break down a few of the most righteous hacks. 

In this week’s episode we’ll be discussing a burgeoning new asset class, cryptocurrencies. "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks." This is the message which is embedded in the genesis block of Bitcoin, the most valuable cryptocurrency in the world. In just under twelve years, Bitcoin has gone from nothing to a $345 billion market cap asset with SEC regulation.

What are cryptocurrencies? What are they good for, how do they work, and why is bitcoin so valuable? We’ll be covering these topics and, if you own any, how best to secure your digital assets.

• DEF CON 23 Cracking CryptoCurrency Brainwallets - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foil0hzl4Pg 
• Etheroll Crypto Casino - https://etheroll.com/#/about

In this episode of Security Explained we cover one of our favorite hacking targets, cars! We cover the myths and realities of car hacking with special guest Craig Smith, a leader in the car hacking community and the man who literally wrote the book on car hacking. Some of the topics we cover include the DEFCON car hacking village, right to repair laws, and that one scene from the Fast and the Furious 8.

• https://www.carhackingvillage.com/ 
• https://nostarch.com/carhacking 
• http://opengarages.org/index.php/Main_Page

Throughout our careers in the security industry it’s not uncommon that we’re asked “how can I get started in security?” It’s also one of the questions we like to answer most, as we love for others to be able to learn from our mistakes (of which we have made plenty).

In this episode we talk about reasons to consider or avoid the industry, our personal journeys into our current positions, what sort of skills you’ll need and how best to hone them, what free resources are at your disposal to learn, and how you can turn those resources into gainful employment. While the information security industry may not be for everyone, it has certainly been an enjoyable place for us to call home, and we encourage you to consider it as well. Join us in this conversation!

• https://www.slideshare.net/ChrisGrayson/so-you-want-to-be-a-hacker
• https://www.vulnhub.com/
• http://www.securitytube.net/
• https://opensecuritytraining.info/
• https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Web-Securing-Modern-Applications/dp/1593273886
• https://www.hackerone.com/
• https://ctftime.org/ctf-wtf/
• https://defcongroups.org/dcpages.html
• https://www.offensive-security.com/courses-and-certifications/
• https://www.corelan.be/