Episode #18 – Guccifer: Hacking Made Easy
Digital Desperados
This week's Digital Desperados serves up a side of "accidental hacking" with Guccifer, the hacker who makes social media security questions look like a joke. This guy used Google and a thirst for fame to waltz into the accounts of the rich, famous, and powerful like they were unlocked doors. Colin Powell's emails? Exposed. Rockefellers' secrets? Spilled. All thanks to Guccifer's uncanny ability to guess your childhood pet's name. This cautionary tale screams: don't be a digital exhibitionist, and maybe use a password that isn't your favorite sports team. Our sponsor, , offers a...
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Episode #17 – Nasty Nastra, the King of Fraud
Digital Desperados
This episode of Digital Desperados exposes Alexander Zhukov, aka "Nastra," the King of Fraud. Nastra wasn't your average hacker. He started young, hustling on the streets before moving on to online scams. In the 2010s, he created MethBot, a program generating fake website visits to inflate ad revenue for his fake advertising company, Media Methane. When that got heat, Nastra's team developed the even nastier 3VE malware. This invisible enemy infected computers through phishing emails and ran in the background, secretly generating fake ad views for Nastra's profit. Nastra's...
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Episode #16 – The Treasonous Story of Forb
Digital Desperados
Dmitry Dukachaev, aka Forb, lived a life stranger than fiction. Starting as a Robin Hood hacker providing free internet, he soon dove into the dark world of cybercrime. Forb's skills made him a sought-after hacker-for-hire, stealing financial data and supposedly even infiltrating a U.S. government website. But things took a turn from our normal hacker story. As usual, Forb ended up working for the Russian FSB, but allegedly became a double agent for the CIA! This backfired spectacularly, later landing him in a Russian prison for treason, where he is thought to be to this day....
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Episode #15 – Beware the Cozy Bear!
Digital Desperados
The Digital Desperados Podcast explores infamous cybercriminals and attacks with host Jim Brangenberg, story guide Patrick McMurphy, and CEO Brad Hawkins. In this episode, they delve into the activities of Cozy Bear, a sophisticated state-sponsored hacking group linked to Russia. Cozy Bear specializes in cyber espionage, targeting entities largely across the US, Canada, and Europe, with a focus on disrupting sectors like military, government, and energy. Using advanced techniques like steganography, Cozy Bear became famous for embedding viruses in image files for covert...
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Episode #14 – Spam Lord: Genius, Elusivity, and Mystery
Digital Desperados
In episode 14 of the Digital Desperados podcast, hosts Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins embark on a wild ride into the world of cybercrime with the intriguing tale of Pytor Levashov, aka the Spam Lord. Levashov, hailing from Russia, made waves in the cyber underworld with his knack for spam email campaigns and the creation of the infamous Kelihos botnet. Despite his mischievous exploits, Levashov's background in mathematics and economics added an unexpected twist to his cyber escapades. With his Kelihos botnet, Levashov played a high-stakes game, challenging...
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Episode #13 – I Spy with My Little Eye... SpyEye and the Smiling Hacker
Digital Desperados
Welcome to the Digital Desperados podcast, sponsored by . In this episode, we delve into the dark tale of Hamza Bendelladj, also known as BX1, the Smiling Hacker. The story unfolds as Hamza, a linguistic genius from Algeria, quickly becomes a notorious hacker. Collaborating with Russian hacker buddy Gribodemon, they create the SpyEye malware, a formidable rival to the insanely popular Zeus. Operating stealthily, SpyEye infiltrates millions of computers, executing keystroke logging and web injections to compromise financial institutions and personal accounts. It’s estimated that billions of...
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Episode #12 – SEA: The Power of State-Sponsored Hacking
Digital Desperados
In a whirlwind cybersecurity adventure, hosts Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins of SaferNet VPN unravel the intriguing history of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), a state-sponsored hacking group specializing in propaganda and chaos. Sponsored by SaferNet.com, the trio inject humor into the serious havoc that the SEA has caused. You’ll hear details of the SEA's origins and about their loyalty to President Assad, weaving in anecdotes of high-profile cyber infiltrations. The episode showcases SaferNet's role in defending against phishing attacks, one of the most...
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Episode #11 – The Gray Legacy of Adrian Lamo
Digital Desperados
In the riveting 11th episode of the Digital Desperadoes podcast, the gang dive deep into the captivating and tumultuous tale of Adrian Lamo, famously known as the Homeless Hacker. Lamo's journey unfolds from a tech-savvy enthusiast to a gray hat hacker, blurring the lines between morality and mischief. You'll hear about Lamo's audacious exploits, from exposing security flaws on major networks to hacking NBC live on air. The hosts infuse the narrative with a blend of sadness and humor, shedding light on Lamo's eccentricities, including a post-prison phase of "body hacking"...
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Episode #10 – Condor: The Legendary Fugitive
Digital Desperados
This Digital Desperados episode introduces Kevin Mitnick, known as The Condor, a legendary figure in the hacking world. Mitnick displayed social engineering skills from a very early age, initiating his hacking journey at 16. After unauthorized access to the Arc and subsequent legal troubles, he became a fugitive from 1992 to 1995, evading capture with false identities and lies. Notably pursued by the FBI, his legend grew and the hacker community respected him all the more. Mitnick's capture, aided by cybersecurity researcher Tsutomu Shimomura, marked a turning point. Despite...
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Episode #9 – A Global War: State-Sponsored Hacking
Digital Desperados
In this lively episode of the Digital Desperados Podcast, hosts Jim Brangenberg and Patrick McMurphy, accompanied by SaferNet VPN's Brad Hawkins, unravel the thrilling world of state-sponsored hacking. The spotlight is on the infamous Lazarus Group, North Korea's cyber mischief-makers, engaging in espionage and global disruption. From Lazarus' humble beginnings as novice hackers trained in China to their sophisticated attacks on South Korea and beyond, learn about their evolution. Escapades include hacking Sony Pictures in retaliation of a movie poking fun at North Korea and multiple...
info_outlineIn a whirlwind cybersecurity adventure, hosts Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins of SaferNet VPN unravel the intriguing history of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), a state-sponsored hacking group specializing in propaganda and chaos. Sponsored by SaferNet.com, the trio inject humor into the serious havoc that the SEA has caused. You’ll hear details of the SEA's origins and about their loyalty to President Assad, weaving in anecdotes of high-profile cyber infiltrations.
The episode showcases SaferNet's role in defending against phishing attacks, one of the most common forms of cybercrime. Not all laughs – we take a darker turn with revelations about the SEA's surveillance leading to the execution of Syrian rebels. This group is a threat that is still alive and thriving today. Don’t be left wondering if you might be the next victim. Protect yourself with SaferNet today!