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Episode #12 – SEA: The Power of State-Sponsored Hacking

Digital Desperados

Release Date: 03/06/2024

Episode #37 – Antivirus to Anarchy: The John McAfee Story  show art Episode #37 – Antivirus to Anarchy: The John McAfee Story

Digital Desperados

In this fascinating episode of Digital Desperados, Patrick McMurphy takes us deep into the wild and chaotic life of John McAfee, the tech genius turned fugitive. Best known for creating McAfee Antivirus, John’s story is anything but ordinary. From his early days as a brilliant mathematician and NASA programmer to his rise as a cybersecurity mogul, McAfee’s journey takes a dark turn—one filled with conspiracy, eccentricity, and crime.  After making millions, McAfee walked away from his own company, distancing himself from the software that bore his name. But that was just the...

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Episode #36 – Explore the Hacking Episode #36 – Explore the Hacking "Business” with DarkSide

Digital Desperados

In this episode of Digital Desperados, host Jim Brangenberg is joined by Patrick McMurphy and SaferNet CEO Brad Hawkins to uncover the chilling world of DarkSide, one of the most notorious ransomware groups. DarkSide operates like a corporate enterprise, offering Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) to affiliates who target high-value organizations. From their carefully crafted business model to their role in the Colonial Pipeline attack that sent fuel prices soaring, this episode unpacks their methods, motivations, and the chaos they leave in their wake.  Patrick unravels the intricacies of...

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Episode #35 – Why You Should Always Update Your Devices: The Story of Udi  show art Episode #35 – Why You Should Always Update Your Devices: The Story of Udi

Digital Desperados

In this episode of Digital Desperados, the spotlight is on Ehud “Udi” Tenenbaum, a hacker whose story of genius and cybercrime shook the digital world. Udi’s tale begins in the late 1990s when his knack for uncovering software vulnerabilities earned him the nickname “The Analyzer.” Targeting unpatched Solaris systems, Udi and his friends hacked over 500 U.S. military and research networks, including NASA and the Pentagon, in an infamous attack dubbed "Solar Sunrise." Though he didn’t steal data, his actions exposed critical flaws in cybersecurity practices.  Years later,...

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Episode #34 – Elizabeth Holmes: Blood, Lies, and A Prison Sentence  show art Episode #34 – Elizabeth Holmes: Blood, Lies, and A Prison Sentence

Digital Desperados

Welcome to Digital Desperados, where we explore the dark tales of the web! In this episode, Jim Brangenberg and Patrick McMurphy take a deep dive into the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the ambitious founder of Theranos. Joined by Brad Hawkins, CEO of SaferNet, they uncover how Holmes’ dream of revolutionizing healthcare turned into a nightmare of fraud and deceit.  Holmes’ story starts with promise—an overachieving Stanford dropout aiming to transform blood testing with a simple finger prick and a device called the Edison. By 2014, she was Silicon Valley’s golden girl,...

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Episode #33 – Kevin Poulsen: The OG Digital Desperado  show art Episode #33 – Kevin Poulsen: The OG Digital Desperado

Digital Desperados

In this episode of Digital Desperados, Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins (founder of SaferNet) take us on a wild ride through the life of Kevin Poulsen, aka "Dark Dante." From humble beginnings in Pasadena, California, to becoming a fugitive hacker legend, Kevin’s story is one you’ll want to hear all about!  Known for his audacious phone hacks in the 80s and 90s, Kevin mastered the art of "phone phreaking," a precursor to modern hacking. His most infamous stunt? Rigging a radio contest to win a Porsche 944.  His curiosity and rebellious spirit eventually led...

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Episode #32 – Iranian Hacking Group: the Not So “Charming Kitten”  show art Episode #32 – Iranian Hacking Group: the Not So “Charming Kitten”

Digital Desperados

This week, Jim Brangenberg is joined by cybersecurity expert Patrick McMurphy and SaferNet CEO Brad Hawkins to unravel the dark web world of APT42—better known as Charming Kitten. Spoiler alert: it’s not actually charming. This Iranian state-sponsored hacking group is a master of digital espionage, targeting activists, journalists, government officials, and even U.S. presidential campaigns. Active since 2015, they use tricks like spear phishing (fake, super-convincing emails) and their custom malware, NiceCurl and TameCat, to steal data, control devices, and monitor their victims.  ...

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Episode #31 – Samy Kamkar: A Hacker’s Quick Pivot to CyberSecurity  show art Episode #31 – Samy Kamkar: A Hacker’s Quick Pivot to CyberSecurity

Digital Desperados

This week, Digital Desperados takes a lighthearted stroll through the story of Samy Kamkar, a hacker who quickly found out that hacking isn’t a game. Remember MySpace? (Yes, it’s the “classic rock” of social media.) Back in 2005, teenage Samy created the “Samy Worm,” a harmless-yet-viral hack that declared him a hero on over a million profiles before getting him in major trouble with the Secret Service. Fast forward and Samy has become a cybersecurity trailblazer, exposing vulnerabilities in everything from RFID credit cards to IoT gadgets like drones and car systems.  ...

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Episode #30 – The Cyber Redemption of Hieu PC show art Episode #30 – The Cyber Redemption of Hieu PC

Digital Desperados

Uncover the riveting story of Hieu Minh Ngo—aka “Hieu PC”—a notorious hacker who (thankfully) turned his life around to fight cybercrime. Hieu’s story begins in Vietnam, where he got his first computer at 13 and quickly found the world of hacking. His skills evolved as he exploited vulnerabilities at his university in New Zealand. This escalated to ultimately selling massive amounts of stolen data online, causing $65 million in financial losses, mostly in the U.S.  Hieu’s hacking career came to an end in 2013 when he was arrested in Guam. Surprisingly, Hieu chose...

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Episode #29 – The Rise and Fall of a Cyber Jihadist show art Episode #29 – The Rise and Fall of a Cyber Jihadist

Digital Desperados

Junaid Hussain, a quiet British teen with a knack for computers, morphed into a dangerous cyber jihadist. Initially drawn to hacking as a teenager, he joined groups like Team Poison, targeting perceived enemies of Islam. His skills grew, and he hacked high-profile individuals like Mark Zuckerberg and Tony Blair.  A prison stint radicalized him further, and he embraced extremist ideology. Joining ISIS in 2013, he became a key figure in their hacking division, recruiting young Muslims worldwide and inciting violence. He used social media to spread propaganda and coordinated attacks on...

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Episode #28 – Online Security, More Crucial Than Ever  show art Episode #28 – Online Security, More Crucial Than Ever

Digital Desperados

In this episode of Digital Desperados, you’ll learn the story of Mustafa Al-Bassam, a teenage hacker who took on the CIA and lived to tell the tale. Co-hosts Patrick, Brad, and Jim dive into Mustafa's journey from mischievous school hacker at the ripe age of 9 years old to a member of Anonymous and LulzSec as a teen, pulling off cyber-attacks against corporations and governments, including Sony and the CIA.  After getting caught at just 16, Mustafa decided maybe black hat hacking wasn’t for him. He earned a PhD in computer science, helped expose shady government surveillance...

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More Episodes

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 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!