Episode #41 – Revisit of 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, we revisit as 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...
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Episode #40 – Billionaire, Investor, Disruptor: Peter Thiel
Digital Desperados
Billionaire investor Peter Thiel has been many things—PayPal co-founder, Silicon Valley kingmaker, libertarian mastermind, and more. In this episode, the Digital Desperados gang unravel the tangled web of Thiel’s career, from his early days in PayPal’s "Mafia" to his eyebrow-raising ventures in surveillance, politics, and even cryoginics (yes, he wants to be frozen and revived). Is he a brilliant disruptor or just another billionaire bending the rules – or both? Did he really bankroll Hulk Hogan’s revenge against an online tabloid? And what’s with his obsession with Lord...
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Content Details: Episode #39 – Ctrl + Alt + Caught: w0rmer’s Story
Digital Desperados
In this episode of Digital Desperados, dive into the cautionary tale of hacker-turned-ethical-hacker, Higinio Ochoa, aka w0rmer. What starts as harmless curiosity quickly escalates into full-blown cyber activism with CabinCr3w, an offshoot of Anonymous. Their mission? To expose police misconduct through hacking and doxing. But w0rmer’s downfall came not from elite cybersecurity forces—but from a single geotagged photo of his fiancée in a bikini, a memento left to taunt authorities. The FBI tracked him down in record time, leading to his arrest, a 27-month prison sentence, and an...
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Episode #38 – Gary Alford Takes Down “The Dread Pirate Roberts”
Digital Desperados
In this episode of Digital Desperados, hosts Jim Brangenberg and Patrick McMurphy dive into the heroic story of Gary Alford, the IRS investigator who cracked the infamous Silk Road case (). Unlike the usual criminals featured on the show, Alford was the determined underdog who outmaneuvered the FBI and Homeland Security with old-school detective work. While high-tech forensic tools failed, Alford relied on logic, persistence, and a simple Google search to find the rookie mistake that brought down Ross Ulbricht—aka “The Dread Pirate Roberts.” The irony? While the government...
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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 "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
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
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
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”
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. ...
info_outlineIn this episode of Digital Desperados, Patrick McMurphy dives into the incredible true story of Marcus Hutchins, founder of the MalwareTech Blog. Born in a quiet English village, Marcus’s passion for computers grew from a young age, leading him down a dark path of hacking and malware development. By his mid-teens, he created a botnet and notorious rootkits, collaborating with cybercriminals. However, Marcus’s story (thankfully) took a sharp turn. In 2017, he became an unlikely hero, accidentally discovering the kill switch for the WannaCry ransomware—stopping the spread of one of the largest cyberattacks in history.
While Marcus redeemed himself and shifted to white-hat hacking, his past came back to haunt him when he was arrested at Las Vegas DEF CON for his earlier crimes. Despite his legal struggles, Marcus’s journey from black hat to cybersecurity savant highlights themes of redemption and second chances. This thrilling story underscores the ever-present dangers of the web and the need for vigilance online, protecting you and your devices with tools like SaferNet!