Why Resolutions Fail with Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps
Easy Prey
We often put off changes and schedule them to start on January 1st. Many of these idealistic resolutions fail shortly after beginning, so it is important to be thoughtful when planning so that you can set yourself up for success. Today’s guest is Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps. Leslie is a noted psychologist who authored a number of books, including Insecure in Love, The Insecure in Love Workbook, and Bouncing Back from Rejection. She writes the Authentically You Blog and the Psychology Today Making Change Blog. Additionally, she is a national speaker and hosts a YouTube channel. Show Notes: ...
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Erasing Your Digital Footprint with Jeff Jockisch
Easy Prey
Data is continuously being collected and this information can lead to misleading conclusions about an individual. Without proper context, behavior can be misinterpreted. This underscores the need for data privacy laws and stronger protections against data brokers. Today’s guest is Jeff Jockisch. Jeff is a passionate data privacy researcher dedicated to exploring the evolution of technology, our search behaviors, trust dynamics, and safeguarding of our information. As Managing Partner at ObscureIQ, he specializes in advanced data removal and privacy risk mitigation for enterprises and...
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Executive Recruiter Scams with John Sidoti
Easy Prey
When a recruiter contacts you, it’s essential to do your homework, verify their sources, and trust your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. While it can be frustrating to be this skeptical, being cautious can protect you and your finances. Today’s guest is John Sidoti. John is the Senior Director of Information Technology at Social Current. He has over 30 years of experience as an IT generalist with wide and varied experience across all aspects of the IT spectrum. Show Notes: [0:50] - John shares his background and discusses his extensive and varied...
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Human Hacking with Peter Warmka
Easy Prey
Today’s threat actors and social engineers leverage social media to observe individuals’ patterns and habits. They encounter you at a coffee shop or another familiar spot. They begin to establish trust, which makes you more susceptible to their tactics. Today’s guest is Peter Warmka. Peter is a retired CIA officer with over two decades of breaching the security of organizations overseas in pursuit of intelligence. He is the founder of The Counterintelligence Institute, author of two books, conference speaker, consultant, and educator on the dangers of human hacking. Show Notes: ...
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Digital Deception: What Lies Ahead with Perry Carpenter
Easy Prey
Creating habits of healthy skepticism when receiving texts or emails can prevent you from clicking on phishing links. Everybody is vulnerable online, especially when distracted or in a hurry. But cultivating critical thinking and self-awareness can enhance protection against manipulation. Today’s guest is Perry Carpenter. Perry is an award-winning author, podcaster, and speaker with over two decades in cybersecurity, focusing on how cyber criminals exploit human behavior. As the Chief Human Risk Management Strategist at KnowBe4, Perry helps build robust, human-centric defenses against social...
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Rethinking Online Anonymity with Lance Cottrell
Easy Prey
In a world of cybersecurity and online privacy, anonymity seems to be the key. VPNs are often promoted as the cure-all to our internet needs. Let’s talk about some of those misconceptions. Today’s guest is Lance Cottrell. Lance founded Anonymizer in 1995 and is an internationally recognized expert in cryptography, online privacy, and internet security. He is the principal author on multiple internet privacy and security technology patents. Lance stayed on as Chief Scientist as Anonymizer was acquired by Intrepid, and now advises start-ups through his platform. Show Notes: [1:09] - Lance...
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AI: Double-Edged Sword for Cybersecurity with Vincent LaRocca
Easy Prey
Cybersecurity is more crucial than ever. It’s essential that we proactively safeguard our data and recognize that no one is immune to attacks. We are all vulnerable. As malicious actors continually enhance their tactics, we must stay one step ahead by consistently improving our defenses. Today’s guest is Vincent LaRocca. Vincent is the CEO of CyberSecOp with the commitment to protecting sensitive data and mitigating cyber threats. With over two decades of experience, Vincent has successfully steered CyberSecOp to become one of the world’s fastest growing managed security providers,...
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Understanding and Avoiding Triangulation Fraud with Soups Ranjan
Easy Prey
As consumers, we may realize the need to be vigilant by using two-factor authentication and password managers, but there are so many scams out there that can impersonate legitimate organizations, websites, and people. We really can’t let our guard down. Today’s guest is Soups Ranjan. Soups has over 18 years of experience in software engineering, data science, and risk management. He is the co-founder and CEO of Sardine. This behavior-infused platform offers fraud prevention, compliance, and payment solutions for various industries including banking, online marketplaces, FinTech, crypto,...
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Finding Small Business Fraud with James Ratley
Easy Prey
There are a shocking amount of businesses that ultimately fail because of fraud. Many managers and business owners are unaware of their losses because they do not have the systems in place to look for fraud and it may not be their primary concern. Today’s guest is James Ratley. Jim graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 1971, he joined the Dallas Police Department as a police officer. He was on numerous task forces with a concentration on major fraud cases. He joined a major forensic accounting practice and was in charge of...
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Truth and Lies with Mark Bowden
Easy Prey
Now that so much of our communications are digital, such as texts, emails, and chats, we miss out on the tone and facial expressions to help us understand the intent and content in communication. It’s important to know ourselves well enough to know what areas we’ll be more easily influenced and are susceptible to being deceived. The greater our desire for something to be true, the easier it is for us to be scammed. Today’s guest is Mark Bowden. Mark is a world-renowned body language expert, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. He is the founder of the communication training company,...
info_outlineIt sounds like an episode straight out of Criminal Minds. The FBI’s Highway Serial Killers initiative hunts for long-haul truckers behind at least 850 murders of mostly female sex trafficking victims along our nation’s highways.
Today’s guest is Frank Figliuzzi. Frank was the FBI’s Assistant Director over Counterintelligence. He served 25 years as an FBI Special Agent in assignments across the country. As the head of all espionage investigations, Frank frequently briefed the White House, the DNI, and the Attorney General. For the past seven years, Frank has been a national security analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He’s the author of a national bestseller, The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau's Code of Excellence, and now Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers.
Show Notes:
- [1:30] - Frank shares his background and what his role was in the FBI for 25 years.
- [3:52] - His most recent book is Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers and is about the FBI’s Highway Serial Killers initiative.
- [5:57] - These cases go back several decades and remain unsolved.
- [7:13] - Trucking is a crucial part of our society, but there are different types of truckers and some are more likely to commit crime.
- [9:12] - The success of the initiative really relies on local police departments.
- [11:13] - Frank describes some of the things he learned from experts in street-level human trafficking.
- [14:27] - Frank gives examples of some of the things he did for research.
- [15:53] - The type of trucker that Frank is most concerned about are the ones with very little interaction with other people.
- [17:21] - There is more security and tracking of truckers in more corporate organizations.
- [18:44] - The corporate job is less attractive to someone who is motivated to commit crime.
- [20:03] - Frank was amazed at how high tech trucking is these days and the brains needed to understand it all.
- [23:03] - Frank describes his experience as he shadowed a trucker and immersed himself in the lifestyle.
- [26:43] - The number one profession for serial killers is a trucker. What is it about the job? Does it attract killers or make killers?
- [29:17] - Most people think that people they know would never be a victim of a crime like this.
- [31:06] - Human trafficking is most commonly initiated by someone the victim knows.
- [32:56] - Get rid of the notion that this can’t happen to your family. That’s dangerous in and of itself because you’ll never see it coming.
- [34:40] - Connecting with potential victims has moved online.
- [37:57] - Trafficking victims are often victimized more and treated like criminals themselves.
- [40:01] - What are the similarities between crime scenes in many of these cases?
- [42:42] - The 850 unsolved cases only account for the ones that are known.
- [43:46] - There is an organization called Truckers Against Trafficking (T.A.T.). Frank explains what they do and how they help.
- [46:48] - Technological advances are making a huge difference, particularly in DNA.
- [49:19] - These crime scenes are the worst Frank has ever seen even after his 25 years in law enforcement.
- [52:40] - Sometimes, a victim’s name is not known for many years if at all. It is hard to track the solve-rate of these crimes.
- [55:12] - There are DNA testing organizations that work with police departments.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.