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...
info_outline AI: Double-Edged Sword for Cybersecurity with Vincent LaRoccaEasy 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,...
info_outline Understanding and Avoiding Triangulation Fraud with Soups RanjanEasy 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,...
info_outline Finding Small Business Fraud with James RatleyEasy 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...
info_outline Truth and Lies with Mark BowdenEasy 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_outline The Update That Broke America with Gabe DimeglioEasy Prey
Many industries are reliant on software and if the software becomes corrupt or an update fails, it may require hands-on support. Do you have your infrastructure set for repair and recovery? Today’s guest is Gabe Dimeglio. Gabe is a 20-year veteran of information technology and security for private and public sector organizations. He is a results-driven leader, specializing in security services and solutions for mission-critical, complex enterprise platforms. His expertise includes strategic consulting services, risk analysis/risk mitigation, and compliance. Mr. Dimeglio serves as Vice...
info_outline A Lesson in Crisis Management with Jeremiah GrossmanEasy Prey
It’s not always easy to determine the value of digital assets. The potential of overestimating or undervaluing your data can make it difficult to establish how much protection you need for a cyber intrusion. Today’s guest is Jeremiah Grossman. Jeremiah has spent over 25 years as an InfoSec professional and hacker. He is the Managing Director of Grossman Ventures. He is an industry creator and founder of White Hat Security and Bit Discovery. He has his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is an avid car collector. Show Notes: [0:53] - Jeremiah shares his background and what he does...
info_outline Pig Butchering Is Getting Worse with Erin WestEasy Prey
Pig butchering is worse than just manipulating someone and taking their money. It leaves them with emotional anguish. Once their finances have been drained, they lose their financial security and they no longer trust people. Today’s guest is Erin West. Erin has been with the County of Santa Clara for 26 years and is a Deputy District Attorney. She specializes in cryptocurrency investigations and prosecutions. Show Notes: [0:46] - Erin shares her background and what her role is as a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County. [3:20] - Five years ago, Erin found herself working on...
info_outline Protecting Parents with Terri ProctorEasy Prey
Sometimes people only share their stories after they’ve gone through a challenging time. But it’s also important to learn from those in the middle of a scam to learn how people are manipulated and how vulnerable our loved ones can really be. Today’s guest is Terri Proctor. Terri’s elderly mother has been scammed by romance scammers over the last three years. In trying to get help from different recommended services, she realized that no one was really interested in helping. She started the non-profit Stop Elderly Scams to educate and bring awareness to the community. Show Notes: ...
info_outline Technology Regulation is Outdated with Bruce SchneierEasy Prey
Regulators have to invest a considerable amount of time in keeping legislation and policy up to date regarding technology and AI, but it’s not easy. We need floor debates, not for sound bytes or for political gain, but to move policy forward. Today’s guest is Bruce Schneier. Bruce is an internationally renowned security technologist called The Security Guru by The Economist. He is the author of over a dozen books including his latest, A Hacker’s Mind. He has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, has served on several government committees, and is...
info_outlineAfter a data breach, many criminals are beginning to use deep learning AI to categorize the information they have stolen. They’re using a steady amount of micro attacks on individuals and businesses and not just full-scale assaults.
Today’s guest is Robert Blumofe. Bobby joined Akamai in 1999 to lead the company’s first performance team. While serving as one of Akamai’s chief architects, he was instrumental in the design and development of their intelligent edge platform which now handles trillions of internet requests daily. Bobby’s technical past lends itself to a passion in machine learning and AI and he holds a PhD in Computer Science from MIT.
Show Notes:
- [1:02] - Bobby shares his background and current role at Akamai.
- [2:32] - When he joined the company in 1999, he didn’t really know what Akamai did.
- [4:29] - Customers recognized that Akamai could have the capabilities to see all the traffic to their websites and potentially block attacks.
- [7:02] - Machine learning is really remarkable. Akamai has been using deep learning as a tool to solve problems for their security products.
- [9:25] - AI has become a big part of everything we do.
- [10:35] - The quantity and quality of the data used by AI is what differentiates the machine learning and models of an enterprise.
- [12:36] - Bobby discusses what the next five years could look like for cyber criminals.
- [15:24] - Criminals only need one success out of thousands or millions of targets.
- [17:32] - Social media platforms really do want to do the right thing but there’s only so much they can do.
- [18:39] - As a consumer, you have to be on guard and not necessarily trust where information is coming from.
- [20:42] - Any new significant development in technology is hard to differentiate from magic, especially in the early days of development.
- [23:04] - Machine learning is remarkable and as a technologist, Bobby wants to love it. But there are so many examples of misuse.
- [25:29] - Use the technology, but check the output.
- [29:10] - When solving a simple problem, does the AI really need to know everything? They access so much data that isn’t useful.
- [31:19] - Just because an entity can carry on a conversation, doesn’t mean it has authoritative knowledge.
- [33:04] - What is zero trust?
- [34:51] - A misconception is that AI will take over and plan like sci-fi movies.
- [39:11] - You need to have all the checks and balances in critical areas.
- [42:07] - Leadership in organizations needs to prioritize efforts and be very involved.
- [44:52] - We need to assume that AI will continue to develop and criminals will continue misusing the technology in new ways.
- [47:23] - The changes and advances have been so fast recently, that we may need the opportunity to pause.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.