Easy Prey
Ever had that creepy feeling someone's watching you online? Now imagine if that feeling was actually your reality, not just your browsing history being tracked, but cameras following your every move on the street, your conversations being monitored, your payments scrutinized. For our guest Josh Summers, this wasn't some dystopian nightmare, it was his daily life. Josh isn't your typical privacy advocate. As the creator behind All Things Secured (both a website and YouTube channel), his passion for digital privacy was forged through nearly 20 years living abroad, much of it in China. There, he...
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In a world where data is more important than ever, understanding how it is acquired, shared, and misused is critical. Data brokers work behind the scenes, amassing enormous amounts of personal information from online activity, loyalty programs, and even public records, often without the users' knowledge. This data powers targeted marketing, scams, and even identity theft. But what can be done to regain control of personal privacy? Today we're diving deep into this topic with cybersecurity expert Darius Belejevas, who has spent years assisting folks in removing their data from these digital...
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Getting defrauded is common. It happens everywhere but it’s underreported because of embarrassment. If you’re a victim of fraud the sooner you report the more likely you are to get a better outcome. To learn more about fraud I’m pleased to welcome Marc Evans, a seasoned financial crimes detective and co-founder of Fraud Hero, who has spent over a decade investigating fraud schemes that affect everyday people. With expertise in social engineering, money laundering and credit card scams he has spent his career uncovering the ways criminals use to exploit victims. His passion for fraud...
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In cybersecurity, we need to understand the mindset of hacking, which is not ethics. We also need to realize that even if we have cybersecurity experts get hacked, there is no reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed when it happens to us. In today’s show we’re going deep into the world of cybersecurity with one of the industry’s most seasoned experts, Sam Curry. With over 30 years of experience in information security, Sam has been defending against cyber threats, shaping security strategies and mentoring the next generation of cyber professionals. Currently the Global VP and...
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Managing money isn’t about numbers, it's about making informed decisions that shape your future. Whether you’re a seasoned saver or just starting out on your financial journey understanding the basics of personal finance can make all the difference. Today’s guest Joel Larsgaard has been helping people take control of their finances for over 15 years. As the co-host of How To Money and a weekly radio show Joel breaks down the often confusing world of personal finance. His passion for financial literacy comes from personal experience and he’s been recognized for his work including being...
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Scams come in many forms but receiving a freebie from a scammer doesn’t make sense. If something shows up at your door that you didn’t order, should you be worried? Brushing scams are becoming more common and while they may seem harmless at first they can be a gateway to fraud, identity theft and financial loss. Today we’re diving into how these scams work, why they exist and the real dangers behind them. Our guest is Dr. Venkat Margapuri, an assistant professor of computer science at Villanova University. His research focuses on AI applications in agriculture and healthcare but he’s...
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Cybersecurity isn't just a concern for large corporations. It's vital for businesses of all sizes. It's essential for companies to know how to protect sensitive data, restore from backups, and regularly test their systems with internal pen tests to keep their teams safe. Today's guest is Bryce Austin. Bryce is the CEO of TCE Strategy, a cybersecurity advisory firm. They provide vulnerability scans, penetration tests, fractional CISO services, and incident response services. He is also a professional speaker on ransomware. Bryce is the fractional CISO to many companies, including one on the...
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The CISO role is constantly changing. With all the shifts in cybersecurity, it's crucial to find ways to attract new talent to close the growing skills gap. CISOs now juggle complex systems managed at multiple levels and handle burnout amongst many other responsibilities. Today's guest is Jill Knesek. Jill is the Chief Information Security Officer for Blackline, a company that does financial SaaS solutions. It’s based out of the Los Angeles area. She’s been there almost three years now as the CISO, running the information security team. She previously served as Chief Security Officer for...
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With the increase in targeted cyber attacks, it's more important than ever for organizations to quickly identify and respond to threats. AI is helping security teams by acting as virtual analysts, handling much of the investigation work. However, human oversight is still essential for the final steps and judgment. Today's guest is Michael Lyborg. Michael is the Chief Information Security Officer at Swimlane. Prior to taking his current role, Michael was Global Vice President of Advisory Services, a highly sought-after expert by the world's largest Fortune 500 companies and global government...
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The landscape of cybersecurity training and collaboration is changing, interactive education sessions and cross team communication is key. Building a security culture and staying ahead of the modern threats has never been more important. Today’s guest is Howard Goodman, Senior Technical Director at Skybox Security. With over 20 years of experience Howard has become a well known figure in the cybersecurity world, he combines strategic planning with hands-on application across many industries. In this episode we talk about; security culture, the evolution of cybersecurity training and how...
info_outlineRansomware may not be on your machines due to your negligence or mistakes. It could be there because of third-party software you are utilizing. Do you know what to do if this happens to you?
Today’s guest is Amitabh Sinha. Amitabh has a PhD in Computer Science and more than 20 years of experience in enterprise software, end-user computing, mobile, and database software. He co-founded Workspot in 2012. He was the General Manager of Enterprise Desktop and Applications at Citrix Systems. In his five years at Citrix, he was the VP of Product Management for XenDesktop and VP of Engineering for the Advanced Solutions Group.
Show Notes:
- [1:03] - Amitabh shares his background and current role and contributions at Workspot.
- [4:35] - The first sign of ransomware in an organization is widespread blue screens and Microsoft machines shutting down.
- [5:40] - How does ransomware find its way to a device?
- [6:59] - Ransomware in your organization is not necessarily your fault.
- [10:37] - Amitabh describes how he has helped client organizations back up and running after having been infected with ransomware.
- [13:11] - Typically, it is not recommended to pay the ransomware, but it may be a viable option for some organizations.
- [15:59] - Most small companies are not prepared to prevent or handle ransomware.
- [17:34] - In most large companies, not all PCs are up to date on security patches.
- [20:41] - Cloud storage is much safer and can be accessed on other physical machines in the event that ransomware shuts down an organization.
- [24:41] - For those who work from home, sometimes multiple machines makes things even more complicated.
- [27:35] - What are you willing to pay to not have something happen? That’s how ransomware takes advantage of people.
- [31:20] - For small companies, there is typically an architectural solution, but that isn’t always viable for large organizations.
- [33:14] - Consider the critical functions of your organizations and what a plan could be if computers were not accessible.
- [34:37] - These types of attacks are more and more frequent.
- [36:44] - Amitabh is confident that AI will make preventing ransomware even more challenging.
- [40:38] - Most people have accepted that a lot, if not all, their information has already been leaked on the internet. But businesses are particularly vulnerable.
- [42:30] - A whole organization can be drastically impacted by just one machine being hit by ransomware.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.