Brushing Scams with Venkat Margapuri
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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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Ransomware, Phishing and Fraud
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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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CISOs: The Ultimate Stress Test With Jill Knesek
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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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AI, Automation, and the Future of Cybersecurity With Mike Lyborg
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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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Cybersecurity Training from Boring to Engaging With Howard Goodman
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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...
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Next-Gen Account Security with Christiaan Brand
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With phishing and password breaches on the rise, passkeys could offer a more secure, user-friendly solution that could reshape how we protect our online identities. Today's guest is Christiaan Brand. Christiaan is the co-founder of Entersekt, a financial services security firm and a key player at Google in their security and identity teams. A respected voice in cybersecurity, Christian co-chairs the FIDO2 technical working group focusing on standardizing robust online security protocols in advancing the use of passkeys. He has been at the forefront of the shift toward more secure,...
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5 Key Cybersecurity Elements with Kelly Hood
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How do phishing scams, AI-powered attacks, and strategic governance intersect? Together, they're redefining the future of cybersecurity. Organizations are navigating a mix of challenges and implementing innovative solutions to proactively address today's threats. Today's guest is Kelly Hood. She is the EVP and cybersecurity engineer at Optics Cyber Solutions. She is a CISSP who specializes in implementing cybersecurity and privacy best practices to manage risks and to achieve compliance. She supports the NIST cybersecurity framework and serves as a CMMC registered practitioner, helping...
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Identity Crimes (Theft, Compromise & Misuse) with Mona Terry
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When you search for customer service numbers online, you might come across a scammer’s number instead. It’s important to be cautious when sharing personal information, and to verify identities before responding to requests for sensitive data. Today’s guest is Mona Terry. As Chief Victims Officer at Identity Theft Resource Center, she navigates the complexities of identity protection and identity crime recovery and management of multi-million dollar federal grants. She analyzes victim experiences to create ITRC’s Identity Report and to provide information about new and ongoing...
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Why Resolutions Fail with Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps
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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
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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...
info_outlinePig 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 prosecutions regarding SIM swapping and cryptocurrency hacks.
- [4:35] - The emotional impact of “just a financial crime,” is staggering.
- [7:38] - You never know who around you is a victim of some of these crimes.
- [8:18] - Erin describes the experience of being convinced to click a link herself.
- [10:32] - Scammers will think about different things that would trigger someone into clicking a link.
- [13:40] - Pig butchering involves building trust with a victim and showing them a false plush lifestyle.
- [16:08] - A red flag is a text or social media message you may receive that seems misdirected or to a wrong number.
- [19:21] - It feels like the right thing to do when we feel the need to respond to the scammer with a “you’ve got the wrong number,” but that’s how they start a conversation.
- [22:29] - In many cases, scammers bulk text a massive amount of phone numbers. But some people are specifically targeted on social media.
- [24:23] - Covid really accelerated this type of scam due to loneliness.
- [25:40] - A misconception is that these scams target the elderly. But it is not based on age at all.
- [27:03] - Unfortunately, law enforcement is not set up to be able to handle this type of crime.
- [28:18] - Erin explains that law enforcement doesn’t tend to always lead with empathy when this type of crime is reported.
- [30:12] - It is important to report the crime to local law enforcement, but there are other places that the crime can be reported to in addition.
- [32:50] - Victims should be able to speak to a detective.
- [34:33] - Victims should be very wary of third party recovery programs.
- [37:26] - On the other side of things, a scammer could also be a victim of human trafficking and being forced to scam others.
- [39:40] - Scams are being operated on a massive scale and have a front of a corporate business.
- [41:14] - Initially, most of the cases seemed to have money moved out of the country. However, recently scammers have been found to be operating in the US.
- [44:04] - There is some hope and opportunities in recent months where money laundering has been intercepted.
- [46:41] - Progress in education and advocating for less victim shaming is moving in the right direction.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.