Privacy and Surveillance
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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Navigating Data Brokering and Privacy
Easy Prey
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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Be Your Own Fraud Prevention Hero
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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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Empowering the Vulnerable
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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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How Not to Money with Joel Larsgaard
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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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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...
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.