Libsyn Directory

Next-Gen Account Security with Christiaan Brand

Release Date: 01/22/2025

Easy Prey

Some scams are so convincing, they’re almost impossible to spot. With phishing emails that look like they’re from your bank, deep fake videos that mimic real people, and AI-generated messages that feel personal, it’s getting harder to know what’s real and what’s a trap. In this episode, I sit down with Gabrielle Hempel, a security operations specialist at Exabeam and a current law student at Purdue University. Gabrielle brings a sharp perspective shaped by years in cybersecurity, a master’s in cybersecurity and global affairs from NYU, and hands-on experience navigating everything...

Child Exploitation Cyber Investigations

Easy Prey

Technology is a double-edged sword. It can empower us, connect us, and solve problems, but it can also be used to exploit, manipulate, and harm. When it comes to protecting children online, that line gets especially thin. Digital forensics, AI-powered image classification, and global law enforcement collaboration are now essential tools for keeping families safe in a world that moves faster than most of us can keep up. Debbie Garner knows this world intimately. She’s a retired Special Agent in charge with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and former commander of the state’s Internet...

Reclaiming the Internet

Easy Prey

We may not always understand the evolution of the internet and how tech monopolies exist, but having digital freedom fighters is vital to making conscious change. Today's guest is Cory Doctorow. Cory is a science fiction author, activist, and journalist. He is the author of many books and most recently, Picks and Shovels, The Bezel, and The Lost Cause, a solar punk science fiction novel of hope amidst the climate change emergency. His most recent nonfiction book is the internet con How to Seize the Means of Corruption, a big tech disassembly manual. Other recent books include Red Team...

Security Gaps Hackers Exploit

Easy Prey

Scammers aren’t just phishing your inbox anymore—they’re impersonating your voice, your face, and even your coworkers. Deep fakes and social engineering have moved beyond clever tricks and become powerful tools that bad actors are using to infiltrate businesses, breach accounts, and dismantle trust at scale. What used to take a hacker hours and expensive tools can now be done in minutes by anyone with a Wi-Fi connection and a little malicious intent. Our guest today is Aaron Painter, CEO of Nametag, a company leading the charge in next-generation identity verification. Aaron’s...

Cyber Warfare

Easy Prey

Cyber warfare is no longer something that happens behind closed doors or in some far-off digital corner. It's happening now—and reshaping the rules of conflict in real time. Drone strikes controlled by apps, ransomware attacks on hospitals—today's battleground is just as likely to be online as on the ground. That science fiction scenario is now a critical, constant threat-the kind that affects us all globally. I'm really excited to introduce you to Dr. Chase Cunningham. He's a retired Navy chief cryptologist with a wealth of experience in cyber operations for the NSA, CIA, FBI—and more....

DDoS Attacks

Easy Prey

Scammers are getting smarter, understanding the psychology behind social engineering and the challenges companies face every day can help keep networks secure. This episode will show how to anticipate these threats and secure networks against ever-changing vulnerabilities. We’ll focus on practical, real-world solutions to protect data and trust. Dr. Jared Smith joins us to share his insights from his role leading research and development at SecurityScorecard. He also co-founded UnCat, a B2B accounting technology company serving thousands of customers and teaches as an adjunct professor at...

Safe AI Implementation

Easy Prey

Red models associated with AI technologies highlight real-world vulnerabilities and the importance of proactive security measures. It is vital to educate users about how to explore the challenges and keep AI systems secure. Today’s guest is Dr. Aditya Sood. Dr. Sood is the VP of Security Engineering and AI Strategy at Aryaka and is a security practitioner, researcher, and consultant with more than 16 years of experience. He obtained his PhD in computer science from Michigan State University and has authored several papers for various magazines and journals. In this conversation, he will shed...

The Art of Espionage

Easy Prey

What makes someone betray their country? It’s rarely just about money. In this episode, you’ll hear from a retired CIA officer who spent 25 years recruiting foreign spies by tapping into something deeper than greed. Jim Lawler shares real stories from his career in human intelligence, where persuasion was built on empathy, trust, and understanding what truly drives people. From failed pitches to high-stakes successes, he explains the psychology behind espionage, how personal stress becomes a powerful leverage point, and why most people who commit treason believe they’ve been betrayed...

Understanding Ransomware and Defense Strategies

Easy Prey

When it comes to cybersecurity, most people think about firewalls, passwords, and antivirus software. But what about the attackers themselves? Understanding how they operate is just as important as having the right defenses in place. That’s where Paul Reid comes in. As the Vice President of Adversary Research at AttackIQ, Paul and his team work to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals by thinking like them and identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. In this episode, we dive into the world of cyber threats, ransomware, and the business of hacking. Paul shares insights...

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...

More Episodes

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, password-free systems. We’ll hear his insights on the challenges and opportunities of implementing passkeys to create safer online environments for users and organizations.

Show Notes:

[00:52] - Christiaan is part of the security team for Google accounts. He's been with Google for 9 years. Prior to that he had a startup.
[01:30] - He joined the FIDO Alliance around the same time Google joined in 2013. When he joined Google, he was able to continue with the same type of work.
[02:35] - Each of the big tech companies represents a portion of the market when it comes to how we interact with the web and apps.
[04:06] - He became interested in security when he started thinking about what could go wrong with new technology solutions. He wanted users to be able to access their financial information in a safe and secure way.
[05:06] - 2FA began gaining traction with Google in 2011. It coincided with the launch of Google Authenticator. 2FA was also used by a gaming company.
[07:54] - Usability is important, that's why having an app that displays the codes was one of the first forays into making the technology more accessible.
[08:34] - Passkeys allow us to move beyond passwords, leaving the extra hassle of traditional multi-factor authentication behind.
[11:05] - Key fobs were one of the earlier ways to try and bring usability to security. Now the technology is being moved to smartphones.
[12:33] - Passkeys are a replacement for a password manager.
[13:35] - Passkeys are extremely long and asymmetric in nature. You and the site you're going to both have the passkey.
[14:27] - The service will have the public part of the passkey, and you'll have the private part. Even if the public part leaks out, your passkey will still be secure. Passkeys can never be revealed to phishing sites.
[15:47] - FIDO brings the second authentication step in. The service also has to identify themselves.
[20:04] - Password managers try to balance security and convenience. Logging in or accessing a passkey is a unique challenge for providers.
[22:20] - Phone numbers are a way to get users back into their accounts.
[25:19] - Single device users have extra challenges.
[26:08] - There are pros and cons to external sources of identity.
[29:44] - The FIDO website has many certified solutions.
[33:21] - To get passkeys into daily users' lives, we need to start using them on daily applications where we log in frequently.
[35:49] - Hopefully this passkey solution will stand the test of time.
[37:34] - Attacks are beginning to shift to session hijacking.
[38:24] - DBSC or device-based session credentials is a new standard parallel to FIDO.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

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