Libsyn Directory

Privacy and Surveillance

Release Date: 04/02/2025

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...

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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 didn't just read about surveillance, he lived under its shadow, using VPNs to bypass censorship and experiencing the gut-wrenching moment of being detained and questioned by Chinese authorities.

In our revealing conversation, Josh pulls back the curtain on what government surveillance actually feels like from the inside. He shares how these experiences transformed a personal survival strategy into a mission to help others protect themselves in our increasingly watched world.

We dive into how surveillance actually works from those eerily accurate facial recognition systems to the GPS tracking that follows your every move, and the countless ways big companies turn your personal information into profit. Josh not only makes us aware of potential problems, he offers real-world solutions that balance security with the convenience we all crave.

With Josh's guidance, we discover surprisingly simple ways to shield our digital lives from encrypted messaging apps that keep conversations private, virtual credit cards that protect your finances, and alternative mailing addresses that safeguard your physical location. He also reveals the hidden dangers lurking in those so-called smart devices scattered throughout your home, and explains why privacy matters even if you think you have nothing to hide.

Show Notes:

[00:34] Josh is the host of All Things Secured. He wants to help people become a hacker's worst nightmare.
[01:30] Josh, his wife, and children lived in China. There was censorship and social platforms were blocked.
[02:05] He began using VPNs. Over the decade there, every type of surveillance was used.
[03:34] He had a travel site and walked around with a camera.
[04:03] In 2018 he was detained by the government. It was scary and he realized the rights he was giving up when traveling to other countries.
[05:53] He was kicked out of China, and became more conscious of the pervasive mass surveillance.
[08:40] He was severely outmatched with the psychological tricks of the interrogators.
[12:57] Even if surveillance is legal, that doesn't make it ethical.
[13:18] Small consistent steps towards privacy will make us less of a target.
[14:25] Josh talks about ways that we are being monitored from cameras to facial recognition. Digital currencies track what we purchase.
[17:04] Facebook has so many files on us. Being tracked online adds up.
[21:07] There are ways to build a privacy moat around your digital life and still stay in contact with friends and family.
[22:27] Steps for practical privacy include being careful about how you share data, encrypted alternatives, and use masking services to reduce your digital footprint. You can also use virtual credit cards.
[31:46] We talk about using peer-to-peer payment apps.
[34:12] When your habits and your contacts are public, it makes it easier to social engineer.
[35:29] Virtual mailboxes can add additional privacy.
[39:50] Issues with IoT devices include how it's being stored, transmitted, and shared.

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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