AI Supercharges Scams
Easy Prey
Cybercriminals are accelerating their attacks in ways that weren’t possible a few years ago. Artificial intelligence is giving them the ability to spin up phishing campaigns, voice clones, and deepfakes in minutes instead of days. As a result, the gap between what’s genuine and what’s fake is closing fast, making it harder for both individuals and organizations to defend themselves. I’m thrilled to welcome Brett Winterford, Vice President of Okta Threat Intelligence. Brett has had a front row seat to these changes. His team analyzes identity-based attacks and delivers insights to help...
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Vanishing is a Lie
Easy Prey
Trying to erase yourself from the internet sounds simple until you start counting up old accounts, scattered social media posts, and the hundreds of data brokers quietly collecting and selling your information. The reality is messy, and for most people, the idea of fully disappearing online is more myth than possibility. But there are practical steps you can take to cut down what’s out there and regain some control. My guest, Max Eddy, is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter who covers privacy, security, and software platforms. For one of his projects, he set out to see how much of his own...
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Hackers Are Winning
Easy Prey
Cyberattacks aren’t just about hackers in hoodies anymore. Today, we’re up against professionalized, well-funded organizations that run like businesses. They use AI to crack defenses, run labs that simulate the tools we rely on, and rake in trillions while defenders struggle to keep pace. The scary part? Even the strongest companies and governments can fall behind when the threat landscape moves this fast. My guest, Evan Powell, has spent nearly 30 years in the cybersecurity world. He’s the founder and CEO of Deep Tempo, and a serial entrepreneur who’s helped industries from cloud data...
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Before the Fraud Tsunami Hits with Ritesh Kotak
Easy Prey
Scams aren’t what they used to be. These days, AI can write perfect emails, mimic voices, and even fake a video call so well you’d swear you were talking to the real person. The problem is, the timing of a scam can be just right when you’re distracted, busy, or looking for exactly what they’re offering. That’s when even the most careful person can get caught. My guest, Ritesh Kotak, knows this world inside and out. He’s a cybersecurity analyst, an Ontario lawyer, and a tech innovator who’s worked with Fortune 500 companies and served in policing, where he helped start one of...
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Privacy is Dead
Easy Prey
Privacy in the digital age has grown from a background concern into one of the defining issues of our time. What began with simple questions about online safety has expanded into a complex, global conversation about how artificial intelligence, biometric data, and massive data ecosystems are reshaping daily life. Pam Dixon has been at the center of these discussions for more than two decades. As the founder and executive director of the World Privacy Forum, she’s worked across the U.S., Europe, India, Africa, and beyond, advising governments, international organizations, and policymakers on...
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America’s Scam Crisis
Easy Prey
Most of us think of scams as random or isolated or something that just happens to unlucky people. But what if the truth is far more organized, far more disturbing? Behind many of today’s scams is a global web of criminal enterprises, structured like corporations and fueled by technology, data, and billions of stolen dollars. In this episode, we sit down with Ken Westbrook. Ken spent over three decades in the CIA before retiring, only to return to the fight after his own mother was targeted and lost most of her life savings to a tech support scam. That moment changed everything. He founded...
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How Fraudsters Choose Targets
Easy Prey
It’s easy to think of fraud prevention as a technical problem with a software solution. But according to Brian Davis, effective fraud defense is just as much about people, trust, and communication as it is about tools and data. With over a decade of experience, Brian has built fraud teams from scratch, shaped company-wide strategy, and helped growing startups shift from reactive to proactive risk management. Brian is the Head of Fraud at Dodgeball, where he’s helping bring their orchestration platform to market, and the founder of House of Fraud, an invite-only community where top fraud...
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Hidden Dangers of AI in Cybersecurity
Easy Prey
Everyone’s talking about AI these days, especially in cybersecurity. Sure, artificial intelligence can boost your defenses, but cybercriminals have noticed too. Now they're crafting phishing emails so believable it’s scary and finding clever paths around spam filters while zeroing in on vulnerabilities you didn’t even realize were there. Today, Aviad Hasnis joins the show. He's the CTO of Cynet Security and spent years running cybersecurity missions for the Israeli Defense Forces. Aviad’s here to help us figure out what the changing threat landscape really means, whether...
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Author Scams Exposed
Easy Prey
Writers pour their hearts into their work, but unfortunately, that passion can make them prime targets for scams. From fake agents and vanity publishers to slick marketing schemes and social media impersonators, the tactics have only gotten more sophisticated over time. In this episode, we dig into the murky world of publishing scams and how they work and who they target. Along with why even experienced authors can get caught off guard. Today’s guest is Victoria Strauss. Victoria is the author of nine fantasy and historical novels for adults and teens, and she’s also the co-founder of...
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Tricked by Followers and Badges
Easy Prey
What if your social media success was built on deception, and it was working? In today’s episode, we hear from someone who knows exactly how that happens. Tim O’Hearn is a former software engineer and the author of Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media, a book that pulls back the curtain on how follower factories, automation, and persuasive technologies have shaped the online world we now take for granted. Tim doesn’t just theorize, he built these systems himself. Tim walks us through how his small side gig growing Instagram accounts evolved into a lucrative business, one...
info_outlineCybercriminals are accelerating their attacks in ways that weren’t possible a few years ago. Artificial intelligence is giving them the ability to spin up phishing campaigns, voice clones, and deepfakes in minutes instead of days. As a result, the gap between what’s genuine and what’s fake is closing fast, making it harder for both individuals and organizations to defend themselves.
I’m thrilled to welcome Brett Winterford, Vice President of Okta Threat Intelligence. Brett has had a front row seat to these changes. His team analyzes identity-based attacks and delivers insights to help organizations adapt their defenses. Brett previously served as Okta’s Regional CISO for Asia-Pacific and Japan and started his career as a journalist covering information security before moving into leadership roles in banking, government, and technology.
In this episode, Brett explains how AI is reshaping the speed and scale of cybercrime, why trusted platforms like email, SMS, and collaboration tools are being targeted, and what practical steps can reduce risk. He highlights the growing importance of phishing-resistant authentication methods like passkeys, the need for clearer communication between service providers and users, and the role of collaboration across industries and law enforcement in pushing back against attackers.
Show Notes:
- [00:00] Brett Winterford introduces himself as Vice President of Okta Threat Intelligence and explains how identity-based threats are monitored.
- [02:00] He shares his career path from cybersecurity journalist to CISO roles and now to leading threat intelligence.
- [05:48] Brett compares phishing campaigns of a decade ago with today’s AI-driven ability to launch attacks in minutes.
- [08:00] He notes how reconnaissance and lure creation have become easier with artificial intelligence.
- [10:40] Brett describes the shift from banking malware to generic infostealers that sell stolen credentials.
- [12:30] He explains how cryptocurrency changed the targeting of attacks by offering higher payouts.
- [14:21] We learn about the Poison Seed campaign that used compromised bulk email accounts to spread phishing.
- [15:26] Brett highlights the rise of SMS and other trusted communication channels as phishing delivery methods.
- [16:04] He explains how attackers exploit platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack to bypass traditional defenses.
- [18:30] Brett details a Slack-based campaign where attackers impersonated a CEO and smuggled phishing links.
- [22:41] He warns that generative AI has erased many of the old “red flags” that once signaled a scam.
- [23:01] Brett advises consumers to focus on top-level domains, official apps, and intent of requests to detect phishing.
- [26:06] He stresses why organizations should adopt passkeys, even though adoption can be challenging.
- [27:22] Brett points out that passkeys offer faster, more secure logins compared to traditional passwords.
- [28:31] He explains how attackers increasingly rely on SMS, WhatsApp, and social platforms instead of email.
- [31:00] Brett discusses voice cloning scams targeting both individuals and corporate staff.
- [32:30] He warns about deepfake video being used in fraud schemes, including North Korean IT worker scams.
- [34:59] Brett explains why traditional media-specific red flags are less useful and critical thinking is essential.
- [37:15] He emphasizes the need for service providers to create trusted communication channels for verification.
- [39:29] Brett talks about the difficulty of convincing users to reset credentials during real incidents.
- [41:00] He reflects on how attackers adapt quickly and why organizations must raise the cost of attacks.
- [44:18] Brett highlights the importance of cross-industry collaboration with groups like Interpol and Europol.
- [45:24] He directs listeners to Okta’s newsroom for resources on threat intelligence and recent campaigns.
- [47:00] Brett advises consumers to experiment with passkeys and use official apps to reduce risk.
- [48:00] He closes by stressing the importance of having a trusted, in-app channel for security communications.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.