Plaintext with Rich

Rich Greene

Cybersecurity is an everyone problem. So why does it always sound like it’s only for IT people? Each week, Rich takes one topic, from phishing to ransomware to how your phone actually tracks you, and explains it in plain language in under ten minutes or less. No buzzwords. No condescension. Just the stuff you need to know to stay safer online, explained like you’re a smart person who never had anyone break it down properly. Because you are!

Episodes

  1. 1D AGO

    How Phishing Wins By Borrowing Your Emotions

    Most breaches don’t start with malware. They start with a feeling. We explore why social engineering works so well in ordinary moments, and how attackers lean on urgency, authority, and fear to push quick clicks, rushed approvals, and hasty payments. From email to texts, calls, QR codes, and AI‑polished messages, the goal is always the same: capture your action before your judgment arrives. We walk through clear definitions to separate phishing from the broader field of social engineering, then map the modern attack surface: smishing that imitates banks and delivery alerts, vishing that mimics support desks and fraud departments, business email compromise that reroutes invoices, and MFA fatigue attacks that poke until someone taps approve. You’ll hear how voice cloning and fluent writing make lures feel familiar, and why the best fix isn’t being smarter it’s being slower. To make that practical, we share an anti‑phishing starter kit you can use today. Pause for ten seconds when messages touch money, passwords, codes, downloads, or urgency. Verify requests in a second channel you already trust. Treat “unexpected plus urgent” as suspicious by default. Then add stronger layers: inspect domains and destinations, use password managers for detection, prefer passkeys or hardware keys for MFA, and require two‑person approvals for wire transfers, vendor changes, and payroll updates. If you’ve already clicked, act fast: alert security, change passwords from a clean path, check MFA and forwarding rules, and escalate immediately when money is at risk. We end by busting three myths: good phishing isn’t obvious, confidence invites mistakes, and training helps but processes stop more. If this helped, share it with someone who moves fast under pressure, subscribe for future plain‑text breakdowns, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    9 min

  2. JAN 30

    Ransomware Starts With Access And Ends With Leverage

    Your screens don’t go dark first they go quiet. We walk through how modern ransomware begins with access, not chaos, and why double extortion flipped the incentives: attackers steal sensitive data, then encrypt to amplify pressure. That shift turns incidents into business crises that touch legal, communications, customer trust, and sometimes survival. We unpack the boring but true entry points phishing, password reuse, exposed remote access, lagging patches, and over-privileged vendors and show how patient operators stage data theft before any ransom note appears. You’ll hear how today’s crews operate like a supply chain, from initial access brokers to negotiators, and why understanding that structure helps you break the attack at practical seams. Then we lay out a plain text defense starter kit: immutable, tested backups; multi-factor authentication on what matters; urgent patching for internet-facing systems; reduced administrative sprawl; and network segmentation to limit blast radius. When the worst happens, acting deliberately beats reacting emotionally. We share a concise incident playbook: isolate systems, preserve evidence, involve experienced responders and legal early, confirm what was accessed and exfiltrated, and communicate with verified facts. We also tackle the hard question should you pay? with honest trade-offs and a focus on building options before you ever face that decision. Finally, we clear away myths: small targets are still targets, antivirus isn’t a strategy, and backups don’t fix data leaks. If this breakdown helps, subscribe, share it with someone who would benefit, and tell us what security topic you want next we read and respond to every message. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    8 min

  3. JAN 23

    IoT Security Made Simple: Protecting The Devices You Forgot You Own

    Your house didn’t suddenly become unsafe it became chatty. Doorbells, cameras, smart TVs, speakers, and even “just a light bulb” are small computers that inherit real risk the moment they join your Wi‑Fi. We unpack how convenience-first design leads to weak defaults, vague support lifespans, and devices that quietly age while the internet around them gets smarter. No scare tactics, just a clear look at how attackers actually operate at scale and why most compromises happen without anyone specifically targeting you. We map the three most common outcomes when IoT goes sideways: silent botnets that borrow your bandwidth, footholds that let attackers probe the rest of your network, and data exposure through patterns, logs, and metadata. Then we shift into a practical, high‑impact starter kit built for homes and small offices. You’ll learn how to inventory your devices, apply firmware updates that stick, set long unique passwords, and separate networks so a weak gadget cannot wander into your work laptop. We also cover trimming unnecessary features remote access, voice controls, cloud links to reduce your attack surface without losing what you actually use. To wrap it up, we bust stubborn myths: you are not too boring to hack, a light bulb is still a networked computer, and antivirus won’t save devices that cannot run it. The real win is attention over fear. With a little structure and occasional maintenance, you stop being the easiest option and keep the convenience you bought these gadgets for. If this breakdown helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a safer smart home, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    8 min

  4. JAN 16

    Cloud Security Without The Panic

    A breach without a break-in sounds strange until you realize the cloud rarely fails with drama it fails with defaults. We walk through why identity has replaced the physical perimeter, how ordinary configuration decisions create extraordinary risks, and what actually happens once an attacker lands. No scare tactics, just a clear path from common pitfalls to practical fixes you can deploy this week. We start by translating the cloud into plain terms: rented compute, storage, and identity systems you control through configuration. From there, we map the usual failure modes public buckets, over-permissioned roles, secrets sprawled across repos and chats, and powerful accounts without MFA. We also explain shadow cloud, where teams spin up SaaS and resources beyond central oversight, and why weak monitoring means the first alert often comes from a bill or a phone call, not your console. When attackers get in, they follow a simple playbook: take data, abuse compute for crypto mining, and establish persistence by adding users, keys, and altered logs. You’ll leave with a focused starter kit to prevent most incidents: enforce MFA on admins, email, and SSO; apply least privilege with time-bound elevation; replace long-lived secrets with short-lived tokens and managed identities; make storage private by default; and turn on logging with high-signal alerts for new admins, disabled MFA, unusual locations, and large downloads. We then go deeper into hardening workloads, pruning unused services, limiting inbound access, and treating APIs like locked doors with authentication, rate limits, and validation. Finally, we show how policy-as-code and cloud posture tools create guardrails that block unsafe deployments before they happen, acknowledging that speed and pressure are constants and designing for containment. If this breakdown clarified your next steps, follow the show, share it with a teammate who owns a risky bucket, and leave a quick review so more builders can secure their cloud without the panic. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    8 min

  5. JAN 9

    From Shared Secrets To Secure Proof: Why Passkeys Win

    Your name or username doesn’t unlock an account—reused secrets do. We dig into why the internet’s copy‑and‑paste approach to passwords keeps failing and show how passkeys flip the model from disclosure to proof. With a device‑bound private key and simple gestures like a tap or a glance, sign‑ins get faster while phishing and credential stuffing lose their fuel. No more shared secrets to steal, replay, or resell. We walk through what passwordless really means, not the hype: identity proven with something you have and something you are, anchored by public‑key cryptography. You’ll hear why phishing resistance comes from origin binding, how passkeys eliminate reuse, and where support tickets drop when resets vanish. Then we slow down on the trade‑offs. Device loss and account recovery are the new attack surface, so we break down the real risks—weak backups, stale phone numbers, and social engineering at support—and how to close those gaps without adding friction. To get you moving, we share a practical plan: protect core accounts starting with email, then Apple, Google, or Microsoft, your password manager, and financial logins. Turn on passkeys where offered, keep strong MFA where they aren’t, prefer apps or hardware keys over SMS, and lock down recovery with verified contacts, backup codes, and at least one additional trusted device. Along the way, we debunk common myths—no, sites don’t keep your biometrics; no, passwordless isn’t a magic shield; yes, daily use is simpler than passwords while planning shifts to recovery. Ready to trade memorized secrets for proof and speed? Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs a safer login, and leave a review to tell us which account you’ll upgrade first. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    9 min

  6. JAN 2

    Quantum Threats, Plain Answers

    A thief can steal your secrets without opening a single box. That’s the unsettling reality behind harvest now, decrypt later the strategy that makes quantum risk a present-day problem for data with a long shelf life. We unpack how today’s public key cryptography underpins trust on the internet and why future quantum machines could unravel that trust for traffic already captured. We start by breaking down encryption in plain language fast, shared-secret systems for bulk protection and public key systems for identity, key exchange, and signatures. From there, we explain where quantum computing changes the game: not by magic, but by accelerating the math that secures TLS handshakes, VPNs, code signing, email gateways, and certificate chains. If attackers record those exchanges now, they can potentially decrypt or forge them later when new tools arrive. Then we get practical with a post-quantum roadmap you can act on. Identify long-life data that would still cause harm years from now. Build a crypto inventory across web connections, certificates, databases, backups, and signing workflows so you know where to upgrade. Design for crypto agility with modular libraries instead of hard-coded algorithms. Press vendors for clear post-quantum plans and timelines, and consider hybrid approaches that pair classical and PQC during the transition. We also cover cleanup of legacy crypto, better backup protection, and straightforward steps for non-security folks: update devices, use reputable platforms, enable strong authentication, and replace outdated hardware. We close by clearing up common myths: quantum isn’t science fiction, encryption won’t become useless, and waiting is the real risk for long-life data. The path forward is steady and informed progress without panic. If this breakdown helped, subscribe, share it with someone who handles sensitive data, and leave a quick review so others can find Plain Text With Rich. Got a security topic you want decoded? Send it our way and we’ll tackle it next. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    8 min

  7. JAN 2

    Inside The Dark Web Market For Stolen Identities

    Your data doesn’t vanish after a breach it enters a market. We break down the dark web as a logistics layer for cybercrime, not a mythical place, and show how stolen credentials and identity records are bundled, priced, and resold based on freshness, completeness, and volume. The result isn’t always a dramatic wipeout; it’s usually slow, quiet harm that surfaces as odd charges, medical bills you don’t recognize, and loan denials that make no sense. We start by stripping away myths: the dark web isn’t separate from the internet and it isn’t inherently evil. Anonymity tools serve journalists and activists as much as criminals, but that same privacy enables large-scale trade of stolen data. From breach to buyer, we map the roles intruders, brokers, and fraud operators and explain why news headlines are a poor compass for personal risk. Utility, not publicity, drives what gets used, when it gets used, and how often it returns to bite you. Then we get practical. We shift the mindset from “breach as event” to “breach as exposure” and outline moves that actually lower risk: change passwords when incidents occur, use a password manager to stop cross-site reuse, turn on multi-factor authentication, and monitor the right channels credit reports, bank statements, and insurance portals on a schedule. We also talk about shrinking the data attackers can sell by closing old accounts, removing saved cards, and questioning why services hold sensitive details indefinitely. Good security accepts that some breaches happen and focuses on limiting what leaks, how long it stays valuable, and how fast you can recover. If this helped you see the bigger picture, subscribe for more plain-language security, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so others can find the show. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    7 min

  8. JAN 2

    Identity Theft, Made Plain

    Identity theft doesn’t start with a stolen wallet; it starts when systems decide an imitation of you is good enough. We dig into how small bits of personal data collected by countless forms, portals, and programs get copied, merged, and resold until they become convincing profiles that pass automated checks. That’s why the hit often lands months or years after a headline breach fades, and why the fallout feels less like a single loss and more like an administrative grind that drains time and attention. We walk through the real mechanics: fragments that never age out, breaches that cascade, and verification processes that accept “just enough” to open accounts, reset access, or attach debt to your name. The hard truth is that most victims didn’t make a reckless mistake; they were downstream from overcollection, long retention, or weak protection. Rather than pointing blame, we focus on steps that measurably reduce risk and shrink the blast radius. Then we get practical. First, fortify the “golden key” of your digital life email with strong, unique credentials and app-based or hardware MFA. Second, place a credit freeze to block new accounts by default and lift it only when you truly need credit. Third, turn visibility into a habit with alerts for sign-ins, changes, and financial activity so you catch misuse early. Fourth, assume exposure and prepare for recovery with a simple playbook and resilient authentication. Layered together, these controls make your identity harder to borrow and faster to reclaim the difference between disruption and disaster. If this breakdown helped, share it with someone who’d benefit, and tell us what security topic you want in plain text next. Subscribe, leave a review, and drop your questions we read and respond to every message. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    6 min

  9. JAN 2

    How AI Deepfakes Hijack Instincts And What To Do Next

    A familiar voice calls. The phrase you’ve heard a hundred times lands with urgency. Your gut says act now wire the money, share the code, approve the access. That reflex once kept work moving and families safe. Today, AI can borrow the voice, mimic the cadence, and ride your instincts for sixty seconds. That’s long enough to cause real harm. We dive into the mechanics of modern deepfakes: how a few public breadcrumbs voicemails, Zoom clips, social videos train models to sound and look convincing. We walk through the most common attack plays, from the fake CEO pushing a confidential transfer to the distressed relative with a broken phone and a new number, to the video meeting that feels legit just long enough to ask for credentials. The pattern isn’t perfection; it’s urgency. The goal isn’t to fool you forever; it’s to rush you past verification. Then we shift from fear to action. We share a four-step playbook that works at home and at work: slow down urgent requests, verify on a second channel, create no-exception rules for money and access, and assume audio and video can be faked until proven otherwise. Along the way, we reframe trust itself. Voices and faces used to be reliable signals; AI has broken that assumption. Your senses aren’t failing you’re just receiving synthetic input, which means trust must be paired with process. By the end, you’ll have clear, repeatable habits that lower risk without slowing life to a crawl. Think of it as adding friction exactly where attackers need speed. If this resonated, share it with someone who handles approvals or transfers, and tell us: what out-of-band check will you implement this week? Subscribe, leave a review, and send your security questions we read every note and reply. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    6 min

  10. JAN 2

    Cybersecurity Made Human: Protect What Matters Online

    Lock the digital doors without the panic. We unpack cybersecurity in simple, human terms and show how calm design, not fear or jargon, keeps your email, money, photos, and work safe from boring mistakes that become costly emergencies. The goal is straightforward: protect digital things that matter while accepting that people are busy, distracted, and human. We start by reframing cybersecurity as everyday decision-making: what needs protection, who should access it, and what the plan is when something goes wrong. From there, we look at how life quietly moved online, banking, healthcare, school, remote work and why safety rules didn’t keep up. Most breaches aren’t cinematic hacks; they’re the result of reused passwords, leftover accounts, open folders, and missed updates. The impact is real: accounts taken over, systems down, lost time, and damaged trust that is hard to rebuild. Then we get practical. If you do nothing else, do these four things: protect your email like the control center it is, use strong unique passwords with a password manager, turn on multi-factor authentication everywhere, and keep your devices and apps updated. These small habits block a huge number of real-world attacks and make recovery far easier. We wrap with a mindset shift: design for mistakes, limit damage with least privilege and clean access, remove accounts when people leave, and keep simple backups and a recovery plan. Tools matter, but the design and habits matter more. Take ten minutes to adopt a calmer, smarter approach to online life. If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a clear starting point, and tell us what topic you want broken down next. Your question might shape a future show. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    6 min

  11. 12/29/2025

    A Beginner’s Guide To Security Without The Jargon

    Most tech talk feels like it was written for someone else. We’re changing that with a simple promise: short, story-driven breakdowns of security and technology that swap jargon and fear for clarity you can act on. One topic, one takeaway, ten minutes or less built for the 99% who use tech every day and want to feel confident, not overwhelmed. We lay out how the system actually behaves, not just what the headlines scream. You’ll hear why security fails less from lack of intelligence and more from confusing systems, clashing incentives, and bad explanations. We unpack cybersecurity, identity, AI, breaches, and risk with plain words, concrete examples, and zero condescension. The goal isn’t to make you a specialist; it’s to make you dangerously clear on the basics clear enough to explain a concept to someone else, spot nonsense when you hear it, and make better decisions without panic. This show runs on your questions. If you’ve ever thought, “I wish someone would just explain this,” that’s our cue. Send what confuses you MFA, passkeys, phishing, data leaks, cloud trust and we’ll turn it into a crisp walkthrough with one actionable takeaway. Expect practical guidance you can use right away: simple steps to reduce risk, a framework for reading scary headlines, and language that helps your team align on what matters. Subscribe, share an episode with a friend who needs clear tech talk, and leave a review with the next topic you want explained in plain text. Your questions power the show and they’ll help more people trade fear for understanding. Is there a topic/term you want me to discuss next? Text me!!

    4 min
  • 11 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Cybersecurity is an everyone problem. So why does it always sound like it’s only for IT people? Each week, Rich takes one topic, from phishing to ransomware to how your phone actually tracks you, and explains it in plain language in under ten minutes or less. No buzzwords. No condescension. Just the stuff you need to know to stay safer online, explained like you’re a smart person who never had anyone break it down properly. Because you are!

Information

  • Creator
    Rich Greene
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Plaintext with Rich
  • Show Website
    Plaintext with Rich