Hacking Humans

N2K Networks
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Hacking Humans

Deception, influence, and social engineering in the world of cyber crime.

  1. 17 HR AGO

    secure access service edge (SASE) (noun) [Word Notes]

    Enjoy this encore episode. A security architecture that incorporates the cloud shared responsibility model, a vendor provided security stack, an SD-WAN abstraction layer, and network peering with one or more of the big content providers and their associated fiber networks.

    8 min

  2. 5 DAYS AGO

    Happy hour hacking.

    Maria Varmazis, host of N2K's daily space show T-Minus, joins Dave and Joe to share the story of the five types of social engineers Deanne Lewis encountered while tending bar, revealing how each barroom personality reflects a common cybersecurity threat. Our hosts share some follow-up from a friend of the show, JJ, who reports a rise in tech support scams targeting non-tech-savvy users by locking their screens and persuading them to call scammers, often leading to credit card fraud and unauthorized remote access through tools like AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Joe has two stories this week: one covering JPMorgan Chase's lawsuits against individuals who exploited an ATM glitch to withdraw fake deposits, a scam popularized on TikTok; and the second on four suspects in Maryland charged with conning an elderly woman out of nearly $40,000 in a "pigeon drop" scam, where victims are promised a cut of "found" money in exchange for collateral. Dave's story is on a viral AI-generated hoax spreading on Facebook, where fake posts about neighbors egging cars over Halloween decorations are stirring moral panic and sowing distrust, especially among older users. Finally, our catch of the day comes from some text threads about a scammer trying to get clever while buying a used car. Links to the stories: The Five Types of Social Engineers I Met Tending Bar (And What They Taught Me About InfoSec) JPMorgan Chase is suing customers over 'infinite money glitch' ATM scam Four charged in ‘pigeon drop’ scam targeting elderly in Maryland The newest AI slop on Facebook exploits suburban fear You can hear more from the T-Minus space daily show here. Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.

    48 min

  3. 5 NOV

    red teaming (noun) [Word Notes]

    Enjoy this encore episode.  The practice of emulating known adversary behavior against an organization's actual defensive posture.

    6 min
  4. Whispers in the wires: A closer look at the new age of intrusion. [OMITB]

    5 NOV

    Whispers in the wires: A closer look at the new age of intrusion. [OMITB]

    Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is Selena Larson, Proofpoint intelligence analyst and host of their podcast DISCARDED. Inspired by the residents of a building in New York’s exclusive upper west side, Selena is joined by N2K Networks Dave Bittner and Rick Howard to uncover the stories behind notable cyberattacks.  Being a security researcher is a bit like being a detective: you gather clues, analyze the evidence, and consult the experts to solve the cyber puzzle. On this episode, we talk about how threat actors are shifting tactics across the landscape, focusing more on advanced social engineering and refined initial access strategies than on sophisticated malware. We’ll dive into Proofpoint's latest blog detailing a transport sector breach that, while involving relatively standard malware, showcases this growing trend of nuanced techniques and toolsets.

    40 min
  5. The Malware Mash

    31 OCT

    The Malware Mash

    Happy Halloween from the team at N2K Networks! We hope you share in our Halloween tradition of listening to the Malware Mash. You can check out our video here. Lyrics I was coding in the lab late one night when my eyes beheld an eerie sight  for my malware threat score began to rise  and suddenly to my surprise... It did the Mash  It did the Malware Mash  The Malware Mash  It was a botnet smash  It did the Mash  It caught on 'cause of Flash  The Malware Mash  It did the Malware Mash From the Stuxnet worm squirming toward the near east  to the dark web souqs where the script kiddies feast  the APTs left their humble abodes  to get installed from rootkit payloads.  They did the Mash  They did the Malware Mash  The Malware Mash  It was an adware smash  They did the Mash  It caught on 'cause of Flash  The Malware Mash  They did the Malware Mash The botnets were having fun  The DDoS had just begun  The viruses hit the darknet,  with ransomware yet to come.  The keys were logging, phishing emails abound,  Snowden on chains, backed by his Russian hounds.  The Shadow Brokers were about to arrive  with their vocal group, "The NotPetya Five." They did the Mash  They played the Malware Mash The Malware Mash  It was a botnet smash  They did the Mash  It caught on 'cause of Flash  The Malware Mash  They played the Malware Mash Somewhere in Moscow Vlad's voice did ring  Seems he was troubled by just one thing.  He opened a shell then shook his fist  and said, "Whatever happened to my Turla Trojan twist."  It's now the Mash  It's now the Malware Mash  The Malware Mash  And it's a botnet smash  It's now the Mash  It caught on 'cause of Flash  The Malware Mash  It's now the Malware Mash Now everything's cool, Vlad's a part of the band  And the Malware Mash is the hit of the land.  For you, defenders, this mash was meant to  when you get to my door, tell them Creeper sent you. Then you can Mash  Then you can Malware Mash  The Malware Mash  And be a botnet smash  It is the Mash  Don't you dare download Flash  The Malware Mash  Just do the Malware Mash

    4 min

  6. 31 OCT

    How political donations can be deceiving.

    Maria Varmazis, host of N2K's daily space show T-Minus, joins Dave and Joe to share the story of a relentless wave of political donation texts that go well beyond simple annoyance, revealing an unsettling impact on vulnerable populations. CNN's investigation exposes how these texts, with their urgent and personal tone, have led seniors, including those with dementia, to make thousands of donations—sometimes unknowingly amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars for campaigns. Joe's story highlights a dash cam video capturing a car colliding with another vehicle while backing up on a busy highway. The footage raises questions about driver awareness and road safety in high-traffic situations. Dave's story shares the alarming potential of OpenAI's real-time voice API, which allows scammers to create AI agents capable of executing phone scams for as little as $0.75. Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign revealed that these agents can autonomously conduct scams, raising serious concerns about the misuse of voice-enabled AI technology despite previous safety precautions. And finally, our catch of the day shares how the Library of Congress is cracking down on copy write infringement. Links to the stories: Age of fraud: Are seniors more vulnerable to financial scams? How elderly dementia patients are unwittingly fueling political campaigns Apparent attempt at insurance scam caught on camera Voice-enabled AI agents can automate everything, even your phone scams Bank account transfer scam You can hear more from the T-Minus space daily show here. Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.

    50 min

  7. 29 OCT

    next generation firewall (noun) [Word Notes]

    Please enjoy this encore episode of Word Notes. A layer seven security orchestration platform deployed at the boundary between internal workloads slash data storage and untrusted sources that blocks incoming and outgoing network traffic with rules that tie applications to the authenticated user and provides most of the traditional security stack functions in one device or software application.

    7 min

  8. 24 OCT

    Spiritual healers or master con artists?

    Maria Varmazis, host of N2K's daily space show T-Minus, joins Dave and Joe to share the story of how ESET Research revealed that Telekopye, a scam toolkit used by cybercriminals, has expanded its operations from online marketplaces to accommodation booking platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb. Joe’s story is on the elaborate "blessing scam" targeting older Chinese women, where scammers pose as spiritual healers to swindle victims out of their valuables by convincing them their loved ones are in danger—a criminal act spanning across the UK, US, Australia, and Canada, leaving families desperate to catch the perpetrators. Dave follows the story of a new rule passed by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to make subscription cancellations easier with a simple "click to cancel" process. Our catch of the day comes from Reddit where a user was contacted via text message claiming that they were mixed up in a romance scam. Links to the stories: Telekopye scammer network targets Booking.com and Airbnb 'Your son will die': How blessing scammers prowl streets FTC “click to cancel” rule seeks to end free trial traps, sneaky auto-enrollments You can hear more from the T-Minus space daily show here. Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.

    36 min
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Trailer

Hosts & Guests

About

Deception, influence, and social engineering in the world of cyber crime.

Information

  • Creator
    N2K Networks
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    600
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 N2K Networks, Inc. 706761
  • Show Website
    Hacking Humans

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