Cyber Confessions with Cybersecurity Girl

Cybersecurity Girl

Cyber Confessions, hosted by Cybersecurity Girl (Caitlin Sarian), is the short-form podcast sharing the unbelievable true stories of what really happens to people online. From scams and shocking digital mistakes to the moments we all hope never happen to us, each 10-20 minute episode pulls you into a raw, personal confession about getting tricked, trapped, or blindsided on the internet. These are the stories that make you stop, think… and say, “This could happen to anyone.

Episodes

  1. Mar 11

    Why Your Phone is NEVER Truly Off (ft. Stuart McClure)

    Think your private life is safe because your phone is powered down? Stuart McClure says that advice is 15 years out of date. In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) sits down with the man who wrote the "Bible" of hacking, Stuart McClure. As the former Global CTO of McAfee and founder of Cylance, Stuart reveals the chilling reality of modern "Advanced Power Management" where antennas, receivers, and location services stay active even when you think the device is off. From hacking live medical devices on a keynote stage to building "Digital Delegates" that replicate the human psyche, Stuart pulls back the curtain on the future of the AI economy and the death of traditional digital privacy. Inside this Episode: The "Power Off" Myth: Why modern internal batteries and "Advanced Power Management" mean your phone’s antennas and location services simply cannot be shut off.The RSA Keynote Hack: Stuart’s "drop the mic" moment, where he used an antenna to pick up insulin pump signals from a live audience.Beyond the Phone: How the same vulnerabilities allowed his team to take over implantable cardiac defibrillators and neural brain stimulators.The Ring Privacy System: How Stuart built a five-ring enclave system to categorize and protect your most private thoughts from surveillance Wi-Fi Home Defense: Why you must move past "Admin/Admin" passwords and how to set up notifications for new MAC addresses on your network. Guest Bio: Stuart McClure is a serial entrepreneur and the founding author of the #1 hacking book, Hacking Exposed. He previously served as the Global CTO for McAfee/Intel and is currently the CEO of Qwiet AI and Wethos AI. Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    21 min

  2. Mar 4

    Microsoft’s Largest Breach: 1,000 Spies vs. 500 Experts (ft. Eric Doerr)

    What happens when 1,000 nation-state spies spend a year hiding inside the world's most secure networks? In this episode of Cyber Confessions, Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) sits down with Eric Doerr, the man who led Microsoft’s response to the infamous SolarWinds attack. Eric pulls back the curtain on the "2-to-1" battle to save global infrastructure, the 25-day sprint that ruined Christmas for 500 experts, and the extreme paranoia required to manage a crisis where you can't even trust your own boss. Inside this Episode: The 2-to-1 Battle: Why it took 500 Microsoft experts to fight off 1,000 specialized attackers. The Identity Test: Why Eric made Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella verify his identity before joining the crisis call. The 18,000-Target Trap: How a single software update compromised 9 federal agencies The Golden Rules: The personal security habits a top-tier CPO actually uses to stay safe. Guest Bio:Eric Doerr is the Chief Product Officer at Tenable. He previously led security for Google Cloud and spent 20 years at Microsoft, where he ran the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    19 min

  3. Feb 25

    "Got Caught by a 3-Letter Agency at 13. Now I’m a Space Force Engineer"(ft. Joseph Cheung)

    At 13 years old, Joseph Cheung found an "open door" in an information system he shouldn't have been in. Nine months later, "big scary people" from a three-letter agency came knocking. Today, he is a Chief Engineer for the U.S. Space Force, protecting the satellite technology that keeps our GPS, global clocks, and credit card processing running In this episode of Cyber Confessions, Caitlin Sarian sits down with Joseph to discuss his childhood curiosity, the reality of defending assets in orbit, and why the future of AI legislation might be "soft touch" or "hard touch" depending on where you live. In this episode: The 13-Year-Old "Hacker": How a childhood curiosity for "walking through open doors" led to a run-in with a three-letter agency.Why Space Matters to You: Why the Space Force mission is the reason your GPS, Apple Pay, and credit cards actually work. The "Ethical AI" Myth: Why "ethical" AI is impossible to define when everyone’s morals are different.The Career Accelerator: Why $5,000 certifications are a trap and how the Cyber Career Club focuses on the power of networking.The 80% Solution: Why AI won't replace your job, but will turn you into a "Prompt EngineerAbout the Guest: Joseph Cheung is a Chief Engineer for the U.S. Space Force. With a background that includes the Air Force Academy and influencing state-level privacy and AI legislation, he now works at the intersection of national security and the final frontier.Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    27 min

  4. Feb 18

    How a Pro Hacker Uses Your Social Media to 'Sneak In' Legally (ft. Andrea Schaumann-Phillips)

    In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) sits down with Andrea Schaumann-Phillips, a DEF CON Black Badge social engineering expert. Andrea reveals how she "sneaks into things " (legally ofc!) by using human psychology to bypass the most secure technical systems. We also dive into why your "harmless" social media posts are actually a roadmap for hackers to build a profile on you and breach your workplace Inside this Episode: The Social Media Roadmap: How "Day in the Life" videos accidentally leak office layouts and security badge designs. The #1 Vulnerability: Why psychology is the biggest security gap facing every individual and company today.The 11-Hour Grind: What it’s really like inside the high-stakes DEF CON "vishing booth" hacking companies live on stage.Corporate "Slang" as a Weapon: How hackers use internal jargon to sound like an insider in seconds. The "Personal MFA" Hack: A simple family trick to verify callers and protect yourself from AI voice-cloning scamsAbout the Guest:Andrea is the Director of Partnerships & Programs at Fortress Information Security and a DEF CON Black Badge winner in Social Engineering. She is a leading expert in OSINT and the "human element" of cybersecurity, helping global organizations secure their most vulnerable surface: their people.Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    29 min

  5. Feb 11

    Sextortion & The Ransomware War (ft. Keelin Conant)

    Is your "cyber hygiene" putting you at risk without you even knowing it? In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) sits down with Keelin Conant, Senior Solutions Advisor at Alvaka and host of the CyberSoul podcast, to expose the surprising ways our daily habits leave us vulnerable. From the "false sense of security" we feel while working at 30,000 feet to the heartbreaking rise of digital blackmail, we move beyond the code to discuss why cybersecurity is fundamentally a human issue. Keelin exposes the "Patch and Pray" reality of modern tech, and Caitlin and Keelin explain why the industry needs more than just coders; it needs psychologists, lawyers, and creative thinkers to fight back against global threat actors Inside this Episode: The Silent Crisis of Sextortion: Why teenagers and young men are being targeted in "terrible webs" of blackmail and why no one is talking about it.The Ransomware Debate: A deep dive into why paying the ransom is a "capitalism issue" that fuels the criminal economy.The "Patch and Pray" Reality: Why companies fear software updatesAirplane Privacy Fails: Why we feel "insulated" on planes and the risk of displaying sensitive financials in public spaces.Public Wi-Fi & "The Chase Bank Story": The appalling moment Caitlin witnessed a traveler logging into their bank account on an open Wi-Fi network at an airport.Guest Bio: Keelin Conant is a Senior Solutions Advisor at Alvaka and the visionary behind CyberSoul. She is a catalyst for transformation, encouraging audiences to embrace vulnerability, honor their authentic selves, and build true human connection in an increasingly tech-driven world. Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    28 min

  6. Feb 2

    AI Needs Just One Link to Uncover Your Private Life (ft. Brian Long)

    Think your private life is safe? Think again. In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) and Adaptive Security CEO Brian Long reveal how AI uses a single LinkedIn URL to uncover your family’s deepest secrets, even things you’ve never officially posted. From AI voice cloning to $1 million crypto thefts, the rules of digital safety have changed. Brian shares chilling stories of how "data brokers" and Large Language Models (LLMs) are being used to map your life and drain your accounts in seconds. Inside this Episode: The LinkedIn Trap: How ChatGPT found an engineer’s daughter’s name and his dog using only a profile URL a 20-second-old job posting. The Death of the Voicemail: Why you must change your greeting immediately to prevent AI Deepfakes. The "Flight Scam": How attackers use your airport social media posts to target your family while you're offline at 30,000 feet. Data Brokers Exposed: Why companies are allowed to sell your SSN, IP address, and location history. The Million Crypto Theft: A play-by-play of how a smart executive lost everything in 15 seconds. The Office Scam: Why a new hire on their first day and their manager bought $5,000 in gift cards for his CEO Guest Bio: Brian Long is the CEO and Co-Founder of Adaptive Security, a leader in protecting businesses from GenAI phishing, smishing, and deepfake threats. Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    21 min

  7. Jan 26

    The Dark Web AI Leak: A 4-Month Security Nightmare (ft. Tito Sestito)

    In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) sits down with Tito Sestito, CEO and Co-Founder of HiddenLayer. Tito shares a "no sleep" story from the early days of starting the company: a high-stakes crisis where threat actors reverse-engineered AI models and sold them on the dark web. We also explore the bizarre side of cyber history—from 2005-era hackers who forced victims to pass environmental quizzes to unlock their data , to modern risks where AI is given the authority to act as a human being. Inside this episode: The AI Reverse-Engineering Crisis: Tito’s account of the four-month mission to put out an AI-driven fire. Quizzes for Ransom: The "hilarious" historical era where multi-billion dollar companies couldn't access their data until they passed a cybersecurity test. The $1 Car Hack: How a professional red teaming engagement tricked an AI chatbot into selling a car for $1. The "Dirty Laundry" Rule: Why you should never tell an AI anything you wouldn’t want a federal agent or the public to know. AI and the Future of Work: Why Tito believes 9% of the US workforce, specifically drivers, face immediate risk from AI displacement. Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    14 min

  8. Jan 26

    How a 'Vibe Check' Stopped a Major Cyber Scam (ft. Andy Piazza)

    In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) sits down with Andy Piazza, Senior Director of Threat Intelligence at Palo Alto Networks Unit 42. Andy reveals how the most sophisticated technical security in the world was outsmarted by a simple human "vibe check." We dive into a shocking Business Email Compromise (BEC) story where a fraudulent banking transfer was stopped not by a firewall, but because a friend’s email tone was missing its usual "bubbly" energy and signature emojis. Inside this episode: The "Bubbly" Red Flag: How human intuition caught a scam that security tools missed. North Korean Infiltration: The reality of "Wage Mold," where nation-state operators are getting hired as remote IT workers inside Western companies. The Danger of "Vibe Coding": Why rushing to build apps with AI is creating massive security holes. Jailbreaking LLMs: How scammers trick AI into dumping sensitive customer data. Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    18 min

  9. Jan 14

    How a 12-Year-Old Hacked Microsoft (ft. Fergus Hay)

    In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian talks with Fergus Hay, Co-Founder and CEO of The Hacking Games. Fergus shares surprising stories about how many modern hackers are actually kids, not adults in faraway countries. He explains how gaming platforms often become the first place young people discover exploits, build skills, and sometimes cross lines they do not fully understand. Fergus highlights real examples, from a twelve-year-old exploiting Roblox to another twelve-year-old who hacked Microsoft and ended up with a custom bug bounty program. He also explains how The Hacking Games works to guide this talent toward ethical hacking and safer futures. Follow us for more Cyber Confessions!

    14 min
  • 9 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Cyber Confessions, hosted by Cybersecurity Girl (Caitlin Sarian), is the short-form podcast sharing the unbelievable true stories of what really happens to people online. From scams and shocking digital mistakes to the moments we all hope never happen to us, each 10-20 minute episode pulls you into a raw, personal confession about getting tricked, trapped, or blindsided on the internet. These are the stories that make you stop, think… and say, “This could happen to anyone.

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