The Awareness Angle: Cyber News Weekly

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The Awareness Angle: Cyber News Weekly

The Awareness Angle makes cybersecurity make sense. Hosted by Anthony and Luke, we break down the biggest cyber stories of the week. From phishing scams and AI fraud to major data breaches and the sneaky ways people get hacked, we explain what’s going on and why it matters. But this isn’t just another tech podcast. We focus on the human side of cybersecurity. How scams actually work, why people fall for them, and what we can all do to stay safer online. You’ll get practical tips, real-world examples, and relatable stories that show how cyber threats affect everyday people, not just big busin

  1. 3D AGO

    How Many Lost Laptops Is Too Many?

    This week on The Awareness Angle, Anthony Davis and Luke Pettigrew unpack everything from text scams and AI scrapers to school shutdowns and insider threats. It’s a mix of the strange, the serious, and the preventable, plus a few thoughts on whether changing the Blue Screen of Death was really necessary. Episode note - In this episode, we mention that 26,000 public sector devices were lost or stolen. That number isn’t accurate. The real figure is still shocking, with just over 2,000 devices in the past year, according to FOI-based reports. We caught the error before the episode went live, but since we recorded it, we’re calling it out here to keep things straight. Always better to be accurate. 📱 SMS Blasters & Android Security – Low-cost tools are sending out spoofed texts by the thousands. Meanwhile, Android 16 adds cellular warnings—so why doesn’t iPhone 🎥 The Hikvision Ban – Canada pulls the plug on Hikvision over national security concerns. We talk cheap CCTV, surveillance tech, and where other countries stand. 💻 26,000 Lost Devices – UK government departments lost thousands of laptops and phones. We dig into unencrypted risks and the shadow IT no one talks about. 🧠 Cloudflare vs AI Bots – New protections aim to stop AI from scraping websites—but are some tools are already mimicking humans to sneak past? 🎓 University Parking Hack – A former student manipulates grades, parking, and more. It started small… and escalated fast. 🏫 Cyberattacks on Schools – Another UK school forced to close after a ransomware attack. 60% of secondary schools were hit last year—why are they such a soft target? 📲 QR Code Phishing (Quishing) – A new warning on fake parking signs and QR scams. We ask: is it time to fix the mess that is parking apps? 👨‍💻 Insider Threats – A suspended IT worker wipes systems, costing £200k. A reminder: always revoke access before the fallout. 🖥️ The Death of the Blue Screen – Microsoft ditches the iconic BSOD for a black version. It’s a small change—but raises big questions about user trust and clarity. If you care about human risk, digital culture, and the strange places security slips through, this episode’s got something for you. 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: A new intro and newsletter plug 01:30 – AJ King interview highlights 03:26 – SMS Blasters and Google’s Pixel 10 protection 09:27 – Canada bans Hikvision over national security risks 15:04 – 26,000 public sector devices lost or stolen 20:39 – Cloudflare launches AI bot blocker 24:28 – Ex-student hacks university over parking, triggers breach 27:41 – Cornwall school cyberattack and UK education stats 31:13 – £3.5m lost to quishing (QR phishing) 35:20 – IT worker jailed for revenge attack after suspension 38:23 – Microsoft kills the Blue Screen of Death 42:00 – Awareness events: SANS Summit, IASAP, and Huficon 46:01 – Can we teach our mums to spot fake AI videos? 48:06 – IKEA gift card checkout scam warning 50:27 – WHSmith rebrands as TG Jones – phishing vibes 54:07 – Instagram inheritance scam analysed by ChatGPT 57:51 – TikTok strikes vs Meta’s scam filtering 59:15 – AI chatbots recommending phishing links 01:04:09 – CSGO player doxxed via Steam OSINT 01:08:47 – Digital footprints and parenting in a connected world 01:11:16 – Local business cyber day preview 01:12:11 – Weekly wrap-up and final thoughts 📩 For links, videos, and the newsletter – head to ⁠⁠riskycreative.com⁠⁠ 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    1h 14m

  2. JUL 3

    "Is Your Brain Wired for Insecurity?" - AJ King on Behavioural Science

    This week on The Awareness Angle Interviews… Anthony sits down with AJ King, a UX researcher and behavioural science expert, to explore what it really takes to change security behaviour. Forget check-the-box training and flashy nudges—this episode gets into the messy, human side of behaviour change, why habits are hard to break, and how your gym routine might just explain why people keep clicking phishing links. 🧠 Why People Don’t Remember Training – AJ breaks down the cognitive reasons annual awareness programs often fall flat. 🎯 Nudges Aren’t Enough – We explore why simple prompts can help—but won’t fix—behavioural gaps without deeper engagement. 💪 The Gym Metaphor – Building secure habits is like fitness: it takes consistency, relevance, and personal motivation. 📈 Beyond Compliance – Compliance might drive reporting, but it rarely changes how people actually act. 🔁 Repetition & Real Life – Training sticks when it reflects daily behaviour—not once-a-year reminders. 📣 Speaking Their Language – Why tailoring awareness efforts to people’s lived experience matters more than security buzzwords. 🤝 Behavioural Science Meets UX – AJ shares how user research and human-centred design can elevate your awareness program from frustrating to effective. 💬 Feedback as a Force Multiplier – What users tell you (and what they don’t) can reshape how you teach security. ⚖️ Fear vs. Motivation – We talk about the psychology of risk, and why scaring people isn’t a sustainable strategy. 🔄 Security is a Human System – Tools help, but behaviour drives outcomes. Awareness needs to meet people where they are. If you're trying to move the needle on secure behaviour—not just track who opened the training email—this one's packed with fresh thinking, honest insights, and practical ways to rethink your approach. The Awareness Angle: Interviews is our ongoing series of real, no-fluff conversations with the people reimagining how we approach security, risk, and human behaviour. 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 – Why AJ’s Here: Behaviour and Security01:29 – Why AJ is Ant’s go-to behaviour guy03:06 – What actually *is* human behaviour?05:15 – Why behaviour change isn’t a 5-minute training course09:02 – The problem with “mandatory training”12:09 – Should we focus on personal security instead?14:25 – Does compliance culture harm behaviour change?18:35 – Why annual training is a compliance box, not a solution20:11 – The myth of the nudge silver bullet24:31 – Present bias and procrastinating secure behaviour30:45 – You can’t predict when behaviour will matter32:44 – Engagement is everything: the gym metaphor34:05 – Why nudging alone won’t work for everyone38:06 – What should the function be called – and does it matter?42:46 – Reframing security for leadership48:06 – Using behavioural change to get more support from the top56:05 – Fear vs Reward: What really works?59:01 – Phishing screen colours and peer influence01:03:13 – Simulated phishing: don’t destroy your brand01:08:04 – Be the purple cow – standing out in awareness01:14:11 – Nudges, newsletters, and long-term behaviour change01:18:41 – Book recs: Freakonomics & Very Good Copy01:21:09 – AJ will be back for The Art of Change01:22:45 – Where to find AJ King 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    1h 24m

  3. JUN 30

    Military Secrets Leaked On A Gaming Forum?

    This week on The Awareness Angle, Anthony Davis and Luke Pettigrew break down the biggest cyber stories, from smishing attacks in car parks to leaked US military secrets on gaming forums. It’s all about what slipped through the cracks, and what to watch for next. 🛡️ Mass Claims & M&S Breach – Legal firms swarm the M&S data breach. Who really benefits: victims or opportunists? 🎮 Nexus Mods Ownership Shift – A quiet change sparks questions about transparency on one of gaming’s most trusted mod sites. 🌐 Record-Breaking DDoS Attack – 37 million requests per second. The new HTTP/2 “rapid reset” exploit shows how attacks keep evolving. 🍕 OSINT & Pizza Orders – Can pizza deliveries reveal classified military ops? A deep dive into how open-source intel can be weaponized. ✈️ Military Secrets Leaked on Forums – War Thunder players keep spilling classified info. Why does this keep happening? 🏥 AI in GP Clinics – UK doctors use unapproved AI transcription tools. What are the privacy risks of this shadow IT? 📂 New ClickFix Variant: FileFix – A stealthy Windows Explorer exploit you need to know about. Don’t blindly paste code. 📱 SMS Blasters Deployed – Low-cost devices send spoofed texts by the thousands. Just because it looks real, doesn’t mean it is. 💉 Ransomware Linked to NHS Death – The human cost of cybercrime grows as a Synnovis attack ties to a patient fatality. 🧰 Windows 10 Extended Support – Staying on Windows 10 past October 2025 comes with hidden costs. Is it worth it? 🧪 Fake Interviews, Real Malware – Developers targeted via NPM packages during bogus test tasks. Beware offers that seem too good to be true. 🎁 Scam of the Week – Anthony’s mum nearly falls for a fake M&S hamper giveaway. Funny but also a sharp warning. 🔍 Tool of the Week: Metomic – A clever, nudge-based DLP platform that helps teams catch oversharing before it turns into a breach. If you care about real-world threats, human behavior, and how security can slip through everyday cracks, this episode has plenty to chew on. 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity News 04:01 M&S Claims and Ethical Concerns 06:14 Record-Breaking DDoS Attack 10:02 OSINT and Pizza Intelligence 14:27 Military Secrets Leaked on Gaming Forums 18:02 Doctors Using Unapproved AI Tools 22:08 New FileFix Attack in Cybersecurity 26:08 SMS Blasters and Smishing Attacks 30:12 Ransomware Impact on Healthcare 33:04 Cybersecurity Compliance Risks 36:02 Fake Interviews and Malware Distribution 39:04 Public Reactions to Data Breaches 44:09 Innovative Cybersecurity Tools 49:07 Evaluating Discount Software Purchases 55:02 Identifying Scams and Phishing Attempts 01:01:00 Password Security and Data Breaches 📩 For links, videos, and the newsletter – head to ⁠riskycreative.com⁠ 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    1h 11m

  4. JUN 23

    Is Your Security Awareness Program Just Ticking Boxes?

    This week on The Awareness Angle, Anthony Davis and Luke Pettigrew explore a special episode on what it really takes to build meaningful cybersecurity awareness, as part of preparing for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. 📢 Beyond the Poster Campaign – Open communication channels and positive reinforcement are key to building trust and encouraging people to speak up. 🏆 Recognize What’s Working – Highlighting good security behavior can do more than just raise morale—it can shift culture. 🎮 Learning That Actually Lands – Interactive, gamified, and story-driven training creates better retention than outdated tick-box modules. 💥 When Breaches Get Real – Relatable consequences make cybersecurity more than just a theoretical concern. 🧾 Policies That People Can Understand – Security guidelines should be accessible, not buried in jargon. 🔐 MFA: Still Not Universal – Despite being one of the most effective defences, many organisations still don’t enforce multi-factor authentication. We unpack why that’s a problem 🔑 The Password Problem – Forget confusing complexity rules—focus on uniqueness and usability to reduce risky habits. 🎣 Simulated Phishing Isn’t a Silver Bullet – We break down the mixed results and why real engagement beats gotcha tactics. 🧠 Good Training Changes Behavior – If your awareness program isn’t shifting how people act, it’s time to rethink the strategy. If you're re-evaluating how to engage employees, boost awareness, and change behaviour, this episode is packed with honest insights and practical takeaways. 🕒Timestamps 00:00 Episode Introduction 01:28 Key Strategies for Boosting Awareness 03:14 Keeping Communication Open 08:02 Rewarding Positive Security Habits 11:48 Making Learning Interactive 16:06 Showing Real-World Cyber Impacts 19:00 Setting Clear Security Guidelines 23:01 Creating a Culture of Awareness 26:42 Using MFA to Strengthen Security 29:51 Building Better Password Habits 35:59 Simulated Phishing: Pros and Cons 41:09 Reinventing Cybersecurity Training 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0⁠

    50 min

  5. JUN 19

    “Real-time beats simulation” - Terry McCorkle on Rethinking Phishing

    This week on The Awareness Angle Interviews… Anthony sits down with Terry McCorkle, co-founder of PhishCloud, to rethink everything you think you know about phishing training. From military discipline to startup innovation, Terry brings decades of experience—and strong opinions—on what’s broken in phishing awareness, and how real-time data and human-first thinking can fix it. 🐟 Why Phishing Simulations Miss the Mark – Terry explains how traditional simulations often create resentment, not resilience, and what a more thoughtful approach looks like. 📡 The Power of Real-Time Data – Static reports don’t cut it. Terry breaks down how live metrics and immediate feedback can make awareness training actually stick. 🧠 Users Are Not the Problem – It's time to stop blaming the human. We talk about how involving users in the solution builds stronger defenses and better culture. 💡 PhishCloud’s Fresh Take – From just-in-time training to behavioural insights, Terry walks us through how his platform flips phishing awareness on its head. 🎮 Gamified, Personalised, Seamless – Why training that’s fun, tailored, and delivered in the moment beats compliance tick-boxes every time. 🔄 Test the Process, Not Just the People – Phishing attacks test systems too. Terry shares why focusing only on individual clicks misses the bigger risk. 🤖 AI Meets Awareness – How automation, workflow integration, and smarter tooling can enhance—not replace—the human role in security. 🏗️ Culture Change Over Compliance – We unpack how to build a learning culture that sees awareness as part of everyday work, not an annual chore. Whether you’re rethinking your phishing program or just tired of gotcha-style training, this conversation offers practical insights with real impact. The Awareness Angle: Interviews brings you candid, real-world conversations with the people transforming how we approach security, behavior, and risk. New interviews drop alongside our Thursday episodes. 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 Episode Introduction 03:03 How Phishing Simulations Impact Behaviour 06:13 Terry’s Path into Cybersecurity 09:06 Why the Human Element Still Matters 12:12 Inside FishCloud’s Approach 15:05 Real-Time Protection Against Phishing 17:58 What User Behaviour Reveals 20:50 Balancing Privacy in Phishing Tools 27:51 Smarter Security Awareness Training 30:01 Making Compliance Training Engaging 33:03 From Reactive to Proactive Phishing Defence 36:29 How AI is Enhancing Security 39:14 Tackling Human Risk in Cyber 43:29 Building a Security-First Culture 46:20 Military Experience in Cyber Careers 48:10 Learning Resources & Recommendations 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    54 min

  6. JUN 16

    The Hidden Danger of LNK Files on Your Computer

    This week, The Awareness Angle dives into NHS breaches, dodgy shortcut files, and why fake CAPTCHAs are the new phishing frontier. 🧑‍⚕️ NHS Professionals Breached – Attackers spent 13 months undetected inside the UK’s largest NHS staffing agency. We break down how they got in, why Active Directory matters, and what took so long to tell anyone. 🖥️ Shortcut Files Can Bite – Microsoft warns that LNK files can trigger attacks just by being viewed. No patch yet, and antivirus alone might not be enough. 🛑 ClickFix Strikes Again – A new macOS malware campaign tricks users into running terminal commands. It’s sloppy but effective, and it’s targeting creatives. 🔒 End of Windows 10 – As support ends in October, the EndOf10 movement wants you to install Linux instead of upgrading. We look at the pros, the problems, and whether it's realistic. 📱 WhatsApp vs UK Gov – WhatsApp backs Apple in the fight against encryption backdoors. What’s at stake for private communication? 🌫️ From Surface to Atmosphere – Forget attack surfaces—modern threats are everywhere. We explore why security needs to focus more on behaviour and environment. Plus: a pigeon gets into Ant’s house and becomes a case study in incident response. Obviously. 🕒 Timestamps01:02 Awards Night & Behind the Scenes at Infosec06:15 M&S Back Online After Breach08:39 Whole Foods Supplier Cyberattack10:14 British Horseracing Authority Breach11:45 NHS Professionals Breach Timeline17:56 ClickFix Malware Hits macOS20:36 Microsoft Patch Tuesday Breakdown23:00 Shortcut File (.LNK) Threats27:10 The Pigeon Breach Story31:00 TikTok Comments – Passkeys & Signal35:00 Interview Preview – Terry from PhishCloud37:00 FAA Still Running Windows 9539:30 WhatsApp Joins Apple in Encryption Fight41:50 EndOf10 Campaign & Linux Migration48:00 Attack Atmosphere Explained54:58 Metrics That Matter in Awareness56:00 Phishing Invoice Spam in Gmail1:00:00 Wrap-Up & Next Week Preview 📩 For links, videos, and the newsletter – head to riskycreative.com 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    1h 2m

  7. JUN 9

    Why Gen Z Is Going Passwordless

    This week, The Awareness Angle celebrates a big win—taking home two awards at InfoSecurity Europe! Anthony and Luke dive into a packed episode covering everything from retail breaches to the shifting world of passwordless authentication. 🏬 Retail Under Attack – From North Face to Cartier and M&S, cyber incidents continue to rock the retail sector. M&S now faces a class action lawsuit over a major breach. 🔑 Passwordless Progress – Microsoft is pushing the future of secure logins, and Gen Z seems ready to ditch passwords entirely. But is the wider public ready? 🔐 Signal vs Recall – Signal is blocking Microsoft’s new Recall feature from capturing chats, raising important questions about privacy in AI-powered tools. 🚗 Cars and Weak Credentials – The automotive industry is falling behind on password hygiene, exposing a surprising new attack vector. 🌏 Ransomware Rules in Australia – The country is rolling out mandatory disclosure laws, aiming to increase transparency around ransom payments. 🎭 Narratives That Stick – Clear, engaging communication is critical, not just for users, but for threat intelligence too. We unpack Microsoft and CrowdStrike’s effort to standardize naming conventions. 🎣 New Malware Tactics – Cybercriminals are embedding malware into creative tools, showing how attacks are evolving beyond the usual methods. 🗣️ Why Awareness Still Matters – Whether it’s media miscommunication or confusing tech rollouts, clear storytelling and community engagement remain essential for building trust and resilience. From cutting through the jargon to making security feel more human, this episode is full of sharp insights, strong opinions, and a few laughs along the way. 🕒Timestamps 01:02 Awards Night & Behind the Scenes at Infosec 14:11 The North Face & 💍 Cartier Breaches 16:23 M&S Class Action Lawsuit 18:51 Microsoft Authenticator Password Deletion 20:47 Signal Blocks Windows Recall 23:31 Smart Cars, Dumb Passwords 28:08 Australia Ransomware Disclosure Law 30:39 Gen Z and Passkey Adoption 35:00 Threat Actor Naming – Periwinkle Tempest 42:17 The Future Of Cybersecurity Virtual Event 43:25 The Comments Section 51:47 WhatsApp £8k Job Scam (spotted by Hayden Taylor) 57:36 Meta AI on WhatsApp 59:25 🪑 Blender File Malware Warning 1:02:53 Triage Tools and Creative Risks 1:05:22 Comments & Wrap-Up 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    1h 9m

  8. JUN 5

    "Security awareness IS marketing" – Sara Carty on Being Unboring

    This week on The Awareness Angle Interviews… Anthony sits down with Sara Carty, the founder of UNBORING, to explore why so much cybersecurity marketing feels stale—and what we can do to change it. From drama school to startup life, Sara’s journey is anything but conventional, and her marketing approach is bold, honest, and refreshingly human. 🎭 From Drama to Data Breaches – Sara shares how her background in performance gave her the confidence to challenge industry norms and connect with audiences in a real way. 📉 Ditching Fear-Based Marketing – Scare tactics are out. Sara explains why trust, clarity, and relevance are far more powerful than doom and gloom. 🧠 Tech Doesn’t Have to Be Boring – We talk about the balance between getting the technical details right and actually engaging the people who matter. 📣 Marketing is Storytelling – Great cybersecurity campaigns aren’t about features—they’re about people. Sara explains how to make messages stick. 🚫 No More Blaming the Audience – If people aren’t listening, maybe the message is the problem. We unpack how to create content that meets users where they are. 🎨 The Human Behind the Hack – Good marketing understands human risk. Sara shares how empathy and creativity build stronger campaigns (and cultures). 🧩 Insights from the Marketing Team – From product design to user adoption, marketing can be a strategic partner—not just the team that “makes it pretty.” 🗣️ Why UNBORING Matters – Whether it’s refusing to use AI-generated content or calling out jargon-filled nonsense, Sara’s mission is clear: make cybersecurity feel human again. If you’ve ever zoned out during a “cyber comms campaign” or wondered how to make people actually care about security—this conversation is for you. 🕒 *Timestamps* *Introduction & Mission*   00:00 Introduction to Unboring and Its Mission   06:10 The Impact of Drama School on Professional Skills   *Marketing & Messaging*   11:49 The Importance of Marketing in Cybersecurity   18:09 Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness   23:53 The Future of Cybersecurity Marketing   28:02 The Role of Women in Cybersecurity Awareness   31:46 Touch Points in Marketing and Engagement   34:58 The Role of Storytelling in Marketing and Cybersecurity   35:56 Communicating with Human Touch   37:06 The Disconnect Between Marketing and Cybersecurity   *Human Element & Awareness*   38:03 The Impact of Social Engineering on Cybersecurity   39:00 The Role of AI in Marketing and Cybersecurity   40:07 The Importance of Relatable Communication   40:57 The Human Element in Cybersecurity Awareness   41:58 The Disconnect in Cybersecurity Messaging   42:57 The Importance of Engagement in Cybersecurity   43:54 The Need for Top-Down Support in Cybersecurity Awareness   *Espionage & Storytelling*   45:03 Exploring Cyber Espionage and Marketing   46:00 Lessons from Espionage for Marketers   47:12 The Connection Between Storytelling and Marketing   47:51 The Role of Human Stories in Marketing   49:03 The Importance of Understanding Audience Needs   50:08 The Need for Authentic Marketing   50:57 Storytelling Lessons from Popular Culture   52:45 The Power of Relatable Storytelling   *Trends & Takeaways*   55:21 Tech vs. Human Connection in Cybersecurity   01:00:42 Marketing Buzzwords to Ban   01:02:28 Admiring Innovative Marketing Campaigns   01:05:44 The Importance of Storytelling in Communication  💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

    1h 13m
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About

The Awareness Angle makes cybersecurity make sense. Hosted by Anthony and Luke, we break down the biggest cyber stories of the week. From phishing scams and AI fraud to major data breaches and the sneaky ways people get hacked, we explain what’s going on and why it matters. But this isn’t just another tech podcast. We focus on the human side of cybersecurity. How scams actually work, why people fall for them, and what we can all do to stay safer online. You’ll get practical tips, real-world examples, and relatable stories that show how cyber threats affect everyday people, not just big busin

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