Get ready for a festive twist on cybersecurity! The hosts explore the dark yet humorous world of malware through holiday-themed stories. They discuss the evolution of authentication methods, stressing the importance of multi-factor authentication. A creative retelling of a classic tale unveils vital lessons about social engineering threats. Plus, the evolving landscape of cybercrime is revealed, targeting consumers like never before. As hackers ponder retirement, the conversation takes a light-hearted turn into holiday reflections. Stay safe this season!
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MFA Evolution
Rick Howard, playing the Ghost of Christmas Past, discusses the history of multi-factor authentication (MFA).
He explains various MFA methods, from SMS and email verification to hardware tokens and the newer Passkeys.
insights INSIGHT
Passkeys as the Future
Dave Bittner suggests that Passkeys are the future of online security for most users.
He believes hardware tokens remain crucial for highly sensitive data, like corporate secrets.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Hardware Token Challenges
Rick Howard expresses concern about losing hardware tokens, highlighting a practical challenge.
Dave Bittner agrees, finding fetching his hardware key a frustrating security roadblock.
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Jacqueline Goldfinger's adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' is a family-friendly version that includes music, making it suitable for a wide range of audiences. This play retains the core themes and characters of the original while adding a musical element to enhance the storytelling and emotional impact.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
The story follows Jim Hawkins, a young boy who lives at the Admiral Benbow Inn with his mother. After the death of a mysterious sea captain, Billy Bones, Jim finds a map that leads to the treasure of Captain Flint. Along with Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney, Jim sets sail on the Hispaniola to find the treasure, unaware that many of the crew members are former pirates of Captain Flint's ship, led by the cunning Long John Silver. The novel unfolds as a tale of adventure, mutiny, and the struggle between good and evil, with Jim facing numerous challenges and learning valuable lessons about courage and loyalty.
Mr. Magoo's A Christmas Carol
Mr. Magoo's A Christmas Carol
Ottenheime
This book is likely an adaptation or retelling of the 1962 animated television special 'Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol,' which itself is based on Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol.' The story follows Mr. Magoo as he plays the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a musical production, incorporating the original plot of 'A Christmas Carol' with the character's nearsightedness and comedic elements.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Hal Leonard Corp.
This songbook is a matching folio for the soundtrack of The Muppet Christmas Carol. It includes 11 well-loved Muppet carols and features 8 pages of color photos. The book is designed for piano, vocal, and guitar, making it a great resource for musicians and fans of the Muppets.
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Grab your eggnog and don your coziest holiday sweater as we sleuth our way through cyber mysteries with a festive twist! 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, our cyber ghosts delve into the past, present, and future of some of the season’s most pressing threats: two-factor authentication (2FA), social engineering scams, and the return to consumer-targeted attacks.
Together, Rick, Dave, and Selena deliver a ghostly—but insightful—message about the state of cybersecurity, past, present, and future. Can their advice save your holiday season from digital disaster? Tune in and find out.
May your holidays be merry, bright, and free of cyber fright!
Hacking Humans 
