Adventures of Alice & Bob

Today, Marc is speaking with Dr. Jessica Barker, a cybersecurity culture expert and co-founder of Cygenta. Join us for some incredibly true stories, including a behind-the-scenes look at her royal honor ceremony at the historic Windsor Castle. You'll hear all the details - from battling nerves while practicing that all-important curtsy, to the opulent pomp and circumstance of receiving her honor from Prince William himself.But Jessica's tales from the front lines don't stop there. She'll also pull back the curtain on the shockingly sleazy underworld of romance scams, where con artists follow meticulously crafted "playbooks" full of psychological manipulation tactics to drain unsuspecting victims of their entire life savings through emotional exploitation.And brace yourself as she reveals how AI deepfakes are making phishing attacks even more devious and hard to detect. You'll learn how cybercriminals are leveraging this cutting-edge technology to generate hyper-realistic lures - from emails to videos - that could easily fool even cautious individuals.

This week, James is joined by Michael Perklin, information security expert and Chairman of the Board at C4. Listen in as Michael pulls back the curtain on the current cryptocurrency landscape. This episode is a roller-coaster ride, spanning Michael's career journey from trying to debunk Bitcoin as a "scam" to realizing its brilliance and founding one of the first Bitcoin security consultancies. You'll be on the edge of your seat as he recounts high-stakes experiences like securing Ethereum's historic initial coin offering, hunting down insider threats at ShapeShift, and guiding the company's pioneering transition into a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). Get ready for a whirlwind of stories that showcase the challenges, opportunities, and mind-bending possibilities of blockchain technology.

Today, Marc is joined by Hector Monsegur, the infamous hacker formerly known as Sabu. In this episode, Hector takes us on a journey through his past, from his early inspirations drawn from hacker films to his pivotal role in the LulzSec hacking collective. With raw honesty, he delves into the motivations and mindsets that fueled his involvement in hacktivism, shedding light on the complexities and ethical dilemmas surrounding digital activism. Hector's story is a testament to the transformative power of embracing one's passion, and his insights offer a rare glimpse into the psyche of a cyber outlaw-turned-cybersecurity professional.

Microsoft is one of the world's largest and most security-focused companies. Yet in late 2022, a sophisticated threat actor known as Midnight Blizzard breached their systems in Azure through a forgotten test account. Join James Maude and Marc Maiffret together as they dive into the technical details of the Blizzard attack, how machine identities and misconfigured OAuth apps provided the foothold, and the lessons learned about protecting corporate cloud environment. James & Marc also discuss actionable ways to reduce risk, the limitations of relying only on detection, and why unified visibility over all identities is key for a proactive defense.

Today James is joined by Terry Cutler, Founder of Cyology Labs. Terry Cutler is a modern magician, but you won’t find him on a Vegas stage. As a professional hacker and "Cyologist," Cutler uses social engineering and technical wizardry to pull off digital feats like taking down a corporate network by leaving USB drives in the bathroom. In this fascinating interview, he makes cyber threats disappear before your eyes as he recounts tales of infiltrating systems to improve security defenses.

Join The Grugq, an independent security researcher with over 20 years of expertise in cyber warfare, as he unpacks two significant hacks. He recounts the audacious phishing campaign against the Qatar News Agency, using fake academic credentials to infiltrate targets. In another twist, he discusses how the Coinbase hack faltered due to the attackers' overreliance on a flashy zero-day exploit despite simpler, effective methods. Expect insights on OPSEC, deviant security, and the evolving landscape of cyber operations!

Today James is joined by Dr. Ryan Louie who shares captivating stories from the frontlines of psychiatry and insights on protecting mental health in our tech-driven world. Join us as they explore the psychological parallels between social engineering attacks and persuasive techniques used in medicine. Dr. Louie also shares his account of a pivotal moment early in his career that shaped his approach to patient care. Don't miss his enlightening perspective on how breaches of health data violate the deepest levels of patient privacy.

Get inside the mind of hacker Ymir Vigfusson as he sits down with James to recount his early days of finding exploits in SSH and owning an Icelandic ISP at age 14. Learn how he navigated the ethical lines of hacking and later used his talents for good by teaching others. Also, we'll hear the method behind his current zero trust startup after a life spent understanding how things break.

From finding body parts in a warehouse to shaping data privacy legislation in Congress, Michelle Dennedy has never backed down from the unexpected plot twists along her remarkable journey. The chief privacy trailblazer joins Marc today to discuss the real-life stories behind her role in “The Usual Suspects”, her national human microchipping debate on Dr. Phil, the high school pact that led to a career defending consumer data rights, and so much more. Michelle brings her signature wit and wisdom to every tall tale. Get ready for a wild ride with this privacy rebel.

What's it like to rob banks and government facilities for a living? Find out today when James sits down with professional ethical hacker and social engineer FC (aka Freakyclown) to discuss the wild stories from his 30+ year career circumventing security systems. From stealing helicopters and gold bullion, to building secret offices and making friends with targets, hear tales of exploits that sound stranger than fiction in today's episode. FC also shares hard lessons learned and practical advice for improving security.