What the Hack?

DeleteMe
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Oct 21, 2025 • 50min

Episode 222: Heather Barnhart Hunts Digital Ghosts

Heather Barnhart, a digital forensics expert and Head of Faculty at the SANS Institute, dives into her experiences decoding Osama bin Laden's phones and analyzing Brian Kohberger's case. She discusses how her past harassment shaped her career focus, the evolution of digital forensics, and the challenges posed by encryption and AI. Heather uncovers criminals' tactics, such as deletion behaviors and mistakes that can lead to evidence. She also shares simple safety practices for online security and the rewarding nature of a career in forensics.
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Oct 14, 2025 • 44min

Episode 221: Seth Godin's Anti-Spam Playbook: Be Awesome

Marketing maven Seth Godin breaks down the spam-fueled chaos of the Internet. He advocates for permission marketing, demanding companies earn attention through genuine value rather than cheap tactics. Godin traces the roots of spam to the evolution of data brokers and discusses how anonymity fosters toxicity online. He emphasizes community action to reshape corporate behaviors and suggests practical tools like email masking to reclaim our digital autonomy. Get ready to rethink how you engage with the online world!
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16 snips
Oct 7, 2025 • 45min

Episode 220: The $5,000 Mistake: Inside a Facebook Scam

Tony Bongiovanni, a musician and band manager, shares a harrowing tale of how a scammer exploited his locked Facebook account, costing him nearly $5,000. He reveals the shocking moment he discovered an impostor account and the deceptive tactics used by scammers posing as Meta support. After unwittingly sharing personal information and making rapid crypto transactions guided by the scammers, Tony learns to appreciate the importance of caution online. His experience serves as a stark warning about the dangers of internet trust and the need for vigilance.
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20 snips
Sep 30, 2025 • 44min

Episode 219: 3 Ways Not to Lose Everything

Tom O'Malley, a former federal prosecutor and identity-protection advocate, dives into the world of cybercrime and fraud. He reveals how victims are often presumed guilty by creditors and shares insights from his own experience with identity theft. O'Malley emphasizes practical defenses like credit freezes and alerts to protect against scams. He discusses the alarming trend of generational wealth being drained by transnational crime rings and offers simple strategies for safeguarding your finances, including using bank apps and implementing family oversight.
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Sep 23, 2025 • 50min

Episode 218: The Data Grift Everyone Missed

Every click, swipe, and post fuels the data economy. Credit cards, apps, even maps—our lives are scraped, stitched, and sold. It feels like a heist, and sometimes it is. Identity Theft Resource Center CEO Eva Casey-Velasquez insists the picture isn’t entirely bleak. This week we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of data brokers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sep 16, 2025 • 43min

Episode 217: The Wrong Dan Sturman

It started with a slow roll of weird emails and phone calls. And then award-winning filmmaker Dan Sturman found himself in the crosshairs of serious hackers. With parallels to another case of mistaken identity and an assist from security expert Reuben Moretz, this week we explore bad social engineering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sep 9, 2025 • 47min

Episode 216: Who’s Watching the Watchers?

Charity Clark, Vermont's Attorney General, champions data privacy and consumer protection as she unpacks the sneaky world of digital surveillance. She discusses the real threats posed by AI scams and how companies harvest your data without you knowing. Listeners learn about the urgent need for regulations to safeguard personal privacy, particularly for children in schools. Clark emphasizes the importance of engaging with legislators to fight back against big tech and protect our online rights.
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20 snips
Sep 2, 2025 • 44min

Episode 215: They Targeted His Mom, He Went Full CIA

Ken Westbrook, CEO of Stop Scams Alliance and former CIA analyst, shares his harrowing experience of how a scam drained his mother's life savings. He reveals the alarming sophistication of scamming tactics, including smishing and scareware, and their ties to transnational crime. Westbrook emphasizes the urgent need for financial literacy among youth and coordinated government action to combat these threats. He calls for awareness to protect vulnerable individuals and suggests strategies for safeguarding personal data.
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Aug 26, 2025 • 38min

Episode 214: DEF CON Redux with Rachel Tobac!

Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security and a social engineering expert, dives into the often-overlooked vulnerabilities of human behavior in cybersecurity. She shares how becoming a harder target can deter attackers. From the fascinating art of social engineering to the ethical dilemmas of penetration testing, Rachel discusses modern threats like AI voice cloning. Learn practical strategies to minimize your digital footprint and safeguard your personal information from savvy cyber threats.
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Aug 19, 2025 • 42min

Episode 213: Inside DEF CON’s Social Engineering Village

Dive into the thrilling atmosphere of DEF CON’s Social Engineering Village, where contestants master the art of persuasion to extract information from unwitting employees. Explore how tactics of manipulation blend with psychology, as participants face challenges under pressure. Discover the ethical dilemmas of social engineering and the real-world implications for cybersecurity. The conversation also touches on combating cryptocurrency scams, shedding light on the psychological strategies employed by scammers in today's digital landscape.

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