Hacker And The Fed

Chris and Hector cover the surge in insider-driven cyber incidents, the escalating aggression of Scattered Spiders, a CrowdStrike employee caught leaking internal data, and a retaliatory attack that shut down thousands of accounts. The conversation moves through Microsoft’s admission that core Windows 11 features are failing, the FCC’s rollback of telecom security requirements, and the collapse of federal cybersecurity capacity after recent government shakeups. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

Chris and Hector break down Operation Endgame’s newest takedown of ransomware infrastructure, the surge of splinter ransomware groups, and why victim payments are dropping even as damage rises. They unpack China’s accusation that the United States stole 127,000 bitcoins, explore the emerging “Bitcoin Cold War,” and examine claims of the first AI-driven espionage campaign. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

Chris and Hector dive into the latest cybersecurity chaos, from China’s questionable routers and remotely accessible buses to ransomware groups falling apart due to sloppy mistakes. They break down new extortion tactics, government crackdowns, cybersecurity myths, and a typo that exposed an entire cybercrime crew. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

Chris and Hector dive into one of the most shocking cybersecurity stories of the year, two U.S. security professionals charged with running ransomware attacks on American companies. The duo break down how trusted insiders became cybercriminals, why Russia is suddenly arresting its own hackers, and what new threats are emerging from massive botnets and compromised smart devices. They also discuss the NSA’s ban on Amazon’s Eero Wi-Fi over national security concerns and growing hacktivist activity targeting infrastructure in Canada. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

This week, Chris and Hector dive into a wild mix of cyber chaos — from 3,000 malware-laced YouTube videos to a former L3 Harris exec accused of selling U.S. cyber weapons to Russia for crypto. They break down the “YouTube Ghost Network,” insider espionage, and why agentic AI browsers might be your next biggest threat. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

Chris and Hector break down the massive AWS outage that took half the internet offline, dive into China’s claim that the NSA hacked its national time servers, and explore how quantum-resistant encryption and zero-click exploits are changing cyber warfare. Plus, a wild SIM farm takedown and some Puerto Rico stories.

A $4.6 million fine, a whistleblower payday, and a fake water plant hacked by mistake — this week, Chris and Hector dive into the DOJ’s first major cyber enforcement case against a defense contractor that lied about its security, the rise of insider recruitment by ransomware crews, and how Russian hacktivists got trolled by a honeypot. Plus, travel chaos, flu season, and the return of Puerto Rico challenge coins. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

Chris and Hector kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month with stories of phishing gone wrong, data privacy disasters, and a new wave of AI-powered attacks. From “comment jacking” and vanishing government backups to China’s one-hour breach rule and a Florida kid flagged by ChatGPT, the guys break down what’s real, what’s ridiculous, and what it means for your security. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

Chris and Hector kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month with big news—Hector announces the launch of his new company, SafeHill. The guys dig into continuous threat exposure management, the dangers of malicious Chrome extensions, why ransomware claims are dropping, and how free tools from CISA can strengthen defenses. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com

Chris and Hector break down the coming CMMC crackdown and what it means for 220,000+ contractors, 60 days to comply or lose your government work. They debate the government's plan to cut cyber hiring timelines from 70 to 25 days, talk about the sloppy opsec that got a teen ransomware hacker arrested, and dig into the surge of supply chain attacks hammering developers worldwide. Join our new Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send HATF your questions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@hackerandthefed.com