Hacking Humans

Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes. A security philosophy that assumes adversaries have already penetrated the digital environment and tries to reduce the potential impact by limiting access by people, devices, and software to only the resources essential to perform their function and nothing more. 

Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. 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 our newest totally unbiased co-host, Archy, a highly sophisticated AI robot who swears they have no ulterior motives (but we’re keeping an eye on them just in case).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, we talk about the latest shake-ups in the fake update threat landscape, including two new cybercriminal actors, fresh Mac malware, and the growing challenge of tracking these evolving campaigns.

In this special live episode of Hacking Humans, recorded at ThreatLocker’s Zero Trust World 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida, Dave Bittner is joined by T-Minus host Maria Varmazis. Together, they explore the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and cybercriminal exploits making headlines. Their guest, Seamus Lennon, ThreatLocker’s VP of Operations for EMEA, shares insights on Zero Trust security and the evolving threat landscape. Maria's story this week follows the IRS warning about a fake “Self Employment Tax Credit” scam on social media, urging taxpayers to ignore misinformation and consult professionals. Dave's got the story of the Better Business Bureau’s annual Scam Tracker report, revealing that online shopping scams continue to top the list for the fifth year, with phishing and employment scams remaining major threats, while fraudsters increasingly use AI and deepfake technology to deceive victims. Our catch of the day comes from Diesel in West Virginia, and features a scammer who tried to panic their target with a classic “We’ve frozen your account” scam—only to get hilariously mixed up with actual embryo freezing.Resources and links to stories: Better Business Bureau reveals top local scams of 2024 IRS warns taxpayers about misleading claims about non-existent “Self Employment Tax Credit;” promoters, social media peddling inaccurate eligibility suggestions BBB Scam Tracker Got a $1,400 rebate text from the IRS? It's a scam, Better Business Bureau warns. You can hear more from the T-Minus space daily show here.Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.

Please enjoy this encore episode of Word Notes.Hardware and software designed to detect and prevent cyber adversary campaigns that target industrial operations. 

On Hacking Humans, Dave Bittner, Joe Carrigan, and Maria Varmazis (also host of N2K's daily space podcast, T-Minus), are once again sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines to help our audience become aware of what is out there. We start off with some follow up from listener Dave who writes in with a call for help after a good friend of his, who fell victim to a dream job scam. They also have a discussion after the Washington Post shared an article on scammers are remorseful and how they have a support group. Maria has a quick follow up from last week, talking about deepfakes, this week, she talks about Kim Jong Un. Dave has a romance scam story this week, talking about how the loneliness epidemic is causing issues. Joe has two stories this week, the first is on a thief using a homemade barcode ring to scam Walmart self-checkouts. Joe's second story is on new protection methods that are out, giving us game changing anti-scam laws. Our catch of the day comes from Reddit after a user posted a conversation they had with a scammer that got a bit out of hand. Resources and links to stories: Arizona laptop farmer pleads guilty for funneling $17M to Kim Jong Un The Loneliness Epidemic Is a Security Crisis Thief using homemade barcode ring to scam Walmart self-checkout busted after trying to ring up $300 grill for price of tomato soup: cops 'Game-changing' anti-scam laws to protect consumers Hello, Jane. You can hear more from the T-Minus space daily show here.Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.

Explore the widening gap in cybersecurity skills and what it means for employers. Discover the groundbreaking efforts to empower young girls with new cybersecurity badges from the Girl Scouts, revealing a strong interest in online safety. Learn how these initiatives inspire future generations and promote diversity in the tech field, highlighting the urgent need for more skilled professionals.

Nati Tal, Head of Guardio Labs, dives into the escalating threat of homograph attacks, where cybercriminals use visually similar domain names to trick users. He explains the intricate techniques used to craft fraudulent websites that mimic trusted institutions. The conversation also touches on the interplay between homograph attacks and other scam tactics, emphasizing the urgent need for user vigilance. Additionally, Tal highlights the dangers of sponsored search results and the importance of verification in an increasingly deceptive online landscape.

Dive into the transformative world of technology and its impact on businesses. Discover how digital transformation has evolved and its benefits for performance. Learn about the shift from traditional practices to integrated DevOps in startups. Explore the efficiencies gained from automated deployment processes and the rise of continuous integration. This engaging discussion highlights the future of operational tools and the role of open-source projects in shaping the digital landscape.

The hosts dive into the world of old-school scams, sharing tales of modern twists on classic tricks. A chilling story emerges about food workers capturing debit card info in drive-thrus. They also examine an elaborate scam targeting a tech-savvy individual. A humorous yet alarming chat with an AI raises questions about digital deception. Plus, listeners are warned about fraudulent messages and scams on platforms like Facebook Marketplace. It's a riveting exploration of awareness in today’s scam-ridden landscape.

Explore the shadowy world of bulletproof hosting, a cloud service that caters to cybercriminals by evading law enforcement. Discover its origins and links to notorious networks, unraveling the ethical dilemmas it raises in society. The discussion highlights its portrayal in popular culture, especially in the series Mr. Robot, showcasing the intersection of technology and crime.