Hacking Humans

Latest Episodes:

Pick a persona to match the goal. Mar 28, 2019

Show notes

Followup on remotely previewing websites. Joe has the story of scammer bilking Facebook and Google out of millions. Dave reviews best practices for deleting data on devices you dispose of. The catch of the day is an offer of criminal partnering with the CIA. Our guest is Jeremy N. Smith, author of the book Breaking and Entering - the extraordinary story of a hacker called Alien.

Links from today's stories:

https://urlscan.io/

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/03/21/facebook_google_scam/

https://blog.rapid7.com/2019/03/19/buy-one-device-get-data-free-private-information-remains-on-donated-devices/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0789KP775

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

Kids are a great target. Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

A listener recommends an online tool for safely previewing web sites. Dave shares research on what time of the work week is best for scams. Joe explains credential stuffing. Our guest is Frances Dewing, the CEO and co-founder of Rubica. They recently published a report on how crooks are accessing parents’ mobile devices via apps their kids load.

Links to stories mentioned in today's show:

https://screenshot.guru/

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/phone-scams-peak-time.html

https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/insights/how-lose-money-credential-stocking-stuffers

https://rubica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Rubica-Report-Cyber-Crime-Privacy-Risks-in-Free-Mobile-Kids-Apps.pdf

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

When we rush we make bad decisions. Mar 14, 2019

Show notes

Joe tracks the surprising number of malicious links hosted on legit websites and why it's dangerous. Dave describes an extortion scheme targeting podcasters. Our catch of the day involves a lonely Russian woman promoting a dating site. Dave interviews Gary Noesner, author of Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator.

Links to stories mentioned in today's show:

https://www-cdn.webroot.com/9315/5113/6179/2019_Webroot_Threat_Report_US_Online.pdf

https://rebelbasemedia.io/podcast-review-extortion/

https://www.amazon.com/Stalling-Time-Life-Hostage-Negotiator/dp/1400067251

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

Don't assume younger people get it. Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

Followup on last week's TLD discussion. Dave shares a sextortion scam with a tragic ending. Joe highlights conveyance scams that rely on certain days of the week. Our catch of the day features a wealthy Londoner hoping to pass on her fortune. Guest Dale Zabriskie from Proofpoint has results from their State of the Phish report.

Links to stories:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6744421/Army-veteran-PTSD-committed-suicide-targeted-prison-inmates-sextortion-scam.html

https://www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk/main-news/law-firms-wising-up-conveyancing-scams/

https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.com/en//pubs/archive/45597.pdf

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

Delivering yourself to a kidnapper. Feb 28, 2019

Show notes

Joe describes fraudsters taking advantage of top-level domain name confusion. Dave explains how a Google Nest security system shipped with an undocumented microphones. Our catch of the day involves a postcard missed package campaign. Our guest is Matt Devost from OODA LLC describing their work protecting high-net-worth individuals.

Links to today's stories:

https://rebootcamp.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/02/13/watch-out-for-fake-dod-websites-like-this/

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/02/21/sorry-we-didnt-mean-to-keep-that-secret-microphone-a-secret-says-google/

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

Stop and think before you click that link. Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

We've got followup from a listener on cognitive dissonance and behavioral science. Dave shares a listener story about a University Dean's List scam. Joe shares statistics from a government agency phishing test. Our catch of the day involves funds from the FBI, the IMF, and yes, Nigeria. Dave interviews Crane Hassold from Agari with phishing trends they've been tracking, plus his experiences as a former FBI agent.

Links to stories in today's show:

https://fcw.com/articles/2019/02/11/cyber-phishing-oig-fhfa.aspx

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

The trauma is multifactored. Feb 14, 2019

Show notes

On this Valentines Day edition of Hacking Humans, Joe and Dave examine romance scams, including the sad tale of woman bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. There's a silly, non-murdering catch of the day, and Dave interviews Max Kilger from UTSA on the six motivations of bad actors.

Links to today's stories:

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/17057-online-romance-scams-a-bbb-study-on-how-scammers-use-impersonation-blackmail-and-trickery-to-steal-from-unsuspecting-daters

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2015/online-dating-scam.html

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

Make it seem like the real answer is impossible to know. Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

Dave shares a bank spoofing scam with a reminder to mind those links, especially on mobile devices. Joe describes a case of someone turning the tables on a Twitter scammer. Our catch of the day involves a clumsy claim of physical harm. Dave interviews author Dave Levitan about his book Not a Scientist: How politicians mistake, misrepresent and utterly mangle science.

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

The excitement of tricking someone wears off quickly. Jan 31, 2019

Show notes

We've got followup on bank scams and ransomware. Joe describes a highly sophisticated multinational business scam. Dave shares a story about private school parents falling for a Bitcoin discount scam. Our guest is Jordan Harbinger, host of The Jordan Harbinger Show, with insights on influence and social engineering.

Links to this week's stories:

https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/cyber-fraud-by-chinese-hackers-makes-headlines-in-india/

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-46920810

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

Opening your eyes to the reality in which we live. Jan 24, 2019

Show notes

Dave reviews tips on protecting yourself from ransomware. Joe describes a clever way to trick people into enabling macros. An attempt at celebrity friendship is our catch of the day. Carole Theriault returns and speaks with Dr. Jessica Barker from Cygenta about effective training techniques.

Links to stories mentioned:

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3331981/ransomware/how-to-protect-backups-from-ransomware.html

https://myonlinesecurity.co.uk/agent-tesla-reborn-via-fake-order/

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.