Smashing Security

Romance scammers have apparently discovered astrology... and Taurus is their secret weapon.In episode 449 of "Smashing Security", we take a look inside an actual romance-fraud handbook - complete with scripts, personality “types”, corporate jargon, and a seven-day plan to get victims from hello to hand over the crypto.Then Lesley "hacks4pancakes" Carhart delivers a reality check on the dire cybersecurity jobs market for juniors: why entry-level roles are evaporating, how automated CV screening is chewing candidates up, and what hopeful newcomers (and weary veterans) can do about it.Plus, Graham talks to ThreatLocker CEO Danny Jenkins about why misconfigurations are behind an uncomfortable number of breaches, how default-deny security actually works in practice, and why detecting attacks after they’ve started is already too late.All this, and much more, in this episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Lesley Carhart.EPISODE LINKS:Millions of Android Powered TVs and Streaming Devices Infected by Kimwolf Botnet - Hackread.Ilya Lichtenstein, Bitcoin hacker behind massive crypto theft, credits Trump for early prison release - CNBC.How Fake BSODs and Trusted Build Tools Are Used to Construct a Malware Infection - Securonix.A scammer's guide: How cybercriminals plot to rob a target in a week - Reuters.Game of Wool: Britian’s Best Knitter - Channel 4.Game of Wool trailer - YouTube.Earthrise One: Melbourne's Premier Sci-Fi Escape Room Adventure.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!ThreatLocker - Start your free trial and book a demo of ThreatLocker today to see how you can implement Zero Trust in your environment.Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Think your Kindle is harmless? Think again! In this episode, Graham and special guest Danny Palmer unpack a Black Hat Europe talk revealing how a boobytrapped audiobook could exploit the Amazon eBook reader - potentially letting an attacker break into your account and seize control of your credit card.Plus a blast from 2021's "summer of ransomware" returns to haunt Ireland's Health Service Executive, as victims are offered €750 each.And because it's the last show before the Christmas break, there's also a Pick of the Week that veers from cosy rom-com comfort to pointy-polygon nostalgia. All this, and more, in episode 448 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Danny Palmer.🎅 🎄 Thanks to everyone for listening to "Smashing Security" during 2025 - we look forward to being back in your ear'oles in early January. Stay safe! 🎅 🎄EPISODE LINKS:Password manager provider fined £1.2m by ICO for data breach affecting up to 1.6 million people in the UK - ICO.Trump Administration Turning to Private Firms in Cyber Offensive - Bloomberg.Russian ban on Roblox gaming platform sparks rare protest - Reuters.Once upon an exploit: how fake audiobook led to Kindle takeover - Cybernews.Four years later, Irish health service offers €750 to victims of ransomware attack - Bitdefender.When Harry Met Sally - Wikipedia.When Harry Met Sally trailer - YouTube.Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered review - you were never going to smooth these games out - Eurogamer.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!ThreatLocker - Start your free trial and book a demo of ThreatLocker today to see how you can implement Zero Trust in your environment.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's show we learn that AI really can be a stalker’s best friend, as we explore a strange tale that starts with a manatee-shaped mailbox on a millionaire's lawn and ends with Grok happily doxxing real people, mapping out stalking "strategies," and handing out revenge-porn tips.Then we go inside the Louvre heist, where thieves in hi-vis and a hire van waltzed off with the French crown jewels in broad daylight, exploiting our assumptions about what "looks normal" - the same kind of bias we’re now baking into security AIs.Plus, Graham chats with Rob Edmondson from CoreView about why misconfigurations and over-privileged accounts can make Microsoft 365 dangerously vulnerable.All this, and more, in episode 447 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Jenny Radcliffe.EPISODE LINKS:Khashoggi widow files complaint in France alleging Saudi government infected devices with spyware - The Record.US Posts $10 Million Bounty for Iranian Hackers - Security Week.Infostealer has entered the chat - Kaspersky.Dave Portnoy posts a photo of his lawn (including a manatee-shaped mailbox) - Twitter.Elon Musk’s Grok AI Is Doxxing Home Addresses of Everyday People - Futurism.Elon Musk’s Grok Is Providing Extremely Detailed and Creepy Instructions for Stalking - Futurism.How the Louvre thieves exploited human psychology to avoid suspicion – and what it reveals about AI - The Conversation.Outrageous (TV series) - Wikipedia.Outrageous trailer - YouTube.Man charged with theft after allegedly swallowing Fabergé pendant in jewellery store - The Guardian.Free Microsoft 365 Tenant Security Scanner - CoreView.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Horizon3.ai - Get an autonomous pentest demo and see your network the way attackers do. Visit Horizon3.ai.CoreView - Benchmark your Microsoft 365 tenant security against the Center for Internet Security (CIS) controls. SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A teenage cybercriminal posts a smug screenshot to mock a sextortion scammer... and accidentally hands over the keys to his real-world identity. Meanwhile, we look into the crystal ball for 2026 and consider how stolen data is now the jet fuel of cybercrime – and how next year could be even nastier than 2025.Plus, Graham rants about recipe sites that won’t shut up, and there's even more love for Lily Allen's album "West End Girl" album.All this and more is discussed in episode 446 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Rik Ferguson.EPISODE LINKS:Europol nukes Cryptomixer laundering hub, seizing €25M in Bitcoin - The Register.4.3 Million Browsers Infected: Inside ShadyPanda's 7-Year Malware Campaign - Koi.Uncovering a Calendly-themed phishing campaign targeting business ad manager accounts - Push Security.Meet Rey, the Admin of ‘Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters’ - Krebs on Security.Jonathan Ross email goof highlights Twitter security issue - Graham Cluley.VIDEO: Mark Zuckerberg’s password choices are dadada-dumb! - Graham Cluley.Password to Louvre’s video surveillance system was 'Louvre', according to employee - ABC News.Just the Recipe.West End Girl - Wikipedia.West End Girl - Spotify.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:1Password - Take the first step to better security by securing your team’s credentials.Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Drata - The world’s most advanced Trust Management platform – making risk and compliance management accessible, continuous, and 10x more automated than ever before.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

America's airwaves are haunted by zombies again, as we dig into a decade of broadcasters leaving their hardware open to attack, giving hackers the chance to hijack TV shows, blast out fake emergency alerts, and even replace religious sermons with explicit furry podcasts.Meanwhile, we look at how a worker at a cybersecurity firm allegedly leaked internal information to a hacking gang - raising big questions about insider threats.Plus: Frankenstein on Netflix, Vine nostalgia, and why Barney the Dinosaur may be the true criminal mastermind behind it all.All this and more is discussed in episode 445 of the “Smashing Security” podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Dan Raywood.EPISODE LINKS:Fake adult websites pop realistic Windows Update screen to deliver stealers via ClickFix - Acronis.Tokyo Court Finds Cloudflare Liable For Manga Piracy in Long-Running Lawsuit - TorrentFreak.Former Google chief accused of spying on employees through account ‘backdoor’ - LA Times.Bogus zombie apocalypse warnings undermine US emergency alert system - Ars Technica.2013 EAS Zombie Hoax - Emergency Alert System Wiki.The 1987 Max Headroom incident - YouTube.Nation-wide radio station hack airs hours of vulgar “furry sex” ramblings - Ars Technica.ESPN 97.5 Houston Victim Of Barix Hack - Radio Insight.ESPN Houston apologises to viewers - Facebook.CrowdStrike fires ‘suspicious insider’ who passed information to hackers - TechCrunch.Frankenstein official trailer - YouTube.Frankenstein - Netflix.Vine: Six Seconds that changed the world - Global Player.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Action1 - Keep your systems safe (and your sanity intact) with the patch management platform that just works. The best part? Your first 200 endpoints are free, forever, with no functional limits.Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Horizon3.ai - Get an autonomous pentest demo and see your network the way attackers do. Visit Horizon3.ai.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy