Former FBI Special Agent Chris Tarbell and ex-Anonymous/LulzSec blackhat hacker Hector Monsegur (aka Sabu) faced off as adversaries in cyberspace before becoming close friends and podcast co-hosts. Listen to Tarbell, co-founder of the elite cybersecurity firm NAXO, and Monsegur, a top network penetration tester and security engineer, break down the must-know cybersecurity news and topics of the week. You’ll walk away from each episode with unique perspectives on keeping your family, your company, and yourself safe from cyber attacks.
Similar Podcasts
The Cynical Developer
A UK based Technology and Software Developer Podcast that helps you to improve your development knowledge and career,
through explaining the latest and greatest in development technology and providing you with what you need to succeed as a developer.
Thinking Elixir Podcast
The Thinking Elixir podcast is a weekly show where we talk about the Elixir programming language and the community around it. We cover news and interview guests to learn more about projects and developments in the community.
Elixir Outlaws
Elixir Outlaws is an informal discussion about interesting things happening in Elixir. Our goal is to capture the spirit of a conference hallway discussion in a podcast.
The Supply Chain Attack Nobody Checked For
Chris and Hector break down a string of stories that show how fragile modern cyber defenses really are. From a malicious open source package quietly stealing WhatsApp messages, to a senior government official failing a counterintelligence polygraph, to nationwide ATM jackpotting tied to organized crime, the conversation moves fast and gets blunt. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Copy Pasting Commands Is the New Phishing
Chris and Hector break down how trust itself has become the attack vector. From AI powered SEO poisoning that tricks users into infecting their own machines, to a leaked GitHub token that exposed Home Depot systems for nearly a year, they unpack the latest breaches, indictments, and regulatory failures shaping the cyber landscape. They talk community, accountability, and why copying random terminal commands might be the most dangerous habit in tech right now. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
When Your Smart Fridge Joins a Botnet
Chris and Hector break down North Korea’s covert push to infiltrate Western companies through fake IT recruiting, the leaked Predator spyware network targeting journalists and activists, and a record shattering DDoS attack driven by millions of compromised IoT devices. Along the way they unpack lazy opsec, hardware backdoors, and why everyday consumer tech keeps ending up in global cyber warfare. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
When Your Smart Fridge Joins a Botnet
Chris and Hector break down North Korea’s covert push to infiltrate Western companies through fake IT recruiting, the leaked Predator spyware network targeting journalists and activists, and a record shattering DDoS attack driven by millions of compromised IoT devices. Along the way they unpack lazy opsec, hardware backdoors, and why everyday consumer tech keeps ending up in global cyber warfare. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
China’s Leaked Cyber Warfare Playbook
This week on Hacker and the Fed, Chris and Hector break down a violent $11 million crypto heist tied to a fake delivery, dissect leaked documents exposing China’s internal cyber warfare training program, and examine how sloppy developer habits are feeding credential-stuffing attacks worldwide. Plus, updates on GrapheneOS, a look at rising physical threats around digital assets, and details on the first live Hacker and the Fed event. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Microsoft Admits Everything’s Broken, What Now?
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
The First Bitcoin Cold War
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
The Typo That Destroyed a Cybercrime Empire
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
How Residential Proxies Became the Dark Web’s Secret Weapon
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
YouTube Tutorials or Malware Traps? Don’t Click That Link”
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
The Night the Internet Broke: AWS, China, and the Quantum Hack
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.
Insiders for Sale: The Hackers Recruiting Your Employees
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
Click, Jack, and Roll: The Rise of AI-Powered Cybercrime
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
The Phantom Extension: Backdooring Your Browser
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
Bitcoin, Vegas, and the Feds
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