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.
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The FBI Drug Market Rumor, Blue Checkmarks, and Government Backdoors
Chris and Hector break down a headline that made it sound like the FBI was running a dark web drug market and separate rumor from reality. They revisit how confidential sources actually work, the fallout from past undercover operations, and why media framing matters. The conversation then shifts to zero click exploits sold to foreign actors, the risks behind LinkedIn identity verification, and a security researcher who found a simple but devastating vulnerability only to be threatened by lawyers. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
What CISOs Won’t Say in Public
Chris and Hector sit down with an anonymous CISO who pulls back the curtain on how cybersecurity actually works inside large organizations. From security theater and boardroom politics to AI risk, bug bounties, and why CISOs are often the fall guy during major incidents, the conversation gets candid fast. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
One Stolen Password Can Take Down a Nation
Chris and Hector break down how familiar security failures continue to fuel major cyber incidents. They explore a large scale cloud worm campaign, a ransomware attack that disrupted a national oil pipeline operator, and a payment processor outage that impacted businesses across the United States. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
The Moment AI Stopped Waiting for Humans
Chris and Hector dive into the sudden rise of AI-only social networks where autonomous agents communicate, collaborate, and sometimes spiral into unexpected behavior. They explore MoltBook, the appearance of AI-driven black markets, and the real world risks of giving autonomous systems access to personal devices and data. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
From Doorbell Cameras to Seized Crypto
Chris and Hector take on the uneasy space where privacy, technology, and law enforcement overlap. They break down how encrypted data was accessed through BitLocker recovery keys, how doorbell cameras are quietly becoming part of policing and immigration enforcement, and how an alleged insider siphoned millions in seized cryptocurrency from government controlled wallets. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Inside China’s Leaking Cyber Machine
Chris and Hector unpack new signs of internal strain inside China’s cyber ecosystem. From leaked intelligence and exposed tools to China cutting off Western security technology, they explore what happens when a tightly controlled cyber machine starts showing cracks. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Cyber Attacks Without a Declaration of War
In this episode, Chris and Hector dig into how cyber operations are no longer a background activity but a core part of modern conflict. They break down reported US cyber actions tied to operations in Venezuela, Chinese state sponsored email intrusions targeting congressional staff, and the global scam economy built on human trafficking and crypto fraud. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Everyone Has Your Data and Nobody Is Accountable
In the first days of 2026, the line between reality and fiction is already collapsing. From massive data thefts and cloud misconfigurations to deepfakes, AI hype, and executives openly calling for limits on free speech, the guys break down how cybersecurity, media, and power are colliding. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
We Gave AI the Keys and It Learned to Steal
Chris and Hector look back at a year where AI quietly reshaped the threat landscape and look ahead to what 2026 may bring. From zero click AI browser attacks and runaway automation to insider threats, mass breaches, and the growing tension between security and convenience, they break down how small design decisions are creating big risks. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
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