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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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
Microsoft’s $20B Cybersecurity Scam
Chris and Hector call out Microsoft for “gross cybersecurity negligence,” explain Kerberoasting in plain English, and discuss CISA’s CVE overhaul. Plus, hackers on the battlefield, and how U.S. tech helped build China’s surveillance state. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Your WhatsApp Data Wasn’t Private After All
Chris and Hector break down the WhatsApp whistleblower lawsuit claiming 1,500 engineers had unchecked access to user data. They also cover hackers extorting Google after the Salesforce breach, OpenAI scanning ChatGPT conversations for police referrals, and a police bodycam app secretly sending data to China, and why 2.5 billion Gmail users need a password reset. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
The $1 Billion Scam on Seniors
Chris and Hector recap their first live show and dig into Google’s new Cybersecurity Disruption Unit, South Korea’s $97M fine, FEMA’s IT firings, a WhatsApp zero-day, a $1B senior scam, China’s Salt Typhoon campaign, and AI tools fueling cybercrime. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
AI Agents Gone Rogue: The Next Breach Waiting to Happen
Chris and Hector break down a new bill proposing U.S. “cyber privateers,” the DOJ’s takedown of the RapperBot botnet, and a zero-day flaw hitting millions of password manager users. They debate hackback authority, AI agents gone rogue, and why hoarding vulnerabilities always backfires. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Your Nudes Aren’t Private: The Meta AI Leak
Meta reportedly offered Apple’s head of AI $1.25 billion to jump ship. Chris and Hector explore the AI talent war, resource shortages, and what happens when private industry outpaces government. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Zero-Days, Cookies, and the Death of Dial-Up
Chris and Hector break down a Russian-linked zero-day exploit targeting WinRAR users, why stolen browser cookies bypass MFA, the economic motives behind security features (or lack thereof), and Hector’s nostalgic farewell to AOL dial-up. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
$48 Billion and No 2FA, What Could Go Wrong?
Chris and Hector break down the ransomware attack on Ingram Micro, exposing how a missing MFA on a VPN led to a massive breach. They also dig into the Department of Defense’s new CMMC rules and sound off on Microsoft’s $30 charge for Windows 10 security updates. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Your Favorite Game Just Stole Your Crypto
Chris and Hector unpack a big week, they dive into the info-stealing malware hidden inside Steam games, break down how it works, who it targets, and why you should care. Also on the docket, the Pentagon’s rush to secure IT supply chains, and a California broadband subsidy clash that sparks a classic Hector rant. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Zero Trust, Many Fails: Government Cybersecurity Exposed
Chris and Hector dive into alarming cyber incidents shaking the U.S. government and military. They break down the massive National Guard network compromise by Chinese-linked group Salt Typhoon and the shocking revelation that Microsoft allowed Chinese engineers indirect access to Defense Department systems. Plus, they preview their upcoming Patreon series on the top 10 hacks of all time. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com