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.
The Colonial Pipeline Hack, the SEC's X Account, and Special Agent Aron Mann on Homeland Security and Cyber
On this episode of Hacker And The Fed we interview Special Agent Aron Mann with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crime Center about their cyber role and career opportunities. We break down the Colonial Pipeline hack, how the dark web is intensifying the insider threat, and dig into the mother of all breaches. And finally, the SEC's X account was hacked. Links from the episode: https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/homeland-security-investigations https://www.ice.gov/partnerships-centers/cyber-crimes-center https://www.usajobs.gov/ https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/?k=homeland%20security%20investigator Colonial Pipeline Hack - May 2021 https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/dag-monaco-delivers-remarks-press-conference-darkside-attack-colonial-pipeline https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-seizes-23-million-cryptocurrency-paid-ransomware-extortionists-darkside https://www.justice.gov/media/1159701/dl From Loyal Employees to Cybercriminals https://thesun.my/opinion_news/from-loyal-employees-to-cybercriminals-AC12012406 Mother of All Breaches Reveals 26 Billion Records: What We Know So Far https://cybernews.com/security/billions-passwords-credentials-leaked-mother-of-all-breaches/ SECGov X Account https://www.sec.gov/secgov-x-account Support our sponsors: NAXO is a premier cybersecurity and investigations firm, including blockchain forensics, whose mission to fight cybercrime aligns perfectly with Hacker and the Fed’s content. Go to cloudsolvers.com tell them “Hacker and the Fed sent you” to get a free assessment of your current environment.
A Train Hack, $80M Pig Butchering Scheme, and Greg Van Houten of Haynes Boone on the SEC's New Cybersecurity Disclosure Rules
This week on Hacker And The Fed we interview Greg Van Houten of Haynes Boone and policyholderplaybook.com, a seasoned civil litigator who focuses on insurance recovery. We talk to Greg about the SEC's new cybersecurity disclosure rules, which went into effect this month. We also discuss a massive hack that went unreported, a train hack due to a vendor’s geofencing feature, indictments in an 80-million-dollar pig butchering scheme, and a MongoDB security breach. Links from the episode: Greg Van Houten of Haynes Boone policyholderplaybook.com SEC’s cyber disclosure rules: Key considerations for the board, C-suite and risk managers. Authored by Greg Van Houten (Haynes Boone), David Franzel (NAXO), and Chris Tarbell (NAXO) https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/secs-cyber-disclosure-rules-tips/700550/ The Biggest Hack Over the Last Few Years Has Gone Unreported https://twitter.com/mattjay/status/1735046508242780575 Train Hack Due to Vendor Geofencing Feature https://social.hackerspace.pl/@q3k/111528165627522619 Polish Hackers Repaired Trains the Manufacturer Artificially Bricked. Now The Train Company Is Threatening Them https://www.404media.co/polish-hackers-repaired-trains-the-manufacturer-artificially-bricked-now-the-train-company-is-threatening-them/ Four Men Indicted in $80 million ‘Pig Butchering’ Scheme https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/14/pig-butchering-scam-results-in-four-indictments-two-arrests-doj.html MongoDB Suffers Security Breach, Exposing Customer Data https://thehackernews.com/2023/12/mongodb-suffers-security-breach.html Support our sponsors: NAXO is a premier cybersecurity and investigations firm whose mission to fight cybercrime aligns perfectly with Hacker and the Fed’s content. Go to cloudsolvers.com tell them “Hacker and the Fed sent you” to get a free assessment of your current environment.
The FBI Shares Tactics of a Ransomware Gang, a Ransom Payment Fail, and Cyber Law with Lance Taubin
This week on Hacker And The Fed we speak with Lance Taubin of Alston & Bird about being a cyber lawyer, the FBI shares the tactics of the ransomware gang Scattered Spider, a company pays a ransom and their data is exposed anyway, Alpha BlackCat uses government regulations to further pressure a victim to pay, and the FCC is trying to make SIM swapping more difficult. Links from the episode: FBI Shares Tactics of Notorious Scattered Spider Hacker Collective https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fbi-shares-tactics-of-notorious-scattered-spider-hacker-collective/ Dolly.com Pays Ransom, Attackers Release Data Anyway https://cybernews.com/security/dolly-data-breach-ransomware-attack/#google_vignette Ransomware Gang Files SEC Complaint Over Victim’s Undisclosed Breach https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-gang-files-sec-complaint-over-victims-undisclosed-breach/ FCC Enforces Stronger Rules to Protect Customers Against SIM Swapping Attacks https://thehackernews.com/2023/11/fcc-enforces-stronger-rules-to-protect.html Lance Taubin | Technology and Privacy Attorney | Alston & Bird Support our sponsors: NAXO is a premier cybersecurity and investigations firm whose mission to fight cybercrime aligns perfectly with Hacker and the Fed’s content. Go to cloudsolvers.com tell them “Hacker and the Fed sent you” to get a free assessment of your current environment.
The SolarWinds hack, North Korea IT Workers, Hackers Targeting a Data Company, and Listener Questions
This week on Hacker And The Fed we break down the SolarWinds hack, there are 8 new vulnerabilities found in SolarWinds, thousands of remote IT workers have been working for North Korea, hackers are targeting a company that handles data requests for law enforcement, and we answer listener questions about VPN services, password managers and patch management. Links from the episode: Critical SolarWinds RCE Bugs Enable Unauthorized Network Takeover https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/critical-solarwinds-rce-bugs-enable-unauthorized-network-takeover Thousands of Remote IT Workers Sent Wages to North Korea to Help Fund Weapons Program, FBI Says https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-weapons-program-it-workers-f3df7c120522b0581db5c0b9682ebc9b?taid=6531b8b29c11a80001ef2a28 Hackers Target Company That Vets Police Data Requests for Tech Giants https://www.404media.co/hackers-target-kodex-accounts-edrs/ Support our sponsors: Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED and use the code FED20 for 20% off Go to Cloudsolvers.com and tell them "Hacker and the Fed sent you" for a free assessment of your current environment Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
MOVEit and MGM Resorts Hacks, U.S. Senate's Email System Melts Down, Cisco Can't Stop Using Static Passwords, and Listener Questions
This week on Hacker And The Fed we offer updates on the MOVEit and MGM Resorts hacks, the US State Department has no idea if its IT security actually works, the Senate's email system melts down in the face of a security test, Cisco can't stop using static passwords, and we answer listener questions about Single Sign-on, circumventing company IT rules, and LinkedIn profiles. Links from the episode: MOVEit Maker Announces New Critical Vulnerability Affecting a Different File Transfer Tool https://therecord.media/progress-new-file-transfer-vulnerability MGM Resorts Hack Update https://x.com/brettforrest89/status/1711885567695433765 US State Dept has No Idea if its IT Security Actually Works, Say Auditors https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/02/us_state_security_gao/ https://endoflife.date/windows The Senate’s Email System Melted Down in the Face of Security Test https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/09-8-2023/senate-reply-all-mess/ Cisco Can't Stop Using Static Passwords https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/10/cisco-cant-stop-using-hard-coded-passwords.html Support our sponsors: Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Are Paying Ransoms Illegal? Ransomware Shuts Down a 158 Year Old Company, Fido2 Security Keys, and Hacktivist Rules
This week on Hacker And The Fed Microsoft releases their 2023 digital defense report, are paying ransoms illegal in the United States? The NSA and CISA red and blue teams share top 10 cyber security misconfigurations, a 158 year old company shuts down because of a ransomware attack, and we answer listener questions about fido2 security keys and "hacktivist" rules. Links from the episode: Microsoft Releases Its Yearly Digital Defense Report https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/security-insider/microsoft-digital-defense-report-2023 Are Paying Ransoms Illegal in the U.S.? https://www.huntonprivacyblog.com/2022/07/26/florida-enacts-law-prohibiting-state-agencies-from-paying-cyber-ransoms/ NSA and CISA Red and Blue Teams Share Top Ten Cybersecurity Misconfigurations https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa23-278a Zero-days for Hacking WhatsApp are Now Worth Millions of Dollars https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/05/zero-days-for-hacking-whatsapp-are-now-worth-millions-of-dollars/ Lazarus Impersonated Meta Recruiter to Breach Spanish Aerospace Firm https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/10/02/lazarus-lightlesscan/ Kettering logistics firm enters administration with 730 jobs lost https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-66927965 FDA Cyber Mandates for Medical Devices Goes into Effect https://cyberscoop.com/fda-cybersecurity-medical-devices/ City of Dallas Suffers a Ransomware Attack https://dallascityhall.com/DCH%20Documents/dallas-ransomware-incident-may-2023-incident-remediation-efforts-and-resolution.pdf International Committee of the Red Cross Published Rules of Engagement for Civilian Hackers Involved in Conflicts https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66998064 https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/04/red_cross_hacktivist_rules/ Support our sponsors: Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED and use the code FED20 for 20% off Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Artificial Intelligence Doxxing in Viral Videos, Billions of Usernames and Passwords Exposed, and a HATF Contest
This week on Hacker And The Fed the end of privacy with AI being used to dox people in viral videos, billions of usernames and passwords are exposed, nationstate hackers are hiding in router firmware updates, we answer listener questions about working with the FBI, setting up a cyber security business, and safely using data sent to you be others. Finally, we announce Hacker And The Fed's first contest for cyber security awareness month. Links from the episode: The End of Privacy is a Taylor Swift Fan TikTok Account Armed with Facial Recognition Tech https://www.404media.co/the-end-of-privacy-is-a-taylor-swift-fan-tiktok-account-armed-with-facial-recognition-tech/ Darkbeam Leaks Billions of Email and Password Combinations https://securityaffairs.com/151566/security/darkbeam-data-leak.html FBI Hacker Dropped Stolen Airbus Data on 9/11 https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/09/fbi-hacker-dropped-stolen-airbus-data-on-9-11/ People's Republic of China-Linked Cyber Actors Hide in Router Firmware https://media.defense.gov/2023/Sep/27/2003309107/-1/-1/0/CSA_BLACKTECH_HIDE_IN_ROUTERS_TLP-CLEAR.PDF Russian Exploit Marketplace offering $20M for a Full Chain Mobile Exploit https://twitter.com/opzero_en/status/1706762507631677760 McDonalds Point of Sale System Hacked https://twitter.com/vxunderground/status/1706508703745151211 Support our sponsors: Go to HelloFresh.com/50hatf and use the code 50hatf for 50% off plus free shipping Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Equifax Breach, a Hack of 27 Crypto Companies, and the Arrest of a Department of State IT Contractor
This week on Hacker And The Fed we break down how Equifax was breached, is Google Authenticator MFA Cloud Sync feature responsible for a hack into 27 crypto companies? Google’s Threat Analysis Group announces an in-the-wild 0-day exploit chain for iPhones, the year of the insider threat continues with the arrest of a Department of State IT Contractor on espionage charges. Links from the episode: How Equifax Was Breached in 2017 https://blog.0x7d0.dev/history/how-equifax-was-breached-in-2017/ https://twitter.com/vxunderground/status/1700335482440204521 Retool Blames Breach on Google Authenticator MFA Cloud Sync feature https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/retool-blames-breach-on-google-authenticator-mfa-cloud-sync-feature/ 0-days Exploited by Commercial Surveillance Vendor in Egypt https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/0-days-exploited-by-commercial-surveillance-vendor-in-egypt/ Department of State IT Contractor Arrested on Espionage Charges https://fedscoop.com/department-of-state-it-contractor-arrested-on-espionage-charges/ Support our sponsors: Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED and use the code FED20 for 20% off Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Finding out our Relative is a Hacker, Working for the FBI, Prepping for a Technical Interview, and More Listener Questions
This week on Hacker And The Fed we answer listener questions about finding out our relative is a hacker, applying for a cyber security job as a chemical engineer, preparing you for a technical interview, the FBI being a great place to work, is MFA once every 24 hours too much, and much more. Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Your Car and Your Sex Life, US Departments of State and Commerce Compromised, Iran and North Korea Hacking Crews, and Victories Over Russian Hackers
This week on Hacker And The Fed your car may know all the details about your sex life, the Swiss fined an insurer 3 million dollars for horrible cyber security practices, the US Departments of State and Commerce were compromised because of a two-year-old Windows crash report, Iran and New Korea hacking crews have active campaigns against security researchers, and two victories over Russian hackers for the US government. Links from the episode: Insurer Fined $3M for Exposing Data of 650k Clients for Two Years https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/insurer-fined-3m-for-exposing-data-of-650k-clients-for-two-years/ If You’ve Got a New Car, It’s a Data Privacy Nightmare https://gizmodo.com/mozilla-new-cars-data-privacy-report-1850805416 https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/09/connected-cars-are-a-privacy-nightmare-mozilla-foundation-says/ Microsoft Finally Explains Cause of Azure Breach: An Engineer’s Account Was Hacked https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/09/hack-of-a-microsoft-corporate-account-led-to-azure-breach-by-chinese-hackers/ https://twitter.com/0xdabbad00/status/1699596048392736812 Hacker Group Disguised as Marketing Company to Attack Enterprise Targets https://gbhackers.com/hacker-group-disguised-as-marketing/ Active North Korean Campaign Targeting Security Researchers https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/active-north-korean-campaign-targeting-security-researchers/ Russian Infosec Boss Gets Nine Years for $100M Insider-Trading Caper Using Stolen Data https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2023/09/08/russian_insider_training_prison/ United States and United Kingdom Sanction Additional Members of the Russia-Based Trickbot Cybercrime Gang https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1714 Support our sponsors: Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED and use the code FED20 for 20% off Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
The FBI's Operation "Duck Hunt" Takes Down a Botnet, NYC Subway Allows Users to be Tracked Online, and Why Chris Left the FBI
This week on Hacker And The Fed the FBI's Operation "Duck Hunt" takes down a ransomware botnet, we disclose the secret weapon hackers use for doxing, the New York City subway system allows its users to be tracked online, and we answer listener questions about leaving the FBI, getting jobs in cyber security, and Hector's detailed description of a red teamer. Links from the episode: How the FBI Took Down the Notorious Qakbot Botnet https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/01/fbi-qakbot-takedown-operation-duck-hunt/ The Secret Weapon Hackers Can Use to Dox Nearly Anyone in America for $15 https://www.404media.co/the-secret-weapon-hackers-can-use-to-dox-nearly-anyone-in-america-for-15-tlo-usinfosearch-transunion/ I Tracked an NYC Subway Rider's Movements with an MTA ‘Feature’ https://www.404media.co/i-tracked-nyc-subway-rider-home-omny-mta/ Paramount Discloses Data Breach Following Security Incident https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/paramount-discloses-data-breach-following-security-incident/ Hacking Campaign Bruteforces Cisco VPNs to Breach Networks https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hacking-campaign-bruteforces-cisco-vpns-to-breach-networks/ Big Ass Data Broker Opt Out List https://github.com/yaelwrites/Big-Ass-Data-Broker-Opt-Out-List Support Our Sponsors HelloFresh! Go to hellofresh.com/50hatf use code 50hatf for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months! Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
Hacking Through a Fire Stick, a Danish Cloud Provider Loses all Their Customer Data, an Active Hacker Becoming a White Hat
This week on Hacker And The Fed a Danish cloud provider loses all of their customer's data, a hacker in custody continues hacking through a fire stick, there are two great write ups about a zero day vulnerability and HTML smuggling, cyber security entry jobs should be just that, entry into the industry, and we answer listener questions that include an ongoing dialogue with an active hacker about becoming a white hat. Links from the episode: Criminals Go Full Viking on CloudNordic, Wipe All Servers and Customer Data https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2023/08/23/ransomware_wipes_cloudnordic/ GTA 6 Hacker Found to be Teen with Amazon Fire Stick in Small Town Hotel Room https://hackaday.com/2023/08/26/gta-6-hacker-found-to-be-teen-with-amazon-fire-stick-in-small-town-hotel-room/ Traders' Dollars in Danger: Zero-Day Vulnerability in WinRAR Exploited by Cybercriminals to Target Traders https://www.group-ib.com/blog/cve-2023-38831-winrar-zero-day/ HTML Smuggling Leads to Domain Wide Ransomware https://thedfirreport.com/2023/08/28/html-smuggling-leads-to-domain-wide-ransomware/ Cybersecurity Hiring Gap: Time to Rethink Who Can Contribute https://www.csoonline.com/article/649166/cybersecurity-hiring-gap-time-to-rethink-who-can-contribute.html https://twitter.com/CyberWarship/status/1692239445188120950 Support our sponsors: Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED and use the code FED20 for 20% off Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com
Demystifying Internet Honeypots and Getting into Cyber Security with Andrew Morris, Founder and CEO of GreyNoise
This week on Hacker And The Fed we have Andrew Morris, CEO and founder of GreyNoise on the show. GreyNoise is a cybersecurity company that collects and analyzes mass internet data to remove pointless security alerts, find compromised devices, or identify emerging threats. We talk internet honeypots, how to get into the cyber security industry and much more. Links from the episode: Andrew Morris, CEO & Founder of GreyNoise https://www.greynoise.io/ https://twitter.com/Andrew___Morris https://twitter.com/GreyNoiseIO Support our sponsor: Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED code FED20 for 20% off all consumer plans Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com
Zoom and AI, the NSA and DARPA Presenting Challenges to the Cyber Security Community and Listener Questions
This week on Hacker And The Fed Zoom wanted to use your calls to train artificial intelligence, the NSA and DARPA are presenting challenges to the cyber security community, and we answer listener questions from a US military chaplain about justice, a former black hat about a career in cyber security, and even a hacker who used a compromised email account to ask us how to stop hacking. Links from the episode: Zoom walks back controversial privacy policy https://www.thestreet.com/technology/zooms-latest-move-may-make-you-reconsider-using-the-service Microsoft Exposes Russian Hackers' Sneaky Phishing Tactics via Microsoft Teams Chats https://thehackernews.com/2023/08/microsoft-exposes-russian-hackers.html Hackers to compete for nearly $20 million in prizes by using A.I. for cybersecurity, Biden administration announces https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/09/biden-admin-launches-hacking-challenge-to-use-ai-for-cybersecurity.html https://aicyberchallenge.com/rules/ NSA: Codebreaker Challenge Helps Drive Cybersecurity Education https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/nsa-talks-codebreaker-challenge-success-influence-on-education Lil Tay Meta Helped Get Account Back from Hacker https://www.tmz.com/2023/08/12/lil-tay-dead-dies-hacker-meta-instagram-hacked-account-hoax/ CISCO Launches a FREE 120-Hour Ethical Hacking Training https://cursin.net/en/cisco-launches-a-free-120-hour-ethical-hacking-training/ Support our sponsor: Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/FED code FED20 for 20% off all consumer plans Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com
Chinese Malware, a Year in Review of Zero-day Exploits, a Ransomware Study, and Listener Questions
This week on Hacker And The Fed the US hunts Chinese malware that could disrupt American Military operations, a year in review of zero-day exploits, a study finds no evidence that ransomware victims with cyber insurance pay up more often, there's fighting words between Tenable CEO and Microsoft, and we answer listener questions from a listener in Greece, Holland, and a new minted NSA hacker. Links from the episode: U.S. Hunts Chinese Malware That Could Disrupt American Military Operations https://dnyuz.com/2023/07/29/u-s-hunts-chinese-malware-that-could-disrupt-american-military-operations/ The Ups and Downs of 0-days: A Year in Review of 0-days Exploited In-the-Wild in 2022 https://security.googleblog.com/2023/07/the-ups-and-downs-of-0-days-year-in.html No evidence ransomware victims with cyber insurance pay up more often https://therecord.media/ransomware-cyber-insurance-payments-uk-report Tenable CEO accuses Microsoft of negligence in addressing security flaw https://cyberscoop.com/tenable-microsoft-negligence-security-flaw/ https://twitter.com/MalwareJake/status/1686869818912202755 https://www.wired.com/2002/01/bill-gates-trustworthy-computing/ SMS Traffic Pumping Fraud https://support.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/8360406023067-SMS-Traffic-Pumping-Fraud New acoustic attack steals data from keystrokes with 95% accuracy https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-acoustic-attack-steals-data-from-keystrokes-with-95-percent-accuracy/ Get your Hacker and the Fed merchandise at hackerandthefed.com