How Hacks Happen

What is Tor? In this episode, we demystify the Tor browser and how it relates to the Surface Web, the Deep Web, and the Dark Web. Maybe you want to use Tor, and maybe you don't. But in any case you'l…

What we can we learn about hacks, scams, and fraud from TV shows and movies? Plenty, as it turns out. Fictional shows, documentaries, podcasts, and other types of entertainment are a treasure trove o…

The Tinder Swindler is a fascinating Netflix documentary about a serial  romance scammer who took each of his "girlfriends" for more than $100,000 each. In this episode,  we look at what we can learn…

The hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014 was one of the most bizarre crimes of the decade. Instead of demanding money, the hackers threatened a terrorist attack on the USA if Sony didn't cance…

Why are older people so susceptible to scams? There could be a relationship to the music you loved in your teen years. Just as most of us have a Musical Peak in our teens, I propose that we also have…

What would you do if your identity was stolen, if you found out someone was using it to take out credit cards, steal your tax refund, or even raid your bank account? Meet Tiffany, Pete, and Astrid, t…

How are bike thieves like hackers? Both look for the same kinds of vulnerabilities, including easy-to-crack passwords. Would you leave your bike's combination at the default of 0000? Of course not. I…

Black Friday, the day after American Thanksgiving, is traditionally one of the biggest holiday shopping days of the year. But hackers aren't going to take a holiday--they'll use Black Friday as an op…

You've heard of Bitcoin, but how does it work, and why are so many people talking about it? Let's talk about blockchain--the tech behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency--in plain English, including …

If anyone--the IRS, the electric company, the police--calls you and asks you to buy a prepaid Visa card or a gift card to pay your bill over the phone, it's not who you think it is. They'll tell you …

Hackers operate off of fear. They'll call you with an urgent problem: Your bill is overdue! Pay now! But if they don't know your name, social security number, or anything else about you, it's a scam.…

In July 2015, a very polite group of hackers called The Impact Team stole the data of over 30 million users from Ashley Madison, a website for cheating spouses, and threatened to dump it all over the…

Let's look at the impact of credit card fraud, and talk about how they're stolen, and what you can do to keep your credit safe. Jiggle that cover, man!

Resources for this episode:

• Credit card safety: 8…

Say No to the NSA! Until the mid-1970s, the National Security Agency held an iron grip on all research into computer-based cryptography in the USA. In this episode, we talk about how the NSA squashed…

When consumer reporting agency Equifax was breached in 2017, the records of over 140 million people (more than half the adults in the USA!) were stolen. Years later, we take a closer look at the mist…