Smashing Security

Meta's smart glasses promise privacy "designed for you" - but everything they record was being beamed off to workers in Nairobi to label by hand. When those workers blew the whistle, Meta sacked all 1,108 of them.Meanwhile, the IT press is in a frenzy over a new Linux bug called "Copy Fail" - complete with logo, dedicated website, and a marketing-friendly name. But is it really the disaster everyone's making it out to be?And in our featured interview, Jake Moore of ESET explains how he tricked a company into offering his deepfake clone a job - after a perfectly normal-looking video interview.All this and more in episode 466 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, joined this week by special guest Paul Ducklin.EPISODE LINKS: Anti-DDoS Firm Heaped Attacks on Brazilian ISPs - Krebs On Security.Microsoft Defender wrongly flags DigiCert certs as Trojan:Win32/Cerdigent.A!dha - Bleeping Computer.Trellix confirms data breach after hack of 'a portion' of its source code - TechRadar.Meta’s AI Smart Glasses and Data Privacy Concerns: Workers Say “We See Everything” - Svd.Dispute over fate of Kenyan workers who saw Meta AI glasses films - BBC News.Copy Fail - CVE-2026-31431.Copy Fail: Hype versus reality - the full story - SolCyber.Flight into Danger: The Original Airplane! - BBC Sounds.The Luton writer behind the original Airplane! - BBC News.Code Dependent by Madhumita Murgia - Pan Macmillan.The Code Book - Simon Singh.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!ESET - 30 years of threat research behind unique global telemetry, AI-native technology, and human expertise working together to keep your business protected.Action1 - Keep your systems safe (and your sanity intact) with the patch management platform that just works. The best part? Your first 200 endpoints are free, forever, with no functional limits.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

AI bots are having existential crises, inventing religions, and allegedly plotting against humanity... or so the internet would have you believe.We dig into Moltbook, the “AI-only” social network that sent Twitter into a meltdown, attracted breathless talk of the singularity, and turned out to be far less Terminator and far more humans role-playing as bots.Plus we discuss why "vibe coding" your app might be a catastrophically bad idea, when security researchers can easily peek inside rifle through your private messages, API keys, and databases.Also this week we learn that pro-Russian hackers are circling the Winter Olympics - or is it the Jamaican Bobsleigh team?All this and more is discussed in episode 454 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Iain Thomson.EPISODE LINKS:AI Agents Created Their Own Religion, Crustafarianism, On An Agent-Only Social Network - Forbes.I Infiltrated Moltbook, the AI-Only Social Network Where Humans Aren’t Allowed - Wired.'Moltbook' social media site for AI agents had big security hole, cyber firm Wiz says - Reuters.Italy blames Russia-linked hackers for cyberattacks ahead of Winter Olympics - The Record.Italy says railways hit by 'serious sabotage' as Winter Olympics begin - BBC News.EpsteIN - GitHub.Private Eye.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Passwork - a reliable secrets manager and password management solution.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In episode 452, a London-based YouTuber wins a landmark court case against Saudi Arabia after his phone was hacked with Pegasus spyware — exposing how a single, seemingly harmless text message can turn a smartphone into a round-the-clock surveillance device.Plus, we go looking for professional hitmen online - only to uncover uncomfortable questions about why some crimes attract customers but very few complaints.All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, joined this week by special guest Joe Tidy.EPISODE LINKS:Sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that! PCs refuse to shut down after Microsoft patch - The Register.Russian state hackers likely behind wiper malware attack on Poland’s power grid - The Record.US charges 31 more suspects linked to ATM malware attacks - Bleeping Computer.Dark web arrests in Romania linked to portal which offered services including murder - ROCU.Romanian scammers ran fake hitman-for-hire site, lured desperate perpetrators as 'incompetent assassins' - Fox News.This Fake Hitman Site Is the Most Elaborate, Twisted Dark Web Scam Yet - VICE.Unlikely Assassin, The Murder of Amy Allwine - Rooster.Saudi dissident awarded $4.1 million by UK court for hacking, assault 'by Saudi Arabia' - Reuters.Stalkerware: The software that spies on your partner - BBC News.Using 'stalkerware' to spy on a colleague's phone - YouTube.“Polite Society” trailer - YouTube.Elegoo Saturn 3 3D printer - Elegoo.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Passwork - a reliable secrets manager and password management solution.Coreview - Download "Total Tenant Takeover", a white paper about the Microsoft 365 Disaster No One Is Ready For.Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Confusion reigns after claims that data linked to 17.5 million Instagram accounts is up for sale - sparked by a vague post, contradictory statements, and a flood of password reset emails nobody asked for.And we dig into Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, after it started generating sexualised images of women and children - raising uncomfortable questions about guardrails, accountability, and why playing the censorship card doesn’t make the problem go away.All this, and much more, in this episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Monica Verma.EPISODE LINKS:Free Speech Union website down after alleged funders exposed by trans hackers - Pink News.Illinois Man Charged in Snapchat Hacking Investigation - US Dept of Justice.Hackers get hacked, as BreachForums database is leaked - Hot for Security.Post by Malwarebytes - Bluesky.Post by Instagram - Twitter.Instagram denies breach amid claims of 17 million account data leak - Bleeping Computer.Ofcom asks X about reports its Grok AI makes sexualised images of children - BBC News.Musk’s Grok blocked by Indonesia, Malaysia over sexualized images in world first - CNN.Elon Musk shares AI images of Starmer in bikini in row over grim Grok deepfakes - Mirror.Soul Music - BBC Sounds.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Think your Kindle is harmless? Think again! In this episode, Graham and special guest Danny Palmer unpack a Black Hat Europe talk revealing how a boobytrapped audiobook could exploit the Amazon eBook reader - potentially letting an attacker break into your account and seize control of your credit card.Plus a blast from 2021's "summer of ransomware" returns to haunt Ireland's Health Service Executive, as victims are offered €750 each.And because it's the last show before the Christmas break, there's also a Pick of the Week that veers from cosy rom-com comfort to pointy-polygon nostalgia. All this, and more, in episode 448 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Danny Palmer.🎅 🎄 Thanks to everyone for listening to "Smashing Security" during 2025 - we look forward to being back in your ear'oles in early January. Stay safe! 🎅 🎄EPISODE LINKS:Password manager provider fined £1.2m by ICO for data breach affecting up to 1.6 million people in the UK - ICO.Trump Administration Turning to Private Firms in Cyber Offensive - Bloomberg.Russian ban on Roblox gaming platform sparks rare protest - Reuters.Once upon an exploit: how fake audiobook led to Kindle takeover - Cybernews.Four years later, Irish health service offers €750 to victims of ransomware attack - Bitdefender.When Harry Met Sally - Wikipedia.When Harry Met Sally trailer - YouTube.Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered review - you were never going to smooth these games out - Eurogamer.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!ThreatLocker - Start your free trial and book a demo of ThreatLocker today to see how you can implement Zero Trust in your environment.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A teenage cybercriminal posts a smug screenshot to mock a sextortion scammer... and accidentally hands over the keys to his real-world identity. Meanwhile, we look into the crystal ball for 2026 and consider how stolen data is now the jet fuel of cybercrime – and how next year could be even nastier than 2025.Plus, Graham rants about recipe sites that won’t shut up, and there's even more love for Lily Allen's album "West End Girl" album.All this and more is discussed in episode 446 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Rik Ferguson.EPISODE LINKS:Europol nukes Cryptomixer laundering hub, seizing €25M in Bitcoin - The Register.4.3 Million Browsers Infected: Inside ShadyPanda's 7-Year Malware Campaign - Koi.Uncovering a Calendly-themed phishing campaign targeting business ad manager accounts - Push Security.Meet Rey, the Admin of ‘Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters’ - Krebs on Security.Jonathan Ross email goof highlights Twitter security issue - Graham Cluley.VIDEO: Mark Zuckerberg’s password choices are dadada-dumb! - Graham Cluley.Password to Louvre’s video surveillance system was 'Louvre', according to employee - ABC News.Just the Recipe.West End Girl - Wikipedia.West End Girl - Spotify.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:1Password - Take the first step to better security by securing your team’s credentials.Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Drata - The world’s most advanced Trust Management platform – making risk and compliance management accessible, continuous, and 10x more automated than ever before.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Stop the press - a company has actually said "sorry" after a data breach, and hotels are helping hackers phish their own guests.In episode 444 of "Smashing Security" we examine a refreshingly honest breach response (and why legacy systems are still going to ruin your week), dig into a nasty hotel-booking malware campaign that abuses trust in apps and CAPTCHAs, and chat about autonomous pen testing, AI-turbocharged cybercrime, and what CISOs should really be asking on Monday morning.And lost Doctor Who is brought back to life by one very dedicated animator, and we take a look at Eddie Murphy’s career.All this and more is discussed in episode 444 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Tricia Howard.Plus - don't miss our featured interview with Snehal Antani from Horizon3.ai!EPISODE LINKS:A Simple WhatsApp Security Flaw Exposed 3.5 Billion Phone Numbers - Wired.British hacker must repay £4m after hijacking celebrity Twitter accounts - BBC News.Cloudflare experiences a massive outage - LifeHacker.Protecting our Merchants: Standing up to Extortion - Checkout.A miracle: A company says sorry after a cyber attack - and donates the ransom to cybersecurity research - Hot for Security.Large-Scale ClickFix Phishing Attacks Target Hotel Systems with PureRAT Malware - The Hacker News.Unmasking a Sophisticated Phishing Campaign That Targets Hotel Guests - Akamai.Doctor Who Animation: Daleks' Master Plan - The Nightmare Begins. Part 1 - YouTube.Doctor Who Animation: Daleks' Master Plan - The Nightmare Begins. Part 2 - YouTube.Being Eddie - Netflix.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Horizon3.ai - Get an autonomous pentest demo and see your network the way attackers do. Visit Horizon3.ai.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Time itself comes under attack as a state-backed hacking gang spends two years tunnelling toward a nation’s master clock — with chaos potentially only a tick away.Plus when ransomware negotiators turn to the dark side, what could possibly go wrong?All this and more is discussed in episode 442 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Dave Bittner.EPISODE LINKS:Alleged Meduza Stealer malware admins arrested after hacking Russian org - Bleeping Computer.Tap-and-Steal: The Rise of NFC Relay Malware on Mobile Devices - Zimperium.Postcode Lottery's lucky dip turns into data slip as players draw each other's info - The Register.Chinese Ministry of State Security MSS WeChat post - WeChat.China blames US for cyber break-in, claims America is world's biggest bit burglar - The Register.Chicago firm that resolves ransomware attacks had rogue workers carrying out their own hacks, FBI says - Chicago Sun Times.MicroMacro: Crime City.Star Wars 3.5 foot animated LED R2-D2 - Home Depot.TrackaLacker.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)SPONSORS:Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Material - Email security that covers the full threat landscape – stopping new flavors of phishing and pretexting attacks in their tracks, while also protecting accounts and data from exploit or exposure.Drata - The world’s most advanced Trust Management platform – making risk and compliance management accessible, continuous, and 10x more automated than ever before.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!FOLLOW THE SHOW:Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.THANKS:Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.ENJOYED THE SHOW?Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy