Operation Firewall Podcast with Michal Lev-Ram cover art

Operation Firewall

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Operation Firewall

By: Michal Lev-Ram
Narrated by: Michal Lev-Ram
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About this listen

 A Secret Service agent and a hacker-turned-informant join forces to take down a global cybercriminal ring, back when there were barely laws in place to prohibit what the cyber criminals were up to. It’s the early 2000s. The Internet is still a novelty. Twitter, Facebook, and Apple’s iPhones have yet to be invented. Terms like “cyberterrorism” and “ransomware” are not yet part of the mainstream lexicon. But the information superhighway already presents an attractive route for criminals—one with infinite lanes. While his colleagues were still focused on crimes committed IRL (in real life), Steve Ward, a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, talks his superiors into letting him embark on an unprecedented covert operation designed to discover and stop shadowy operations made possible by the Internet. Steve’s not making much headway when through a lucky break he finds himself partnered with an unlikely ally: a 20-something, Miami-born hacker named Albert Gonzalez. Albert turns informant after he’s popped for a slew of infractions that include computer crimes and possession of ecstasy and cocaine. The two prove to be radically successful in a colossal sting operation—to everyone’s surprise, including their own. But success doesn’t remain sweet. When Albert is accused of spearheading the biggest theft of credit card data at that time, he turns on Steve, attempting to implicate him in criminal malfeasance. Veteran technology journalist and Fortune writer Michal Lev-Ram, tells the gripping story of Operation Firewall, giving a rare look into the murky world of hackers and the heroes who try to catch them. Told through the eyes of Steve, other Secret Service agents, analysts, prosecutors, and former hackers and their families, Operation Firewall takes listeners through the twists and turns of this historic investigation. But Operation Firewall is much more than a tale about good versus evil—duking it out in the cyber-world. It is also the story of a friendship between two men, the partnership that unfolds, and later implodes, with high-stakes consequences.©2021 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC True Crime
Episodes
  • Episode 1: On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog

    Episode 1: On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog
    Apr 28 2022
    It’s the early 2000s, and law enforcement is focused on counterterrorism, not computer crimes. But Secret Service Special Agent Steve Ward is eager to prove that cybercrime should be a top priority for his agency. He meets Albert Gonzalez, a young hacker, who has just been arrested in Manhattan and is facing multiple charges—he had been stealing money from ATMs using hacked debit card data. Steve quickly realizes that Albert isn’t just a one-man operation; he’s part of a global ring of cybercriminals called Shadowcrew.
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    39 mins
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  • Episode 2: The Cave

    Episode 2: The Cave
    Apr 28 2022
    Steve is determined to take down the cybercriminal ring his young hacker-turned-informant, Albert, belongs to: Shadowcrew. But first, he needs an off-the-books base of operations, and equipment, and… a team. The problem is, no one wants anything to do with Operation Firewall, the investigation Steve is trying to spearhead.
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    28 mins
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  • Episode 3: Master Helmsman

    Episode 3: Master Helmsman
    Apr 28 2022
    Steve struggles to get the Secret Service to properly fund Operation Firewall. So he comes up with an unconventional plan to visit Albert’s family in Miami and ask for their help. His whole life has led to this moment.
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    33 mins
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About the Creator and Performer

Michal Lev-Ram is a journalist based in Silicon Valley. Over the last 15+ years, she has covered the technology and entertainment sectors for Fortune, as well as other publications, including CNNMoney, Fast Company, Popular Science, and Business 2.0. As a senior writer at Fortune, Michal has authored cover stories about notable personalities like Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, former Disney CEO Bob Iger, famed crypto investor Katie Haun, and many more. Michal has also helped lead Fortune’s live media events, and co-hosted a weekly technology podcast called Brainstorm. Born in Israel, Michal holds a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area with her husband, three kids, and miniature poodle.

All stars
Most relevant  
I came across this by recommendation in my feed. Happy that I did, it’s really good. Gives you a real telling of what was going on with hackers in early 2000.

Interesting Gem

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Totally unexpected, funny, suspenseful and really very down to earth. The secret service is not something I ever thought much about, nor how the different bureaucracies clash as they all try to “protect “ our country. What is remarkable is that the hero is a totally “regular Joe”…ok, more fit and buffed than most people because he is, after all, a body guard, but he was the classic average person who stumbled onto a problem, and realized it was important, a big deal, in the face of indifference, and he taught himself all sorts of new skills and persevered. Lots of twists and turns and I highly recommend this podcast!!!

Totally engrossing!

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stunningly well produced. story was told in a fascinating very coherent manner and the characters well. Steve is such a natural for audio based story telling. An excellent combination of humor emotion and honesty. Overall Operation Firewall is a fascinating listen regardless of the level of interest you have in InfoSec.

Completely Enthralling! My Fav Podcast of 2022

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This was a great Podcast it kept me Interested the whole time. 5 stars. Yes

great listen

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Loved the story. It had me hanging on every word. However, the constant use of profanity was a bit off-putting, and in my opinion unnecessary. I know Steve is from Jersey and it’s a part of his culture and personality, but I think the story would be more widely shared if that wasn’t so prominent. Believe me, I’m not a prude, (I sent a career as a firefighter/paramedic and I get it) but there’s a time to tone it down or shut it off. This would have been the time. But if you can deal with that, great story and I thank the author for the work she put in and Steve for being willing to share.

Great story, well told, but…

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This is an amazing story on so many levels: from the thrilling drama to the empathetic analysis of the individuals’ emotions and experiences, to the gorgeous writing and narration. I couldn’t wait to go out on my morning walks so that I could listen to the next episode. A story of computer hacking is not necessarily something I would choose to listen to, but I am so glad I did. This fascinating story of these men will live on in my mind for a long time.

Riveting, beautifully told story

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I thoroughly enjoyed the way that Michal led this story to be told by Steve and others. She perfectly wove facts, information, emotions, suspense, and humor together to create a podcast that is binge worthy! I wish Steve had more stories like this to tell so there could be another series! Well done to the team who worked on this!

Fascinating Story, Superb Podcast!

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I loved the story, with unexpectedly exited twists and about the secret service, which you don’t usually hear stories about. Will recommend this to all of my friends.

Fascinating story, well produced podcast

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I really enjoyed this rare story, told by a former secret service agent. It left me eager to complete in 2 days. The ending was a complete shock. Thank you Mr Ward for your services and telling your story.

Fantastic story

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So sincere, so gut wrenching, so heart warming… so so soooooo many emotions!!! Just brilliant!!!!!

Absolutely Brilliant

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