Smashing Security

By: Graham Cluley & Carole Theriault
  • Summary

  • A helpful and hilarious take on the week's tech SNAFUs. Computer security industry veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault chat with guests about cybercrime, hacking, and online privacy. It's not your typical cybersecurity podcast... Winner of the best and most entertaining cybersecurity podcast awards in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, Smashing Security has had over ten million downloads. Past guests include Garry Kasparov, Mikko Hyppönen, and Rory Cellan-Jones. Follow the podcast on Twitter at @smashinsecurity, and subscribe for free in your favourite podcast app. New episodes released at 7pm EST every Wednesday (midnight UK). This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
    © 2016-2025 Graham Cluley & Carole Theriault
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Episodes
  • A gag order backfires, and a snail mail ransom demand
    Mar 13 2025

    What happens when a healthcare giant’s legal threats ignite a Streisand Effect wildfire… while a ransomware gang appears to ditch the dark web for postage stamps?

    Find out about this, and more, in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.

    Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

    Episode links:

    • 'We wanted to help': Students arrested after exposing FreeHour security flaw - Times of Malta.
    • Medusa ransomware gang demands $2M from UK private health services provider - DataBreaches.net.
    • Medusa Unveils Another 50TB of Stolen Data from HCRG Care Group, Giving Greater Insight Into the Scope of the Breach - DataBreaches.net.
    • HCRG Care’s lawyers claimed an injunction issued in a “private” hearing required us to remove two posts. We didn’t comply - DataBreaches.net.
    • Security firm leaves more than five billion records exposed on unsecured database - Graham Cluley.
    • After threatening me with legal action, Keepnet Labs finally issues statement over data breach - Graham Cluley.
    • Sophos apologises for going legal on school techies - The Register.
    • Mail Scam Targeting Corporate Executives Claims Ties to Ransomware - IC3.
    • One of the nastiest ransomware groups around may have a whole new way of doing things - TechRadar.
    • Snail Mail Fail: Fake Ransom Note Campaign Preys on Fear - GuidePoint Security.
    • Severance - Apple TV+.
    • Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)



    Sponsored by:

    • 1Password Extended Access Management – Secure every sign-in for every app on every device.
    • Palo Alto Networks - Get the 2025 Unit 42 Global Incident Response report to discover emerging threat trends, attacker tactics and expert recommendations to safeguard your business.
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    33 mins
  • HP's hold music, and human trafficking
    Mar 6 2025

    Journey with us to Myanmar's shadowy scam factories, where trafficked workers are forced to run romance-baiting and fake tech support scams, and find out why a company's mandatory hold time for tech support could lead to innocent users having their computers compromised.

    All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.

    Plus - don't miss our featured interview with Acronis CISO Gerald Beuchelt!

    Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

    Episode links:

    • HP deliberately adds 15 minutes waiting time for telephone support calls - The Register.
    • HP mandated 15-minute wait time for callers - why that was good news for criminals - Bob Sullivan.
    • How vulnerable people are trafficked to fuel a global cyber scam industry - ABC News.
    • Hundreds of foreigners freed from Myanmar's scam centres - BBC News.
    • 'I need help': Freed from Myanmar's scam centres, thousands are now stranded - BBC News.
    • Some foreigners pulled out of Myanmar scam centres face struggle to get home - Yahoo! News.
    • 'Pig Butchering' Scam: How China's 'Broken Tooth' stole over $75 bn from global investors using crypto currencies - The Economic Times.
    • Scunthorpe problem - Wikipedia.
    • Scunthorpe Sans font.
    • Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne - Goodreads.
    • Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)


    Sponsored by:

    • Acronis - Integrated cybersecurity, data protection and endpoint management built for MSPs.
    • Threat Vector - The podcast from Palo Alto Networks that gives you timely analysis of current security trends and challenges.
    • 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

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    54 mins
  • History's biggest heist just happened, and online abuse
    Feb 27 2025

    We explore how the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has been hacked to the jaw-dropping tune of $1.5 billion, and we look at what is being done to better defend women and girls' safety online.

    All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.

    Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

    Episode links:

    • Incident Update: Unauthorized Activity Involving ETH Cold Wallet - Bybit.
    • Bybit Launches Recovery Bounty Program with Rewards up to 10% of Stolen Funds - Bybit.
    • ZachXBT links Bybit hack to Lazarus Group - Twitter.
    • Online Safety Act: explainer - GOV.UK
    • These Are The 10 Most Complained-About TV Moments In Ofcom's History - Ofcom.
    • Ofcom to push for better age verification, filters and 40 other checks in new online child safety code - TechCrunch.
    • UK’s internet watchdog toughens approach to deepfake porn - TechCrunch.
    • Girlguiding research exposes alarming online harms facing girls - Charity Today News.
    • Ofcom's approach to implementing the Online Safety Act - Ofcom.
    • Women's abuse online: 'I get trolled every second, every day' - BBC.
    • Amanda’s funniest moments in Motherland - YouTube.
    • Amandaland - BBC iPlayer.
    • Cassandra Sci-Fi Thriller limited series - Netflix.
    • Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

    Sponsored by:

    • 1Password – Secure every app, device, and identity – even the unmanaged ones at 1password.com/smashing.
    • Scanner.dev provides a new technology offering fast search and threat detections for security data in S3 helping teams reduce the total cost of ownership of their SIEM by up to 90%. Try the interactive...
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    33 mins

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Informative and fun

They make security fun to hear about instead of boring and dry. and fifteen words.

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