Smashing Security

Graham gets a phone call from the police. Well, someone who sounds convincingly like the police. There's just one small problem: what they really want is the 24-word seed key to Graham's cryptocurrency wallet.
Meanwhile, if you've stayed in a hotel recently, the free Wi-Fi you connected to might have come with an unexpected extra: an all-you-can-eat buffet of "Captive Crunch" for a Russian intelligence-linked hacking group.
And a group calling itself the "ExFilSquad" has walked off with 600,000 records of the UK's teachers and head teachers from the Department for Education - sending an unusually polite ransom demand.
All this and more in episode 479 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Danny Palmer.

EPISODE LINKS:
Cryptocurrency mailing list compromised - Tweet by Trezor.
Users’ seemingly private conversations with Anthropic’s Claude showed up in Google search results - Fortune.
Sweeping cyberattack on water systems in multiple states has US officials on edge  - CNN.
Minnesota not Iran to blame for state's water issues, says Trump - BBC News.
Google pauses AI satellite images, after fears of deepfakes in the sky - NPR.
CaptiveCrunch: Midnight Blizzard targets travelers worldwide for malware delivery and credential theft - Microsoft Security Blog.
DNS Poisoning Tactics Expand to Hospitality Wi-Fi - ReliaQuest.
Hackers steal sensitive data from UK Department for Education and police - The Guardian.
University of Arts London on Securing Creativity Against Cyber Threats - Infosecurity Magazine.
7 Things About Doctor Who I Learned From “When I Say Run, Run” - The Doctor Who Companion.
What Stanley didn't say - The Guardian.
Adrian Rigelsford - Wikipedia.
Black Mesa: Re-visit the world that started the Half-Life continuum - Crowbar Collective.
Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:
NordLayer - the network security platform for modern teams across different work environments. Use code NLSUMMER26 for up to 20% off annual plans.
Arctic Wolf - See why 1 in 3 IT assets is missing a critical security control. Download the 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Attack Surface report.
Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!

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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.

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You've been headhunted for a great job in cryptocurrency. All you have to do is complete a short online assessment - with your webcam on, of course, so they can verify who you really are. Which is ironic, because the person recruiting you doesn't exist. And North Korean hackers using this trick have already made off with $643 million in crypto this year alone.
Meanwhile, researchers at UC San Diego have discovered that 2.2 million cars across the United States can be unlocked or immobilised by anyone with a bit of Bluetooth kit - thanks to one aftermarket car alarm that made a truly spectacular cryptographic blunder. The bug has been sitting there since 2017. Nobody noticed.
All this and more in episode 478 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Paul Ducklin.

EPISODE LINKS:

OpenAI's AI "goes rogue" and hacks Hugging Face: what you need to know - Hot for Security.
Post by Graeme Bell - Linkedin.
HOLLOWGRAPH: Turning Microsoft 365 Calendars into Covert Command-and-Control Channels - Group-IB.
Ransom gang targets Dutch ice arena Thialf in cyberattack - Cybernews.
No Shark is Safe: Millions of Shark Vacuums are Vulnerable to RCE - Tokay0.
DPRK’s Famous Chollima Deploys RATs Through ClickFake Job Interviews - SOCRadar.
H1 2026 Crypto Hacks Reach Record High as Losses Fall Below USD 1 Billion - TRM Labs.
2 Million Cars with Anti-Theft Systems Installed by Dealers are at Higher Risk of Theft - UC San Diego Today.
2 Million Cars with Anti-Theft Systems Installed by Dealers are at Higher Risk of Theft - YouTube.
Karr Security.
Ann Droid - BBC iPlayer.
North Leigh Roman Villa - English Heritage.
Uffington White Horse - Wikipedia.
Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:
Arctic Wolf - See why 1 in 3 IT assets is missing a critical security control. Download the 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Attack Surface report.
NordLayer - the network security platform for modern teams across different work environments. Use code NLSUMMER26 for up to 20% off annual plans.
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

A Russian intelligence-linked hacker is arrested in Thailand while enjoying a beach holiday - and the trail of evidence that nailed him to the Russian government includes 14 separate orders of chicken McNuggets.
Meanwhile, AI music generator Suno has been hacked - and the stolen data appears to show exactly how much copyrighted music they hoovered up to train their models.
All this and more in episode 477 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest James Ball.

EPISODE LINKS:
Bengaluru triple murder: Accused allegedly used AI chatbot to plan killings, police say - The News Minute.
Microsoft July 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes massive 570 flaws, 3 zero-days - Bleeping Computer.
DO NOT BUY: LG’s Spyware TVs, Monitors, and Wiretapping Concerns - YouTube.
New Russia-affiliated actor Void Blizzard targets critical sectors for espionage - Microsoft Security Blog.
Russia Advises Citizens Wanted in U.S. Against Visiting Thailand - The Moscow Times.
Alleged Russian cyber spy in Boston case previously worked for Kaspersky, source says and documents show - Reuters.
Burnt by Burgers: Highlighting Void Blizzard’s Russian State Links - Ctrl-Alt-Intel.
Hack Reveals Suno AI Music Generator Scraped YouTube, Deezer, and Genius - 404 Media.
"Shai-Hulud" Worm Compromises npm Ecosystem in Supply Chain Attack - Unit 42.
Black Is The Color Of My Voice trailer - YouTube.
Black Is The Color Of My Voice - Official Site - Black is the Colour of my Voice.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2007)  - Netflix.
Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:
Arctic Wolf - See why 1 in 3 IT assets is missing a critical security control. Download the 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Attack Surface report.
NordLayer - the network security platform for modern teams across different work environments. Use code NLSUMMER26 for up to 20% off annual plans.
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

An app has appeared in India that lets anyone with a smartphone stop a passing e-rickshaw dead in its tracks - no login, no passwords, no permissions needed. 
Meanwhile, Geoff - swimming in money and Lamborghinis, as all published authors are - has been on the receiving end of a slew of AI-generated scam pitches from fake book marketing experts. Rather than ignore them, he's been playing them at their own game...
All this and more in episode 476 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Geoff White.

EPISODE LINKS:

The ransomware negotiator who was working for the other side - Hot for Security.
LastPass, Bitwarden users targeted with fake security alerts - Bleeping Computer.
German firm files for insolvency, blames cybercrims who shut down production for 6 weeks - The Register.
BAT-BMS App: How A Chinese App Is Being Used To Hack E-Rickshaws All Over India; Viral Videos Show Drivers Crying Over Lost Earnings - Free Press Journal.
Tirri control prank: Indians use China app to shut down e-rickshaws - The Print.
Geoff describes his interactions with a book marketing scam - Linkedin.
Smart Plugs - Tapo.
Worst Patio Ever! Extreme ASMR Pressure Washing - YouTube.
20 Years of Cracked Mud Covered This Massive Rug - YouTube.
Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:
Arctic Wolf - See why 1 in 3 IT assets is missing a critical security control. Download the 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Attack Surface report.
NordLayer - the network security platform for modern teams across different work environments. Use code NLSUMMER26 for up to 20% off annual plans.
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

A 15-year-old boy asked a chatbot for help - and cancelled nearly 47,000 anime streaming subscriptions in under four hours. Meanwhile, researchers have documented the first fully autonomous, agentic AI-driven ransomware attack, "JadePuffer". What does this tell us about the future of cybersecurity?
Also, Apple's "Hide My Email" feature turns out to hide rather less than it promises - despite Apple knowing it has a problem for over a year.
All this and more in this episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Zoë Rose.

EPISODE LINKS:

Politician who investigated spyware abuses had his phone hacked with Pegasus spyware - TechCrunch.
Hackers breached DHS information-sharing network, people familiar say - Nextgov.
Hackers Use Fake FIFA World Cup 2026 T-Shirt Offers to Spread Voidrift Malware - Hackread.
Japanese teen arrested for cyberattack that unsubscribed over 46,000 anime accounts - The Straits Times.
Police arrest high school student over cyberattack on net cafe operator - The Japan Times.
Japanese teens arrested for using AI to create illegal phone contracts - The Peninsula Qatar.
JADEPUFFER: Agentic ransomware for automated database extortion - Sysdig.
Apple ‘Hide My Email’ Vulnerability Reveals Peoples’ Real Email Addresses - 404 Media.
Two people arrested in apparent marriage proposal atop Empire State Building - The Guardian.
Skywalkers: A Love Story - Netflix.
Thermomix - Vorwerk.
Operation Safe Escape.
Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:
Arctic Wolf - See why 1 in 3 IT assets is missing a critical security control. Download the 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Attack Surface report.
NordLayer - the network security platform for modern teams across different work environments. Use code NLSUMMER26 for up to 20% off annual plans.
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