Operation Endgame, deepfakes, and dead slugs

25/06/2025 54 min Episodio 423

Listen "Operation Endgame, deepfakes, and dead slugs"

Episode Synopsis

In this episode, Graham unravels Operation Endgame - the surprisingly stylish police crackdown that is seizing botnets, mocking malware authors with anime videos, and taunting cybercriminals via Telegram.Meanwhile, Carole exposes the AI-generated remote hiring threat. Could your next coworker be a North Korean hacker with a perfect LinkedIn?And BBC cyber correspondent Joe Tidy joins us to talk about "Ctrl-Alt-Chaos", his new book diving into the murky world of teenage hackers, ransomware gangs, and the strange motivations that lie behind digital mayhem.Plus: competitive pond husbandry, dead slugs, Hitster the board game, and a shoutout to the AI startup that hijacked Graham's SEO.All this and more is discussed in episode 423 of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault - it's like a cauldron of life... but for cybersecurity.Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.Episode links:Operation Endgame.Ctrl+Alt+Chaos.Lizard Squad Member: Why I Took Down Xbox and PlayStation - YouTube.Reckoning With the Rise of Deepfakes - The Regulatory Review.Deepfake interviews: Navigating the growing AI threat in recruitment and organizational security - Fast Company. Why Your Hiring Process is Now a Cybersecurity Vulnerability - Pindrop.Best Practices for Defeating Deepfake Candidate Fraud - Dice Hiring.Phanpy - A minimalistic opinionated Mastodon web client.How to make a mini pond - Gardener’s World.Hitster board game.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)Sponsored by:Vanta– Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!Flare- Uncover the latest threats across the dark web and Telegram. Start your free trial today.Trelica by 1Password - Access Governance for every SaaS app. Discover, manage, and optimize access for any of your SaaS apps - whether managed or unmanaged.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes and our early-release feed!FOLLOW US: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