Nicole Perlroth

Most Americans can't even fathom the everything, everywhere, all at once cyber attack. We've only caught one-off glimpses, like flashes in the dark, but the full scope, the full capability, we haven't seen it, not yet.

Most Americans can't even fathom the everything, everywhere, all at once cyber attack. We've only caught one-off glimpses, like flashes in the dark, but the full scope, the full capability, we haven't seen it, not yet.

All we know for certain is they've prepared the battlefield. But have we? That's next on To Catch a Thief. Follow To Catch a Thief to make sure you don't miss the next episode. And if you like what you hear, rate and review the show. To Catch a Thief is produced by Rubrik in partnership with Pod People, with special thanks to Julia Lee.

All we know for certain is they've prepared the battlefield. But have we? That's next on To Catch a Thief. Follow To Catch a Thief to make sure you don't miss the next episode. And if you like what you hear, rate and review the show. To Catch a Thief is produced by Rubrik in partnership with Pod People, with special thanks to Julia Lee.

It was written and produced by me, Nicole Perleroth, and Rebecca Chasson. Additional thanks to Hannah Pedersen, Sam DeBauer, and Amy Machado. Editing and sound design by Morgan Foose and Carter Wogan.

It was written and produced by me, Nicole Perleroth, and Rebecca Chasson. Additional thanks to Hannah Pedersen, Sam DeBauer, and Amy Machado. Editing and sound design by Morgan Foose and Carter Wogan.

This is truly an everything, everywhere, all at once scenario.

This is truly an everything, everywhere, all at once scenario.

I'm Nicole Perleroth, and this is To Catch a Thief. Imagine you're the general manager for a local utility. Your company handles power and drinking water for a population of about 15,000. It has for more than a century. Even at this relatively small scale, there are still miles of pipes and untold numbers of valves to maintain and keep an eye on.

I'm Nicole Perleroth, and this is To Catch a Thief. Imagine you're the general manager for a local utility. Your company handles power and drinking water for a population of about 15,000. It has for more than a century. Even at this relatively small scale, there are still miles of pipes and untold numbers of valves to maintain and keep an eye on.

Like utilities across the country, you've enlisted the help of technology, software, to keep the power on and the water flowing smoothly. And save for hurricanes and the occasional downed power line, it has. And then, one Friday afternoon, you get a call. It's the FBI. They tell you, you've been compromised. This is not a hypothetical. Meet Nick Lawler.

Like utilities across the country, you've enlisted the help of technology, software, to keep the power on and the water flowing smoothly. And save for hurricanes and the occasional downed power line, it has. And then, one Friday afternoon, you get a call. It's the FBI. They tell you, you've been compromised. This is not a hypothetical. Meet Nick Lawler.

Littleton is about the last place you'd expect would be a target for advanced nation-state hackers. It's a small farming community about a 45-minute drive west of Boston.

Littleton is about the last place you'd expect would be a target for advanced nation-state hackers. It's a small farming community about a 45-minute drive west of Boston.

Yeah, right. He was going to hand over his personal email and click on a link from some dude claiming to be from the FBI.

Yeah, right. He was going to hand over his personal email and click on a link from some dude claiming to be from the FBI.

Volt Typhoon. Volt Typhoon is industry code for Chinese state-sponsored hackers, but not just any hackers. These guys were elite specialists tasked with one insidious mission, embedding themselves in our critical infrastructure. The agents told him these specialists were inside his utility at that very moment and that it wasn't alone.

Volt Typhoon. Volt Typhoon is industry code for Chinese state-sponsored hackers, but not just any hackers. These guys were elite specialists tasked with one insidious mission, embedding themselves in our critical infrastructure. The agents told him these specialists were inside his utility at that very moment and that it wasn't alone.

Some 200 other critical entities across the nation were hit too.

Some 200 other critical entities across the nation were hit too.