Smashing Security
Episodes
Stuck streaming sticks, TikTok conspiracies, and spying cars
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Roku users are revolting after their TVs are bricked by the company, we learn how to make money through conspiracy videos on TikTok, and just how much...
Ransomware fraud, pharmacy chaos, and suicide
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is there any truth behind the alleged data breach at Fortnite maker Epic Games? Who launched the ransomware attack that caused a fallout at pharmacies...
Wireless charging woe, AI romance apps, and ransomware revisited
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your smartphone may be toast - if you use a hacked wireless charger, we take a closer look at the latest developments in the unfolding LockBit ransomw...
LockBit locked out, and funeral Facebook scams
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Heaven's above! Scammers are exploiting online funerals, and LockBit - the "Walmart of Ransomware" - is dismantled in style by cyber cops....
Declaring war on ransomware gangs, mobile muddles, and AI religion
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Holy mackerel! AI is jumping on the religion bandwagon, ransomware gangs target hospitals, and what's happened to your old mobile phone number?All...
Hong Kong hijinks, pig butchers, and poor ransomware gangs
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? A company in Hong Kong suffers a sophisticated deepfake duping, be one your guard from pig butchers as Va...
Interview with an iPhone thief, anti-AI, and have we gone too far?
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The iPhone security setting that you should enable right now, the worrying way that AI is predicting what criminals look like, and we play a game of f...
Big dumpers, AI defamation, and the slug that slurped
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week the podcast is more lavatorial than usual, as we explore how privacy may have gone to sh*t on Google Maps, our guest drives hands-free on Br...
Fishy Rishi, 23andMe, and the labour of love
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Has the British Prime Minister been caught secretly profiting from a cryptocurrency app? Were 23andMe right to blame their users after a data breach? ...
Chuck Norris and the fake CEO, artificial KYC, and an Airbnb scam
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck Norris gives a helping hand to a mysterious cryptocurrency CEO who may have separated investors from over a billion dollars, generative AI creat...
Phone hacking, Piers Morgan, and Carole’s Christmas cockup
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Piers Morgan is less than happy after a judgement that there is "no doubt" he knew phone hacking was going on at the Daily Mirror, and a shopp...
For research purposes only
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A hacker bursts the bubble of inflatable fetish fans, Hollywood celebrities unwittingly record videos in a Kremlin plot, and there's a particularl...
Nuclear cybersecurity, Marketplace scams, and face up to porn
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hacking fears are raised at Western Europe's most hazardous building, why porn sites might soon be scanning your face, and our guest narrowly avoi...
Think before you shrink! And our guest is faked
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Don't minimise your Teams Meeting video call too hastily, you might reveal your dirty secrets! Would you be prepared to pay for Facebook and Insta...
Ransomware gang reports its own crime, and what happened at OpenAI?
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who gets to decide who should be CEO of OpenAI? ChatGPT or the board? Plus a ransomware gang goes a step further than most, reporting one of its own...
Hacking for chimp change, and AI chatbot birthday
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who's more incompetent - the cryptocurrency exchanges or some of the people who hack them? Plus a closer look at the reliability of AI chatbots.A...
Trolls, military data, and the hitman and her
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A woman's attempt to hire an assassin online backfires badly, it's scary just how cheap it is to buy information about US military personnel, ...
How hackers are breaching Booking.com, and the untrustworthy reviews
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Workers wonder if their colleagues are actually AI, and we take a deeper look into the curious scams going on via Booking.com.All this and more is dis...
Cyber sloppiness, and why does Google really want to hide your IP address?
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ahoy! There's trouble in the South China Seas as Filipino organisations fail to secure their systems, we take a close look at Google IP protection...
What’s cooking at Booking.com? And a podcast built by AI
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How hunting for an aubergine could be all it takes for you to hand your credit card details over to a scammer, and just how good is a podcast entirely...
Four-legged girlfriends, LoveGPT, and a military intelligence failure
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dream girlfriends, AI love scams, and an alleged spy who is said to have made a series of blunders.All this and much much more is discussed in the lat...
Royal family attacked, keyless car theft, and a deepfake Tom Hanks
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is a deepfake Tom Hanks better than the real thing? Who has been attacking the British Royal Family's website, and why? And how can you protect yo...
Another T-Mobile breach, ThemeBleed, and farewell Naked Security
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mix TikTok with facial recognition, and you've got a doxxing nightmare, T-Mobile users report bizarre behaviour in their accounts, and a Windows f...
Heated seats, car privacy, and Graham’s porn video
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know what data your car is collecting about you? Do you think it's right for a car manufacturer to collect a subscription to keep your bot...
Bitcoin boo-boo, deepfakes for good, and time to say goodbye to usernames?
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Deepfakes are being used for good (perhaps), common usernames could pose a security threat, and someone has paid a $500,000 fee... just to send $1,865...
Catfishing services, bad sports, and another cockup
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI news is bad news, an online service to catch your cheating partner, and an IoT-enabled dick cage fails to keep a grip on its own security.All this ...
The DEA’s crypto calamity, and scammers’ blue tick bonanza
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seized cryptocurrency is stolen from the DEA, blue-ticks are being exploited, a bath full of dollar bills, the comfort offered by an ostrich's hea...
Pizza pests, and securing your wearables
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Surely you should be able to order pizza without being pestered for sex? And Carole takes a look at the what and why of wearables...All this and more ...
AI chat wars, and hacker passwords exposed
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI chatbots are under fire in Las Vegas, the secrets of hackers' passwords are put under the microscope, and Graham reveals (possibly) the greates...
Acoustic attacks, and the tears of a crypto rapper
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Razzlekhan, the self-proclaimed Crocodile of Wall Street, pleads guilty to the biggest crypto laundering scheme in history, and just how safe are you ...
Barbie and the stalking spouse
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carole takes us into the sinister side of Barbie, while Graham describes a stalkerware operation that has been spilling its secrets.All this and more ...
Nudes leak at the plastic surgery, Mali mail mix-up, and WormGPT
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr 90210 finds himself in a sticky situation after his patients' plastic surgery photos AND more end up in the hands of hackers, emails to the US ...
Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps, and sextorting party girls
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to hand over his WhatsApp messages - or does he? And a couple of fun-loving girls from Aberdeen have come u...
Deepfake Martin Lewis, and a deadly jog in the park
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Going for a jog can be bad for your privacy (but even worse for your health), and Britain's consumer finance champion finds his face is being fake...
Pornhub, Barbie dolls, and can you trust a free TV?
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just how much do porn websites know about your sexual peccadillos? How are Barbie dolls involved in identity scams? And would you trust a completely f...
UPS smishing, ChatGPT 101, and storing secret files
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
UPS delivers some smishing advice (but have they kept something under wraps?), we ask ChatGPT to take a long hard look at itself, and we debate what t...
Mark’s metaverse for minors, and getting down to business
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's some funny business going on on Google, and Zuckerberg's $14 billion bet on the metaverse is beginning to look a little childish...All...
Right Royal security threats and MOVEit mayhem
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are shocking revelations about a US Government data suck-up, historic security breaches at Windsor Castle, and the MOVEit hack causes consternat...
Rick Astley and the little birdie scam
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia's signal intelligence agency calls upon an Eighties popstar to fight terrorism, and a simple act of kindness leads to a woman being scam...
.ZIP domains, AI lies, and did social media inflame a riot?
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ChatGPT hallucinations cause turbulence in court, a riot in Wales may have been ignited on social media, and do you think .MOV is a good top-level dom...
Botched Bitcoin blackmail, iSpoof, and Meta’s billion dollar data bungle
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
13 years jail for spoofing scammer, a rogue IT security expert's Bitcoin blackmail goes wrong, and Facebook's eyewatering GDPR fine may be onl...
When you buy a criminal’s phone, and paying for social media scams
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Personal information is going for a song, and the banks want social media sites to pay when their users get scammed.All this and much more is discusse...
Eurovision, acts of war, and Twitter circles
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter shares explicit photos without users' permission, one US company can look forward to a $1.4 billion payout seven years after an infamous c...
City Jerks, AI animals, and is the BBC hacking again?
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two unsavoury websites suffer from a worrying leak, scientists are going animal crackers over AI, and the BBC is intercepting scammers' live phone...
The CEO who also ran IT, Strava strife, and TikTok tall tales
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A boss is bitten in the bottom after being struck by one of the worst crimes in Finnish history, Strava's privacy isn't so private, and a priv...
Tesla workers spy on drivers, and Operation Fox Hunt scams
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Graham wonders what would happen if his bouncing buttocks were captured on camera by a Tesla employee, and we take a look at canny scams connected to ...
Another Uber SNAFU, an AI chatbot quiz, and is juice-jacking genuine?
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone's talking juice-jacking - but has anyone ever been juice-jacked? Uber suffers yet another data breach, but it hasn't been hacked. And...
Of Musk and Afroman
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An Elon Musk-worshipping college principal gets schooled, and rapper Afroman turns the tables after armed police raid his house.All this and much more...
Crypto hacker hijinks, government spyware, and Utah social media shocker
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A cryptocurrency hack leads us down a maze of twisty little passages, Joe Biden's commercial spyware bill, and Utah gets tough on social media sit...
Photo cropping bombshell, TikTok debates, and real estate scams
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It could be a case of aCropalypse now for Google Pixel users, there's a warning for house buyers, and just why is TikTok being singled out for pri...
Tesla twins and deepfake dramas
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The twisted tale of the two Teslas, and a deepfake sandwich.All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" po...
Super grannies, bar trolls, and US Marshals
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scammers get pwned by a Canadian granny! Don't be seduced in a bar by an iPhone thief! And will the US Marshals be able to track down the villains...
TikTok, wiretapping, and your deepfake voice is your password
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who has been warning Italian criminals that their phones are wiretapped? Can you trust your voice to protect your bank account? And why is TikTok bein...
Verified blue ticks and horny AI chatbots
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Boyfriends who are bots, Facebook's checkmark charge, Twitter Blue, and Will Ferrell's taunt of football fans...All this and more is discussed...
Synthetic voices, ChatGPT reflections, and social skirmishes
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI-generated voices are weaponised by online trolls, how ChatGPT reflects who we are as a society, and social media is in the firing line again.All th...
Jail after VPN fail, criminal messaging apps, and wolf-crying watches
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Ubiquiti suffered a hack the world assumed it was just a regular security breach, but the truth was much stranger... why are police happy that cr...
ChatGPT and the Minister for Foreign Affairs
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could a senior Latvian politician really be responsible for scamming hundreds of "mothers-of-two" in the UK? (Probably not, despite Graham'...
No Fly lists, cell phones, and the end of ransomware riches?
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are prisoners getting up to with mobile phones? Why might ransomware no longer be generating as much revenue for cybercriminals? And how on earth...
Norton unlocked, and police leaks
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carole is in her sick bed, which leaves Graham in charge of the good ship "Smashing Security" as it navigates the choppy seas of credential st...
Oxford's dating disaster, cheap security robots, and faking a suicide
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Someone called OxShagger thinks he has come up with the perfect Valentine's surprise for Oxford students, but is the way he has gone about "bo...
Secret Roomba snaps, Christmas cab scams, and the future of AI
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Beware your Roomba's roving eye, the Finns warn of AI threats around the corner, and watch out when hailing a taxi cab in Dublin...All this and mu...
Lensa AI, and a dog called Bob
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Drug dealers come unstuck while using the Encrochat encrypted-messaging app, and we put the Lensa AI avatar-generation tool under the microscope.All t...
AI chatbot or the start of Skynet? Eufy privacy, and hot desks
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An AI chatbot is causing a stir - both impressing and terrifying users in equal measure. A security researcher discovers that a "smart" cam t...
Interplanetary file systems, iSpoof, and don't delete Twitter
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why deleting your Twitter account may be a very bad idea, how the police unravelled the iSpoof fraud gang, and a trip into outer space (or at least in...
EV charging risks, FTX, and an ancient apocalypse
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Deepfake shenanigans strike users of troubled crypto firm FTX, the perils of charging your electric vehicle, and is Microsoft's takeover of Activi...
Housing market scams, Twitter 2FA, and the fesshole
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk is still causing chaos at Twitter (and it's beginning to impact users), are scammers selling your house without your permission, and Goo...
Mastodon 101, and the Hushpuppi saga
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Graham offers some security and privacy advice for those exodusing Twitter to Mastodon, and Carole slams the door shut on a notorious scammer with a h...
Twitter turmoil, AI animal chatters, and metaverse at work
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter has a new chief twit in the form of Elon Musk and he's causing problems, scientists say artificial intelligence may help us communicate wi...
Slushygate, sextortion, and nano-targeting
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is slushygate and how does it link to sextortion in the States? What is the most impersonated brand when it comes to delivering phishing emails? ...
The Virgin trains swindler, cyber clowns, and AirTag election debacle
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Someone's election-fiddling is uncovered with an Apple AirTag, a cyber scandal rocks Germany, and a swindler steals a fortune due to trains being ...
Massive crypto bungle, and the slave scammers
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A couple unexpectedly find $10.5 million in their cryptocurrency account, and in Cambodia people are being forced to commit pig-butchering scams.All t...
Trussterflucks and eBay stalking
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Has new UK prime minister Liz Truss been careless with her mobile phone, and hear the most extraordinary story of corporate cyberstalking.All this and...
Deepfake dangers, AI image opt out, and controlling your urges
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anti-porn "shameware" apps take a privacy pounding, is your image already being used by AI, and deepfake danger continues to deepen.All this a...
Uber, Rockstar, and crystal balls
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers reveal how your eyeglasses could be leaking secrets when you're on video conferencing calls, we take a look at the recent data breache...
Printer peeves, health data hangups, and Twitter tussles - with Rory Cellan-Jones
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How could your inkjet printer finally help you make some money, why is it so hard to share our health data even if we want to, and what result do you ...
Chiquita banana, dumb criminals, and detecting ring binders
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Students learn a valuable lesson when it comes to AI detecting guns on campus, SIM swappers are surprisingly stupid, and romance scammers get scammed ...
Lost in translation, spiders, and slapping tortillas - with Mikko Hyppönen
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're back from our summer break as we ask how did a cryptomining campaign stay unspotted for years, quiz special guest and infosec rockstar Mikko...
Hackers doxxed, Pornhub probs, and Co-op security measures
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pornhub has a problem, the UK's Co-op supermarket is accused of big brother tactics, and we take a look at a security researcher's attempt to ...
Uber's hidden hack, tips for travel, and AI accent fixes
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Uber may not face prosecution over its handling of a 2016 data breach - but its former chief security head does; how to defend your digital devices...
The Most Wanted Missing CryptoQueen
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast, computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault welcome back author ...
Disney's social dumpster fire, Anom phones, and TikTok tragedies
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A self-proclaimed "super hacker" causes problems in the Magic Kingdom, criminals regret trusting Anom phones, and lawsuits are filed against T...
Raising money through ransomware, China's mega-leak, and hackers for hire
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A hacked university might have made a profit after paying a cryptocurrency ransom, China suffers possibly the biggest data breach in history, and Reut...
Debug ransomware and win $1,000,000, period-tracking apps, and AI gets emotional
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A new version of the LockBit ransomware offers a bug bounty, women uninstall period-tracking apps in fear of how their data might be used against them...
Hot tub hijinx, and a sentient AI
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Internet-connected jacuzzis find themselves in hot water, and a Google engineer claims that their AI has developed feelings.All this and more is discu...
Encrypted notes, and a deadly case of AirTag spying
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How did a saxophonist sneak sensitive information in and out of the Soviet Union? How might an Apple AirTag have led to murder? And isn't the wo...
Tim Hortons, avoiding sanctions, and good faith security research
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trouble brews with the Tim Hortons app, Mandiant gets in a tussle with a Russian ransomware gang, and should good faith security researchers be at ris...
Bad bots, cheeky ransoms, and good deepfakes
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ransom acts of kindness are top of our mind, as we also explore how bad bots are hogging more and more of the internet's activity, and look at how...
Webcam extortion, Michael Fish, and food foul-ups
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A browser extension bug let malicious websites spy on webcams, hackers threaten the global food supply chain, and Michael Fish (not that one...) hacke...
Jail for Bing, and mental health apps may not be good for you
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A man hacks his employer to prove its security sucks, Telegram provides a helping hand to the Eternity Project malware, and what the heck do mental he...
Hands off my biometrics, and a wormhole squirmish
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Clearview AI receives something of a slap in the face, and who is wrestling over an internet wormhole?All this and more is discussed in the latest edi...
Password blips, and who's calling the airport?
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We find out why calls to Dublin airport's noise complaints line have soared, and Carole quizzes Graham to celebrate World Password Day.All this an...
Going ape over the Kardashians, and the face of romance scams
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Members of The Bored Ape Yacht Club get that sinking feeling, a face unwittingly launches hundreds of romance scams, and is an as-yet unseen Kim Karda...
Crypto break-in, Google blurring, and mics not muting
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A man loses $650,000 from his cryptocurrency wallet after his Apple iCloud account is hacked, video conferencing apps may not be muting your mic quite...
Bearded Barbie, EDR scams, and hobbyist crime detectives
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pulchritudinous women with glossy long hair are targeting Israeli officials via Facebook - but why? Scammers have found a new way to gain access to yo...
Trezor Deep Throat, a CCTV stalker, and Amazon's list of banned words
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's monkey business involving cryptocurrency thieves and MailChimp, a stalker exploits his ex-partner's CCTV cameras, and what are the nau...
LinkedIn deepfakes, doxxing Russian spies, and a false alarm
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Strange goings-on on LinkedIn, Ukraine publishes a list of alleged Russian FSB agents, and police in Pittsburgh investigate an odd report of an active...
Virtual kidnapping, two helipads, and a naughty Apple employee
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Russian bank tells its customers to stop installing security updates, an Apple employee ends up in hot water, and learn our tips to avoid being virt...
Cyberflashing, Kaspersky, and secret spies
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Germany tells consumers to stop using Kaspersky anti-virus products, OSINT reveals a secret government department (with help from an Apple AirTag), an...
The Nigerian supercop and Alexa vs. Alexa
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The most famous policeman in Nigeria is in hot water over his links to Hushpuppi, has your Amazon Echo been talking to itself, and can an AI girlfrien...
Hacked car chargers, Telegram sextortionists, and secret bossware
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why might Russian EV chargers be displaying an anti-Putin message? Why are Telegram groups sharing sharing explicit images of women without their cons...