PEBCAK Podcast: Information Security News by Some All Around Good People

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
2016: The Dawn of Modern Ransomware
The debut of Petya and Russian-affiliated groups like CryptoWall, TeslaCrypt, and Locky.
Attacks were largely indiscriminate, targeting anyone from Fortune 500 companies to "Grandma's laptop."
Early mitigation tactics, like installing Russian language packs to avoid infection, highlighted the state-tolerated nature of these groups.
 
2017: Ransomware Goes Mainstream
A pivotal year with the WannaCry attack (attributed to North Korea’s Lazarus Group) and NotPetya (Russian-backed), causing billions in damages to companies in multiple verticals.
The SAMSAM attacks hit U.S. cities like Baltimore and Atlanta, marking Iran’s brief foray into ransomware.
Ransomware became a household name, sparking executive-level discussions in boardrooms.
 
2020: The Rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service
Groups like Ryuk, REvil, and Conti refined ransomware into a business model, outsourcing tasks like initial access and money laundering.
Double extortion emerged, with attackers stealing data and threatening to leak it, even if backups were restored.
Some groups introduced “terms of service,” avoiding hospitals and schools to dodge law enforcement scrutiny.
 
2021: Critical Infrastructure in the Crosshairs
High-profile attacks on Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and Ireland’s National Health Service disrupted daily life, from gas shortages to meat supply issues.
These incidents underscored ransomware’s real-world impact, elevating cybersecurity to a boardroom priority.
 
2022: Geopolitical Shifts and New Players
Russian-backed groups like Conti and LockBit shifted focus to Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The rise of Scattered Spider, a Western-based group excelling at social engineering and SIM swapping, marked a shift from Eastern state-tolerated actors.
 
2023: Trust Breaks Down
The ALFV/BlackCat group’s $22 million rug pull against affiliates signaled the decline of Russian-backed ransomware dominance.
Scattered Spider solidified its reputation, targeting major hospitality and cleaning companies with sophisticated social engineering tactics.
 
2025: The Western Cybercrime Surge
Scattered Spider and affiliates like DragonForce dominate, hitting retailers, insurance, aviation, and automotive sectors.
The shift to Western-based actors, often young and operating in Five Eyes nations, makes them more vulnerable to law enforcement.
 
Trends and Takeaways
The move from expensive zero-day exploits to cheaper n-day exploits and social engineering highlights attackers’ adaptability.
Double extortion and even “double dipping” (demanding additional ransoms months later) have become standard tactics.
The accessibility of AI tools and open-source platforms like Venice AI has lowered the barrier for creating ransomware, even for non-programmers.
Law enforcement’s increasing success in arrests and Bitcoin recovery (e.g., DarkSide’s downfall) offers hope for curbing cybercrime.
 
 
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Ben - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamincorll/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
China hands out death sentence for online scammers
https://cyberscammonitor.substack.com/p/myanmars-online-scam-industry-shakeup-9f6
 
Hackers steal cancer patient's donations
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/verified-steam-game-steals-streamers-cancer-treatment-donations/
 
Taliban takes down internet in Afghanistan
https://bsky.app/profile/netblocks.org/post/3m27n6v5yms2o
 
 
Return of the Choco Taco
https://www.silive.com/business/2025/09/miss-the-choco-taco-how-to-buy-taco-bells-new-version-of-the-coveted-ice-cream-treat.html
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/whatever-happened-jolt-cola-160300428.html
 
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennmedina/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
Cookie banners may disappear
https://www.euractiv.com/news/commission-to-reduce-cookie-banners-in-simplification-push/
 
Thieves steal $600k worth of gold after cyberattack
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2025/09/17/thieves-steal-600-000-worth-of-gold-from-paris-s-natural-history-museum_6745485_7.html 
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/gold-worth-600000-euros-stolen-in-paris-museum-heist/ 
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bay-area-men-named-in-1-million-robbery-at-san-ramon-jewelry-store/ 
https://mythresults.com/episode73
 
US Secret Service dismantles telecom threat
https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york 
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/foreign-policy/3819278/us-bans-iranian-diplomats-shopping-costco/
 
Things that were rude but now acceptable
https://business.yougov.com/content/48028-unacceptable-behaviors-for-people-at-the-movies-americans-have-their-say
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennmedina/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
Jeremy Clarkson hacked
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/36577873/jeremy-clarkson-farmers-dog-pub-computer-hackers/
https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/celebrity/jeremy-clarkson-farmers-dog-pub-hacked-27000-002780-20250907
 
AI-powered phishing confusion
https://malwr-analysis.com/2025/08/24/phishing-emails-are-now-aimed-at-users-and-ai-defenses/
 
Rise of Linux Desktop malware
https://www.cloudsek.com/blog/investigation-report-apt36-malware-campaign-using-desktop-entry-files-and-google-drive-payload-delivery
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apt36-hackers-abuse-linux-desktop-files-to-install-malware/
 
Companies experiment with replacing humans with AI
https://www.wsj.com/articles/taco-bell-rethinks-future-of-voice-ai-at-the-drive-through-72990b5a 
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/la-quinta-investigating-miamis-viral-remote-receptionist-23748941 
https://www.ambscallcenter.com/blog/remote-receptionist-guide
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennmedina/
Daren - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daren-schneider/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
Ransomware attack threatens to release art to AI training models
https://cybernews.com/ai-news/lunalock-ransomware-attack-against-artists-platform/ 
https://www.404media.co/hackers-threaten-to-submit-artists-data-to-ai-models-if-art-site-doesnt-pay-up/
 
University of Oregon punishes student for reporting vulnerability
https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2025/09/a-university-of-oregon-student-reported-a-troubling-online-privacy-lapse-the-university-placed-him-under-investigation.html
 
Qantas cancels executive bonuses over online hack
https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/release-of-the-qantas-group-annual-report-and-sustainability-report-2/ 
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/24/microsoft-ceo-nadella-requested-pay-reduction-after-security-incidents.html
 
iPhone 17 release
https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-17/vs/iphone-17-pro-vs-iphone-16-pro---the-new-top-tier-compared
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennmedina/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
Australian firm defends remotely turning on employees' microphones
https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/aussie-firm-defends-remote-work-surveillance-claims/news-story/b844231489a20d9efb31f96dea75ec32 
https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/company-turned-laptops-into-covert-recording-devices-to-monitor-wfh-20250822-p5mp0z
 
Scammer Payback takes down $65 million fraud ring
https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtubers-help-fbi-shut-down-65m-scam-ring-that-stole-seniors-life-savings-3244080/ 
 
YouTube uses AI to determine viewer's age
https://www.theverge.com/news/715343/youtube-age-estimation-ai-minor-account-restrictions 
https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-first-video-upload-20th-anniversary-3547053/ 
 
New iPhone predictions
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/09/03/iphone-17-pro-will-be-brighter-than-iphone-16-pro-and-have-better-battery-life
 
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Raja - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajazkhalid/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
Microsoft evicts Chinese companies from MAPP
https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/microsofts-cybersecurity-crackdown-is-here-a-response-to-beijing-linked-breaches
https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/21/microsoft_cuts_chinas_early_access/
 
Microsoft allowed Chinese citizens into US DoD systems
https://www.computerworld.com/article/4023404/microsoft-employs-engineers-in-china-to-manage-us-dod-systems.html
 
Phishers use pump and dump scam
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/08/mobile-phishers-target-brokerage-accounts-in-ramp-and-dump-cashout-scheme/
 
Old fashioned fees
https://www.aol.com/end-era-aol-discontinues-dial-193114696.html?guccounter=1
https://www.spin.com/2021/06/cd-clubs-columbia-house-bmg/
 
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennmedina/
Scott - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmsavage/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
Germany may ban adblockers
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/legal/mozilla-warns-germany-could-soon-declare-ad-blockers-illegal/
 
Nebraska man gets jailtime for crypto mining scam
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/nebraska-man-gets-1-year-in-prison-for-35m-cryptojacking-scheme/
 
Cyber insurers want CVE exemptions
https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/cyber-insurers-may-limit-payments-breaches-unpatched-cve
 
Drinking alcohol in the US hits all time low
https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Michael - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-chen-82098a2/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
UK accidentally leaks identities of 36,000 vulnerable Afghans
https://www.aol.com/news/inside-secret-scramble-save-lives-110005394.html
 
Google Gemini prompt injection through Google Calendar
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-calendar-invites-let-researchers-hijack-gemini-to-leak-user-data/
 
 
Hackers plant malicious Raspberry Pi on bank's network
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-plant-4g-raspberry-pi-on-bank-network-in-failed-atm-heist/
 
UK age verification law goes into effect
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/contents
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/the-uk-government-say-it-has-no-plans-to-repeal-the-online-safety-act-in-response-to-380-000-strong-and-counting-petition/
https://www.aol.com/news/uk-regulator-investigates-possible-online-102751985.html
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennmedina/
Victor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victordeluca/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got some amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW)
Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast
 
Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!
 
Tourism drop in Las Vegas
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12552
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/las-vegas-tourism-drops-sharply-some-visitors-claim-casinos-empty-amid-rising-costs
 
 
Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)
 
Find the hosts on LinkedIn:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/
Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/
Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennmedina/
Tyson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyson-kindler-910658101/
Koby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/koby-caputo-117358145/