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!
 
Worldwide crackdown on scam compound operators
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/myanmars-crisis-the-world/myanmar-junta-dynamites-scam-hub-in-pr-move-as-global-pressure-grows.html
https://therecord.media/china-sentences-5-myanmar-scam-kingpins-to-death
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/law-passed-for-scammers-mules-to-be-caned-after-victims-in-singapore-lose-almost-4b-since-2020
https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/11/new-scam-center-strike-force-battles-southeast-asian-crypto-investment
https://x.com/craigkellyafee/status/1988742903913673062?s=46
 
Checkout.com donates ransom to security research
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/checkoutcom-snubs-shinyhunters-hackers-to-donate-ransom-instead/
 
Five arrested in European auto theft ring
https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/news/criminals-producing-devices-unlock-cars-arrested-international-operation 
 
Car talk
https://news.dupontregistry.com/ford/whatever-happened-ford-gt90/
 
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/
Jason - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-seemann-12b7075/

Welcome to this week's bonus 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

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!
 
Top passwords for 2025
https://www.comparitech.com/news/minecraft-qwerty-and-india123-among-2025s-most-common-passwords-report/
 
Tinder uses AI to scan all photos
https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/05/tinder-to-use-ai-to-get-to-know-users-tap-into-their-camera-roll-photos/
 
South Koreans extorted by massage parlor scam
https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/11/03/YRPJOKNIPNCJBMFB6WDDYXZNTE/ 
 
Goodbye US pennies
https://apnews.com/article/us-mint-treasury-department-penny-end-production-daf6367d7e8d31d6783720d5d4667115
 
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!
 
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RibEPALlVE4
 
Microsoft Edge gets scam detection
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-edge-gets-scareware-sensor-for-faster-scam-detection/ 
https://torontosun.com/uncategorized/ontario-couple-gives-up-more-than-1m-to-online-scammers-despite-bank-warning
 
Cybersecurity employees worked for ransomware group
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-cybersecurity-experts-indicted-for-blackcat-ransomware-attacks/
 
L3 Harris Trenchant executive stole zero days
https://x.com/jsrailton/status/1985494477033656371?s=46 
https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/03/how-an-ex-l3-harris-trenchant-boss-stole-and-sold-cyber-exploits-to-russia/
 
Line waiting as a service
https://www.taskrabbit.com/services/shopping-delivery/waiting-in-line
 
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!
 
iCloud backups expose betting scam
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/10/24/how-icloud-backups-helped-expose-a-mob-and-nba-linked-poker-cheating-scandal 
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/security/sec3cac31735/web
 
Ransomware payments all time low
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-profits-drop-as-victims-stop-paying-hackers/
 
Hyperscaler outages
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/amazon-this-weeks-aws-outage-caused-by-major-dns-failure/ 
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-dns-outage-impacts-azure-and-microsoft-365-services/
 
Halloween memories
https://www.snopes.com/tag/halloween/
 
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/
Benjamin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-humes-56b46626/
Ben - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamincorll/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We’ve got three 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!
 
Host gets Vished
https://blog.knowbe4.com/cybercriminals-use-telegram-bots-to-exfiltrate-data-in-phishing-kit-campaign
 
Romanian prisoner hacks prison system
https://www.romania-insider.com/romanian-inmate-hacks-prison-it-system-oct-2025
 
FBI arrests 31 people in illegal online betting scheme
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/3861305/nba-stars-coach-among-31-arrested-in-fbi-sports-betting-crackdown/
 
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/
Jamie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-harris-30b46819/

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!
 
Windows 10 End of Support
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-support-has-ended-on-october-14-2025-2ca8b313-1946-43d3-b55c-2b95b107f281
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates 
https://www.theverge.com/news/793579/microsoft-windows-11-local-account-bypass-workaround-changes 
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/final-windows-10-patch-tuesday-update-rolls-out-as-support-ends/ 
Chuck Wagon race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRpHrvHjcs 
 
Jeep bricks EV vehicles with faulty software update
https://www.thestack.technology/jeep-software-update-bricks-vehicles-leaves-owners-stranded/
 
F5 hacked by China
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/cisa-issues-emergency-directive-address-critical-vulnerabilities-f5-devices
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/ed-26-01-mitigate-vulnerabilities-f5-devices
 
China requires watching ads for toilet paper
https://metro.co.uk/2025/09/17/dystopian-toilets-wont-give-loo-roll-unless-watch-advert-first-24189061/
 
 
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/
Darren - https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmayes/

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/