If you’ve spent any time on AdamLevin.com, you know we like a good story about scammers, phishers, and identity thieves.
So we decided to make a podcast.
“What the Hack” is a new podcast that makes getting scammed, hacked, phished or cyber bushwhacked seem a little less terrifying. You might even have fun. It’s one part true crime whodunnit (or what happened) and one part how to fix it.
I’m joined by my sidekicks Beau Friedlander and Travis Taylor (both of whose work you’ve seen on this site). We’ve spent ten years talking and figuring out hacking and scams and have had a good time with it and wanted to share what we’ve learned.
In our first episode, the three of us speak to Roy, an artist living in upstate New York who finds out why it’s not a good idea to troll political extremists online, especially when some of them have hacking skills.
The technical subjects we cover in this episode are:
- Steganographic hacking: This is a method used by hackers to hide malware within other messages, images or banner ads. We’ve covered this topic in the past using kittens and the Iliad as an example.
- Telegram, Parler, Gab, and Signal: The mass exodus from more widely used social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook to newer and more private platforms provided a golden opportunity for hackers. Find out more about how to stay secure, regardless of your communication platform here.
- Password hygiene: We know we’re supposed to change our passwords regularly and to not reuse them. Too few of us do. Find out a few tips to keep from getting your account compromised here.
Listen to the first episode today and if you like the show, tell your friends about it. Now available wherever you get your audio.
Read the episode transcript here.
