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In the shadows of the digital world, where anonymity is power and information is currency, battle lines are drawn not with bullets but with code. This show takes listeners deep into the heart of cyberspace’s most high-stakes confrontations — where rogue programmers exploit vulnerabilities, corporations scramble to secure their data empires, and government agencies wage invisible wars across invisible lines. It’s a realm shaped by encryption, espionage, whistleblowers, and wild ambition. From ...
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In 1999, David Smith created the Melissa virus, which spread rapidly via Microsoft Word email attachments, causing $1.1 billion in damages and infecting major organizations like Microsoft and the US Marine Corps. Named after a stripper, the virus exploited Outlook to auto-email itself to 50 contacts, overwhelming email servers. Smith was arrested, …
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What began as a Minecraft server rivalry among three young hackers escalated into the Mirai botnet, the most powerful DDoS tool in history. Infecting hundreds of thousands of unsecured IoT devices worldwide, Mirai launched record-breaking attacks on major companies and internet infrastructure in 2016. Its creators were caught, but the release of Mi…
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In May 2021, the Colonial Pipeline, the largest refined oil pipeline in the US, was crippled by a ransomware attack exploiting weak VPN security and leaked credentials. The hack led to fuel shortages, panic buying, and a $4.4M ransom payment. Despite partial ransom recovery by the FBI, the incident exposed major gaps in US critical infrastructure c…
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Between 2001 and 2002, British hacker Gary McKinnon accessed 97 US military and NASA computers, searching for evidence of UFOs and secret space programs. His actions caused major disruptions and led to charges of the largest military hack in history, sparking a decade-long extradition battle. Diagnosed with Asperger's, McKinnon avoided extradition …
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Mustafe Al-Bassam was born in 1995, and was working with anonymous, he and his group Lulzsec an offspring from anonymous hacked many major companies such as the CIA. Exposing customers data from 25 million users.National Media Archive
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There’s something thrilling about watching a kid stare down a billion-dollar corporation and win. It’s the kind of story Silicon Valley pretends to celebrate—until it doesn’t. This episodes is part of the National Media Archive. Before it became a badge of honor to disrupt, before venture-backed startups turned words like “hacker” into corporate sl…
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David Pokora wasn’t the kind of kid who had to try very hard to get into trouble. By the age of three, he wasn’t reading stories — he was playing first-person shooters with more grace than most adults could manage with a controller. He wasn't interested in the aliens or the explosions. What grabbed him was the feeling. Press a key, make something h…
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By age fourteen, he'd joined a basic hacking forum centered around chaos on MSN Messenger, the once-ubiquitous instant messaging service. There, kids swapped code like other kids traded Pokémon cards. Worms disguised as images. Keyloggers wrapped in innocent-looking apps. At first, Marcus didn’t understand what half of it did. But he was curious. C…
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AI-driven hacking is rapidly approaching, with systems able to exploit vulnerabilities faster and in ways humans may not anticipate. As demonstrated in competitions like the Cyber Grand Challenge, AI can already find creative solutions outside human logic. Experts warn that soon, fully automated AI hackers could threaten financial, political, and s…
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Vladislav Klyushin, a wealthy Russian IT company owner, was convicted of wire fraud, unauthorized computer access, and securities fraud for leading a scheme that hacked U.S. computer networks to steal insider information from companies like Microsoft and Tesla. The group used the data to make nearly $90 million in illicit stock trades. You're liste…
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Red Golf, a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group closely linked to APT-41, has been highly active globally, targeting various industries like aviation, government, IT, and media. Security researchers identified infrastructure and malware, including the KeyPlug backdoor, used in cyber-espionage campaigns. While China denies involvement, evidence su…
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Popular YouTuber Linus Tech Tips was hacked, resulting in his channels being used to promote crypto scams and his videos deleted. The breach occurred after a team member downloaded malware disguised as a sponsorship PDF, giving hackers access to browser data and session tokens. The incident highlights the need for better security protocols, improve…
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At age 15, Michael Calce, aka 'MafiaBoy', launched massive cyberattacks in 2000, crippling major sites like Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon, causing $1.7 billion in damages. Raised in Montreal, he learned hacking young, joined an elite group, and used social engineering to gain access. Eventually caught, he served 8 months in youth detention. Today, Calce …
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