In the riveting 11th episode of the Digital Desperadoes podcast, the gang dive deep into the captivating and tumultuous tale of Adrian Lamo, famously known as the Homeless Hacker. Lamo's journey unfolds from a tech-savvy enthusiast to a gray hat hacker, blurring the lines between morality and mischief. You'll hear about Lamo's audacious exploits, from exposing security flaws on major networks to hacking NBC live on air. The hosts infuse the narrative with a blend of sadness and humor, shedding l...
Feb 21, 2024•18 min•Season 2Ep. 11
This Digital Desperados episode introduces Kevin Mitnick, known as The Condor, a legendary figure in the hacking world. Mitnick displayed social engineering skills from a very early age, initiating his hacking journey at 16. After unauthorized access to the Arc and subsequent legal troubles, he became a fugitive from 1992 to 1995, evading capture with false identities and lies. Notably pursued by the FBI, his legend grew and the hacker community respected him all the more. Mitnick's capture, aid...
Feb 07, 2024•21 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this lively episode of the Digital Desperados Podcast, hosts Jim Brangenberg and Patrick McMurphy, accompanied by SaferNet VPN's Brad Hawkins, unravel the thrilling world of state-sponsored hacking. The spotlight is on the infamous Lazarus Group, North Korea's cyber mischief-makers, engaging in espionage and global disruption. From Lazarus' humble beginnings as novice hackers trained in China to their sophisticated attacks on South Korea and beyond, learn about their evolution. Escapades incl...
Jan 24, 2024•21 min•Season 2Ep. 9
This newest episode of the Digital Desperados Podcast recounts the chilling story of Max Butler, aka the Iceman, known for his cool demeanor and freezing victims' assets through credit card fraud. Butler's journey from teenage mischief to a hacking career unfolds as he evolves from theft and assault to orchestrating elaborate credit card schemes. Despite facing legal consequences, Iceman’s criminal endeavors escalate, showcasing the dark side of the digital realm. Discover the twists and turns o...
Jan 10, 2024•19 min•Season 2Ep. 8
This episode’s featured dark tale revolves around Hector Xavier Monsegur, also known as Sabu, a prominent figure in hacking and hacktivism. Born in 1983 in Puerto Rico, Sabu's challenging upbringing led him to explore hacking from a young age. The story follows Sabu's hacking techniques, such as exploring vulnerabilities, phishing attacks, social engineering, and cross-site scripting. Although a prominent figure within the hacker group Anonymous, Sabu eventually became an FBI informant, leading ...
Dec 27, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Welcome to the Digital Desperados Podcast, where we embark on an enthralling journey into the life of Gary McKinnon, also known as Solo, the NASA Hacker. Gary's story is nothing short of extraordinary - driven by his obsession with UFOs, he dared to breach the formidable digital fortresses of NASA, the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Department of Defense in search of evidence of extraterrestrial life. This podcast is made possible by SaferNet, your steadfast ally in the battle for online se...
Dec 13, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this episode of the Digital Desperados Podcast, we explore the riveting tale of Mafia Boy, a child prodigy turned hacker extraordinaire. His early experiments with AOL trials led to a life in the shadows, culminating in a colossal DDoS attack that caused a jaw-dropping $1.7 billion in damages. Our podcast is proudly sponsored by SaferNet VPN, your go-to cybersecurity app for business and family protection. With features like VPN, internet controls, virus protection, and website filters, Safer...
Nov 29, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this podcast, you’ll hear the dark tale of Evgeny Mikhailovich Bogachev, also known as Slavik, a prolific Russian cybercriminal. Slavik's cybercrime journey began around 2010 when he created the Game Over Zeus (GOZ) botnet, a vast network of compromised computers. GOZ was responsible for distributing the Cryptolocker ransomware, resulting in significant financial losses, particularly in the United States. Slavik's activities were highly sophisticated, and he continued to evade law enforcement...
Nov 15, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 4
It seems that Alberto Gonzalez has always been a thrill seeker. From hacking into NASA at just 14 years old to eventually working as a government spy, Gonzalez seemed to have a love for getting into trouble. From his early hacking days, he began collecting, using, and selling credit card information, which he continued to do throughout his life of crime. Even though he was caught, arrested, and worked as a government spy in the hacking community, Gonzalez still went back to organizing and execut...
Oct 19, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 3
This episode highlights the story and crimes of Alexsey Belan, a Latvian hacker best known for Yahoo data breaches and for stealing the information (login, credit card, etc.) of millions. All at about only 19 years old! This highly evasive young man was also well-known for hacking into Wordpress and e-commerce websites. As such, the US put out an international warrant for his arrest along with a $100,000 reward. He was once arrested in Greece, but somehow escaped, fleeing to Russia where, of cou...
Oct 19, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
This premier episode of the Digital Desperados Podcasts introduces a desperado indeed. Maksim Yakubets, known primarily as “Aqua” is a Ukranian-Russian hacker who has stolen and aided in stealing hundreds of millions of dollars. Patrick McMurphy, who’s spent years studying hackers, joins Digital Desperados to tell of Aqua’s dark deeds. Aqua and his hacking group “Evil Corps” employ the malwares “Zeus” and “Dridex” in phishing schemes reported in over 40 countries. These malwares are capable of r...
Oct 19, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1
