Smashing Security - podcast cover

Smashing Security

Graham Cluleywww.smashingsecurity.com

Stories from the world of hacking, ransomware, cybersecurity, and rogue AI.

Smashing Security isn’t your typical tech podcast. Hosted by cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, it serves up weekly tales of cybercrime, hacking horror stories, privacy blunders, and tech mishaps - all with sharp insight, a sense of humour, and zero tolerance for tech waffle.

Winner of the best and most entertaining cybersecurity podcast awards in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, Smashing Security has had over ten million downloads. Past guests include Garry Kasparov, Mikko Hyppönen, and Jack Rhysider.

Follow the podcast on Bluesky at @smashingsecurity.com, and subscribe for free in your favourite podcast app.

New episodes released at 7pm EST every Wednesday (midnight UK).

Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

055: Uber, net neutrality, and website hacks

Uber covers up a data breach, the noose tightens on net neutrality, and Bulletproof's website spills the data beans. All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by umm.. nobody because they didn't arrange a special guest. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your favo...

Nov 30, 201728 min

054: A great big fat macOS bug

Yes, you can log into macOS High Sierra's root account with no password. In this special "emergency" edition of the podcast computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault discuss the breaking news of a serious Apple macOS bug that allows anyone to log into your Mac with root admin rights, without having to enter a password. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your favourite podcast app,...

Nov 29, 20178 min

053: Game of Thrones, a major Amazon cloud leak, and web tracking gone crazy

The FBI think they've identified the HBO hacker, the US military have been caught with a leaky bucket, and web tracking has just got scarier than ever. All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by The Register's Iain Thomson. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or you...

Nov 22, 201741 min

052: Facebook tackles vengeful scumbags, and a sex toy privacy boob

Is your dildo listening to you? Do you trust Facebook with your most intimate photos? And just how did a vengeful DDoSer come up with that nickname? All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, who are joined this week by special guest John Hawes. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or y...

Nov 15, 201739 min

051: Robots, romance, passwords, and CrunchyRoll

Passwords are under the microscope again, CrunchyRoll leads anime fans to malware, a sexy robot gains Saudi citizenship, and Carole begins her career as an agony aunt. All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, who are joined this week by special guest Maria Varmazis. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe o...

Nov 09, 201742 min

050: MailChimp, Piers Morgan, and The Dark Overlord

There's little time to celebrate our 50th episode, because there are rants to be had about MailChimp's switch to single opt-in, Graham upsets Piers Morgan on Twitter, and the Dark Overlord hacking gang are up to some pretty horrid tricks. All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, who didn't bother to organise a special guest this week. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSe...

Nov 02, 201743 min

049: Hacking funeral homes, crypto mining websites, and careful with that hairspray

Scammers show a lack of imagination after hacking a funeral home, more websites are secretly stealing visitors' resources to mine for cryptocurrency, and everyone is very confused about the USA's airline laptop ban. All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by The Register's John Leyden. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website fo...

Oct 25, 201745 min

048: KRACK, North Korea, and an 18th century cyber attack

KRACK! Has the Wi-Fi vulnerability got you worried? Did North Korea hack a British TV company to prevent a "slanderous farce" from being made? And what have Dutch police learnt from Pokémon? All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by Virus Bulletin's Martijn Grooten. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Re...

Oct 18, 201734 min

047: Kaspersky, AI, and a well-handled data breach

America turns the heat up on Kaspersky anti-virus, Disqus announces a data breach, Elon Musk plans a bolthole on Mars to escape our robot overlords, and Graham gets to play chess with Garry Kasparov. All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by technology journalist and broadcaster David McClelland. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit ou...

Oct 11, 201741 min

046: Good beard bad beard

Bearded man entangled in dark web drugs market bust, Google researches how to make browser security warnings less confusing, and (ahem) "bedroom entertainment systems" probed for security holes. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest Rich Baldry. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subsc...

Oct 04, 201738 min

045: Deloitte fail, CCleaner, and dotards on Twitter

Deloitte suffers an embarrassing hack, CCleaner spreads malware, and Twitter explains why it isn't planning to ban Donald Trump from Twitter anytime soon. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest Phil Wood of Cisco. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your ...

Sep 27, 201736 min

044: Bonus behind the scenes - shower time

Carole wants to know why Graham keeps FaceTiming her from the shower. Can you help solve the mystery? ("Bonus" behind-the-scenes content.) Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your favourite podcast app, to catch all of the episodes as they go live. Thanks for listening! Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language. Support Smashing Security Privacy & Opt-Out: https://red...

Sep 25, 20177 min

043: Backups - a necessary evil?

In this special "splinter" episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast we tackle the tricky subject of backups - when did you last backup your data? how and what should you backup? and where should you store them? Lots of questions and Graham gets to do his Tina Turner impression. Listen to the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest Maria Varmazis. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinS...

Sep 20, 201729 min

042: Equifax, BlueBorne, and the iPhone X

Equifax's shambolic response to its huge data breach, a scary-sounding Bluetooth exploit, and Apple's iPhone X comes with Face ID. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest Javvad Malik of AlienVault. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your favourite podcas...

Sep 13, 201746 min

041: Hacking Instagram, facial failures, and spying bosses

It's easy to phone up a celebrity on Instagram following security breach, facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnival can't tell the girls from the boys, and companies are spying on their workers' activities. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest David Bisson. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. ...

Sep 07, 201746 min

040: The show that cost Troy Hunt 14 dollars

Are public figures lying about being hacked? What were online criminals doing with 711 million email addresses? And how could scammers profit from Hurricane Harvey? All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by Troy Hunt. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your favourite pod...

Aug 30, 201748 min

039: Woah - are we talking to a cyborg?

Hackers could change emails in your inbox after they are delivered, the web is getting more and more encrypted, and hacked robots can be commanded to umm... stab you. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by researcher Scott Helme. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or you...

Aug 24, 201746 min

038: Gents! Stop airdropping your pics!

WannaCry hero Marcus Hutchins (aka MalwareTech) pleads not guilty to malware charges, the Scottish parliament is hit by a brute force attack, IoT smart locks aren't so smart, and.. ahem.. someone is sending intimate pics via AirDrop to unsuspecting commuters. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by technology journalist Geoff White. Follow the show on Twitter at @...

Aug 17, 201745 min

037: Boobs, dragons and data breaches

Hackers are holding HBO to ransom after a massive data breach, and have leaked the phone numbers and email addresses of "Game of Thrones" cast members. Has security firm Carbon Black been leaking customers's sensitive files while trying to scan them? And Disney's mobile apps are accused of spying on kids... All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by John Hawes. Follo...

Aug 09, 201738 min

036: Flash? Clunk flush... and hacking security researchers

A security threat researcher is badly hacked in a revenge attack. Some people want to save Adobe Flash, but is that wise? And a poorly-secured electronic billboard starts displaying offensive images... All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by Maria Varmazis. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe...

Aug 03, 201745 min

035: Up the Roomba with mandatory Chinese spyware

China is forcing people to install smartphone spyware, young cyberoffenders are offered rehab, and robot vacuum cleaners want to sell maps of the inside of your house to tech firms. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by Dan Ring. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or yo...

Jul 26, 201737 min

034: The pen is mightier than the password

The UK government wants you to give your credit card details to porn sites, Ashley Madison offers compensation to the people whose lives it ruined, and an adult website wants you to pass its unorthodox and below-the-belt biometric identity check... gulp! All this and Myspace, Google Glass, Fleabag, and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by technology journalist and...

Jul 20, 201749 min

033: 1Password, net neutrality, and spatchcock chicken

Is password manager 1Password treating its customers unfairly? Are autonomous cars driving us around the bend? And what is this Net Neutrality thing anyway? All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by Michael Hucks from PC Pitstop. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your f...

Jul 13, 201742 min

032: The iPhone 8, a data breach at the AA, and a mystery no show

The iPhone 8 is on its way and may use 3D facial recognition rather than a fingerprint sensor to lock out intruders, and the UK's Automobile Association claims it hasn't leaked any credit card data, so why is it getting so upset about security researchers publishing screenshots of leaked data? All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by umm.. nobody. Follow the show o...

Jul 06, 201735 min

031: Petya (don't know the name of this ransomware)

Another major ransomware outbreak rattles the world - but no-one can decide what it's called, the danger posed to driverless cars by kangaroos, and do you really want an Amazon Echo Show? All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest David Bisson. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe o...

Jun 29, 201745 min

030: GDPR - The good and the bad

In this special "splinter" episode, regular hosts Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault are joined by special guest Kevin Gorsline to discuss the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and what it means for your business even if you're not based in Europe. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your favourite podcast app, to catch all of the episodes as they go live. Thanks for listenin...

Jun 22, 201727 min

029: Exploits to get your English teeth into

Microsoft gives us a Patch Tuesday shock, malware grows up for the Mac, and your mouse movements might reveal if you're an identity thief. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest Javvad Malik of AlienVault. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visit our website for more episodes. Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , or your favourit...

Jun 15, 201738 min

024: Reality Winner, Gordon Ramsay and a leaky bucket

Evidence of Russia hacking the US election leaks from the NSA and Reality is not a winner, confidential data is accidentally exposed in the cloud by a defence contractor, and Gordon Ramsay has a few choice words for his hacking father-in-law. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest Ian Whalley. Follow the show on Twitter at @SmashinSecurity , or visi...

Jun 07, 201738 min

023: Covfefe

Hackers are blackmailing cosmetic surgery patients, and threatening to release their naked photos. A British Airways IT snafu causes travel chaos for thousands. And Germany is threatening to throw hefty fines at Facebook if it can't police its content properly. All this and "Covfefe" is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by special guest John Hawes. Show notes: Cosmetic surgery hack...

May 31, 201740 min

022: Walk this way... to defeat biometrics

The Samsung Galaxy S8 claims that its iris recognition technology provides "airtight security", but the Chaos Computer Club knows better and shows how it can be easily bypassed. Australian researchers create a wearable gizmo that authenticates you through your walk, but is it ever going to be practical? Mac malware reportedly wastes no time stealing information from a software developer. And the boss of the Bank of England is smart enough not to fall for an email prankster. All this and more is ...

May 24, 201732 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android