In episode 431 of the "Smashing Security" podcast, a self-proclaimed crypto-influencer calling himself CP3O thought he had found a shortcut to riches — by racking up millions in unpaid cloud bills.

Meanwhile, we look at the growing threat of EDR-killer tools that can quietly switch off your endpoint protection before an attack even begins.

And for something a little different, we peek into the Internet Archive’s dystopian Wayforward Machine and take a detour to Mary Shelley’s resting place in Bournemouth.

All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley, joined this week by special guest Allan "Ransomware Sommelier" Liska.

Episode links:

• Crypto Influencer Sentenced to Prison for Multi-Million Dollar “Cryptojacking” Scheme - US Department of Justice.
• Ransomware crews don't care about your endpoint security – they've already killed it - The Register.
• Way Forward Machine - The Internet Archive.
• Mary Shelley’s grave - Atlas Obscura.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

Sponsored by:

• Proton Drive - Protect your files with end-to-end encryption in Switzerland’s secure cloud — only on Proton Drive.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW US:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

ENJOYED THE SHOW?

Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".

A poisoned Google Calendar invite that can hijack your smart home, a man is hospitalised after ChatGPT told him to season his food with… pesticide, and some thoughts on Superman’s latest cinematic outing.

All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley, joined this week by special guest Dave Bittner from The Cyberwire.

Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

Episode links:

• Invitation Is All You Need: Invoking Gemini for Workspace Agents with a Simple Google Calendar Invite - SafeBreach.
• Invitation attack curses - YouTube.
• Invitation attack opens shutters - YouTube.
• Guy Gives Himself 19th Century Psychiatric Illness After Consulting With ChatGPT - 404 Media.
• Superman (2025) trailer - YouTube.
• Billy Joel: And so it goes - HBO Max.
• Billy Joel: And so it goes trailer - YouTube.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

Sponsored by:

• Proton - Break free from Gmail. You should be able to choose what happens to your data. With Proton, only you can read your emails.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes and our early-release feed!

FOLLOW US:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

ENJOYED THE SHOW?

Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".

Those of you who tuned in to last week's episode (#428) will have heard the big news from my podcast pal Carole that she's decided to move on from her co-hosting duties on the show.

There have been some lovely messages of support sent through for Carole, and indeed for me too. Thank you very much to all of you - it's really heatywarming to hear how much the last 428 episodes have meant to you all, and how much you want the show to go on.

And so - as I said last week - it will carry on. Next week there will be a regular edition of "Smashing Security" with a special guest well known to all of you, and I plan to carry on as normal every week with guests after that...

This week though I felt like I needed to catch my breath, and take a break. But I didn't want to leave you without something to listen to...

So, here is a special edition of "Smashing Security" with a couple of clips from recent episodes of its sister show "The AI Fix", which I co-host with Mark Stockley.

If you enjoy "The AI Fix," please do follow it in your favourite podcast apps and tell your friends!

Until next week, cheerio bye bye.

Episode links:

• The AI Fix.
• The AI Fix on Apple Podcasts.
• The AI Fix on Spotify.
• The AI Fix on Pocketcasts.
• The AI Fix on Overcast.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes and our early-release feed!

FOLLOW US:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

ENJOYED THE SHOW?

Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".

The viral women-only dating safety app Tea, built to flag red flags, gets flagged itself - after leaking over 70,000 private images and chat logs. We are talking full-on selfies, ID docs, private DMs, and a dash of 4chan creepiness. Yikes.

Plus, Carole takes us down memory lane as she hangs up her co-host mic after 428 glorious episodes. Expect tea, tears, and Tom Lehrer.

All this is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.

Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

Episode links:

• Update regarding cybersecurity incident - Tea.
• Hackers steal images from women's dating safety app that vets men - BBC News.
• A Second Tea Breach Reveals Users’ DMs About Abortions and Cheating - 404 Media.
• American musical satirist Tom Lehrer dies at 97 - BBC News.
• Tom Lehrer website.
• Tom Lehrer sings The Elements, live in Copenhagen, 1967 - YouTube.
• Tom Lehrer sings “New Math” (animated) - YouTube.
• Carole’s Substack.
• Libby - Library app.
• Shokz UK.
• Two Birds Yoga - YouTube.
• Thermapen.
• BBC Sounds.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

Sponsored by:

• Vanta – Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Trelica by 1Password - Access Governance for every SaaS app. Discover, manage, and optimize access for any of your SaaS apps - whether managed or unmanaged.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes and our early-release feed!

FOLLOW US:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

In this episode, Graham warns why it is high time we said goodbye to 2G - the outdated mobile network being exploited by cybercriminals with suitcase-sized SMS blasters. From New Zealand to London, scammers are driving around cities like dodgy Uber drivers, spewing phishing texts to thousands at once.

Meanwhile, Carole unpacks a painfully awkward tale of amour fou, as a 76-year-old Belgian man drives 476 miles to meet his dream woman... only to be greeted by her very-much-still-husband at the gate.

Plus: Sky Arts painting competitions get a thumbs up, Mark Zuckerberg never loses at board games, and the scandalous Facebook memoir Meta tried to silence.

All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.

Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

Episode links:

• Teen arrested for 'smishing scam' using technology never before seen in New Zealand - RNZ.
• Op Orca — smishing scam smashed - New Zealand police.
• SMS blasting incidents are rising - Risky Bulletin.
• Bangkok busts SMS Blaster sending 1 million scam texts from a van - Bleeping Computer.
• Police warn of SMS scams as ‘blaster’ is used to send thousands of texts - The Guardian.
• Reports of SMS Messages Sent by Fake Base Stations - Commsrisk.
• Keeping your Android device safe from text message fraud - Google Security blog.
• What is Paris syndrome? How culture shock can kill a trip - The Independent.
• Belgian man crushed after driving nearly 500 miles to meet French model he believed was his 'future wife' - Fox News. 
• French is the language of love: myth, reality, and romance - ICLS.
• Romance scam victim travels 700km 'to marry French beauty queen' - BBC News.
• Un homme se présente chez moi pour être mon futur mari… - YouTube. 
• Sky Artist of the Year.
• Careless People  - The Guardian Bookshop. 
• Careless People: We read the book that Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t want you to read - Slate. 
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

Sponsored by:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes and our early-release feed!

FOLLOW US:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

In episode 426 of the "Smashing Security" podcast, Graham reveals how you can hijack a train’s brakes from 150 miles away using kit cheaper than a second-hand PlayStation.

Meanwhile, Carole investigates how Grok went berserk, which didn't stop the Department of Defense signing a contract with Elon’s AI chatbot. So who is responsible when your chatbot becomes a bigot?

Plus: Email headaches, SPF rage, and a glowing review for... Taskmaster SuperMax Plus?

All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.

Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

Episode links:

• Schoolboy hacks into city's tram system - The Telegraph.
• Caboose - Wikipedia.
• Neil Smith discusses his findings - Twitter thread.
• End-of-Train and Head-of-Train Remote Linking Protocol - CISA.
• The Cheap Radio Hack That Disrupted Poland’s Railway System - Wired.
• Grok, Elon Musk’s AI Chatbot, Shares Antisemitic Posts on X - The New York Times.
• X ordered its Grok chatbot to ‘tell like it is.’ Then the Nazi tirade began - Washington Post. 
• Hacker uses Elmo's X account to post antisemitic rant and demand release of Epstein files - ABC News.
• Elon Musk Announces Sensuous Grok AI Companion - Mashable.
• Grok Rolls Out Pornographic Anime Companion, Lands Department of Defense Contract - The Rolling Stone. 
• Learn DMARC.
• TASKMASTER SUPERMAX+.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

Sponsored by:

• Adaptive Security - request a custom demo featuring a real CEO deepfake simulation today from adaptivesecurity.com.
• Vanta – Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Trelica by 1Password - Access Governance for every SaaS app. Discover, manage, and optimize access for any of your SaaS apps - whether managed or unmanaged.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes and our early-release feed!

FOLLOW US:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

In episode 425 of "Smashing Security", Graham reveals how "Call of Duty: WWII" has been weaponised - allowing hackers to hijack your entire PC during online matches, thanks to ancient code and Microsoft’s Game Pass.

Meanwhile, Carole digs into a con targeting the recently incarcerated, with scammers impersonating bail bond agents to fleece desperate families.

All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.

Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.

Episode links:

• Call of Duty: WWII trailer - YouTube.
• Warning: Do NOT Play COD WWII on PC Gamepass - YouTube.
• 2017 Wichita swatting - Wikipedia.
• Call of Duty: WW2 on PC Game Pass yanked offline amid reports security exploits are leaving players with screens full of smut - Eurogamer.
• Common Bail Bond Scams and How to Avoid Them - US Attorneys.
• Can I Check out Another Person's Criminal Record? - Nolo. 
• Belton Bail Bond Testimonials.
• ‘They know everything’: Families of inmates at Sumner County Jail targeted in bail scam - Nashville WKRN.
• Latest scam targets NJ families of those who were recently arrested, demanding bail - New Jersey 1050.
• John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie review – let it be the new gold standard in Beatles studies - The Guardian.
• Introducing 'John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs' - Ian Leslie.
• Charles Paris mysteries - BBC Radio 4.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

Sponsored by:

• Adaptive Security - request a custom demo featuring a real CEO deepfake simulation today from adaptivesecurity.com.
• Drata - The world’s most advanced Trust Management platform – making risk and compliance management accessible, continuous, and 10x more automated than ever before.
• Vanta – Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes and our early-release feed!

FOLLOW US:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.