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Hacker And The Fed

Hacker And The Fed

Chris Tarbell & Hector Monsegur 136 Episodes Jun 18, 2026

Former FBI Special Agent Chris Tarbell and ex-Anonymous/LulzSec blackhat hacker Hector Monsegur (aka Sabu) once faced off as adversaries in cyberspace before becoming close friends and now podcast co-hosts. They bring their unique perspectives on the latest developments in cybersecurity, offering insights for legal professionals, cybersecurity practitioners, and forensic investigators.

Episodes

Hackers Are Using Fake LinkedIn Jobs to Break Into Companies Jun 18, 2026 3493 Chris and Hector break down a fake LinkedIn recruiting campaign used to deploy malware, AI-generated evidence appearing in criminal investigations, Meta’s internal AI turmoil, and the escalating battle between tech giants fighting for dominance in the global AI race. They explore how AI is reshaping cybersecurity, privacy, and the future of trust online. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episod
Your Smart TV Might Be Part of a Botnet Jun 11, 2026 2690 Chris and Hector break down a shocking discovery involving smart TVs being used as residential proxy nodes, a major Meta AI support failure that enabled widespread Instagram account takeovers, and new AI systems uncovering decades-old software vulnerabilities. They also discuss AI security guardrails, consumer privacy, and the growing risks of convenience-driven technology. Join our Patreon for
A Single Email Took Down a Major Food Supplier Jun 4, 2026 2727 Chris and Hector break down a phishing attack that exposed employee data at a major food supplier, Microsoft's escalating fight with a security researcher publishing zero days, and the eye watering cost of enterprise AI adoption. They also discuss insider trading on prediction markets, the takedown of a massive DDoS botnet, and why basic security failures continue to create outsized consequences.
Texas Just Declared War on WhatsApp May 28, 2026 4321 Chris and Hector break down Texas suing WhatsApp over encryption claims, a law enforcement operation targeting a ransomware linked VPN provider, and a bizarre hack involving FBI Director Kash Patel’s apparel website. They also dive into the nonstop wave of AI driven supply chain attacks, fake OnlyFans breach panic, and how online scams continue turning ordinary people into criminal defendants.
Microsoft Has a Bigger Security Problem Than Anyone Admits May 21, 2026 3199 Chris and Hector break down a major ransomware attack on Foxconn, the growing strain AI data centers are putting on power grids, and new allegations surrounding Microsoft security and cloud infrastructure. They also discuss insider threats, ransomware leaks, BitLocker concerns, and why cybersecurity vendors continue to overwhelm the industry with noise instead of solutions. Join our Patreon for
The Student Hack That Crashed Bitcoin May 14, 2026 2988 Chris and Hector break down a massive cyberattack affecting thousands of schools during finals week, Russia’s reported hacker training pipeline through universities, and the growing wave of developer focused supply chain attacks. They also discuss North Korean laptop farms, SIM swap scams tied to Bitcoin manipulation, and why online privacy continues to disappear. Join our Patreon for weekly bo
AI Deleted the Entire Database in 9 Seconds May 7, 2026 3091 Chris and Hector break down a series of AI and cybersecurity failures, including an autonomous coding agent that deleted an entire production database, a breach exposing voice and biometric data from 40,000 AI contractors, and major GitHub and supply chain vulnerabilities. They also discuss the growing risks of AI decision making, deepfakes, and why basic security failures continue to spiral into
The Crypto Hacks Funding North Korea Apr 30, 2026 2822 Chris and Hector break down a wild mix of cyber stories, including a U.S. soldier charged for betting on a classified military operation, ongoing North Korean crypto theft campaigns, and major security failures across APIs and SaaS platforms. They explore how insider threats, poor security practices, and repeated mistakes continue to drive massive breaches and real world consequences. Join our
Europe Is Quietly Preparing for a Tech War Apr 23, 2026 3073 Chris and Hector break down a week of cybersecurity stories, from Europe’s push to move away from U.S. tech to supply chain attacks, insider threats, and SaaS compromises. They dig into why modern security tools still fail, how attackers exploit trust in third party systems, and why some breaches matter far less than headlines suggest. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The Origin Story Apr 16, 2026 3655 In this episode, Chris and Hector revisit their origin story, from the investigation that led to Sabu’s identity to the night the FBI showed up at his door. They walk through the arrest, the decision to cooperate, and the months spent working side by side to dismantle major hacking operations. It is a firsthand account of how one of the most infamous hackers became an informant and how that unlike
How One Developer Took Down the Supply Chain Apr 9, 2026 2827 Chris and Hector break down a highly effective North Korean supply chain attack that started with a fake Microsoft Teams update and escalated into full developer compromise. They explore how modern attackers combine social engineering, open source manipulation, and long term access to infiltrate software pipelines. The episode also covers GitHub based attacks, compromised routers at scale, and why
What CISOs Actually Worry About Apr 2, 2026 4846 Chris and Hector are joined again by an anonymous CISO for a candid follow up conversation on the realities of modern cybersecurity. They explore why compliance often turns into security theater, how geopolitical conflict is shaping defensive strategy, and what actually keeps security leaders up at night. The discussion cuts through dashboards and certifications to focus on risk, trends, and the u

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