Persist Cyber Defenders
Persist Cyber Defenders tells the true stories behind major cyber breaches, from the initial quiet mistake to the defenders who fought to contain it. Each episode opens with a dramatic incident—like a hospital's screens going dark or a pipeline stopping—and then traces back to the people and decisions that led to the attack. The show is designed for listeners without a technical background, making complex security stories easy to follow. It also serves as a gateway for anyone considering a career in cybersecurity.
Episodes
The Six Days the Fuel Stopped — Colonial Pipeline, 2021
This is the story of how a single forgotten password shut off the fuel to the Eastern Seaboard. And it is the story of the people who followed the money into the dark, and took it back. Panic buying, hours-long gas-station lines, and dry pumps across the U.S. Southeast; airlines rerouted or added fuel stops; emergency declarations in 17 states.
A 75-Cent Error That Uncovered a KGB Spy — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1986
One conscientious system manager's stubborn curiosity, backed by his partner and a handful of allies, exposed a state-sponsored espionage operation that bureaucracies had been slow to take seriously.
The World's First Digital Weapon — Natanz enrichment facility (Iran), 2010
No direct human casualties.
The Ransomware That Stopped the World — NHS (UK) and global, 2017
19,000 NHS appointments cancelled.
The Teenage Phone Call That Broke the Internet — Twitter,, 2020
This is the story of Twitter 2020 Account Hijacking: The Teenage Phone Call That Broke the Internet. It began quietly — the way these stories almost always do. 130 Twitter accounts were compromised, with 45 actually used to post scam tweets.
Remote Control on the Highway — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), 2015
This is the story of The Jeep Cherokee Hack: Remote Control on the Highway. It began quietly — the way these stories almost always do. No injuries or fatalities occurred.
The Most Destructive Cyberattack in History — A.P. Moller-Maersk (and global), 2017
Maersk shipping traffic (20% of global trade) paralyzed for a week, disrupting supply chains worldwide.
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