Smashing Security podcast #294: The Virgin trains swindler, cyber clowns, and AirTag election debacle

Someone’s election-fiddling is uncovered with an Apple AirTag, a cyber scandal rocks Germany, and a swindler steals a fortune due to trains being delayed.

All this and much more is discussed in the latest edition of the award-winning “Smashing Security” podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by runZero’s Chris Kirsch.

Plus don’t miss our featured interview with Akamai’s Patrick Sullivan talking about how retailers can better thwart bots this holiday season.

Hosts:

Graham Cluley – @gcluley
Carole Theriault – @caroletheriault

Guest:

Chris Kirsch – @chris_kirsch

Episode links:

• The rundown on becoming runZero: What I learned rebranding a company – Chris Kirsch on the runZero blog.
• Tweet by Melissa Shusterman – Twitter.
• Apple AirTag Used To Find Over 100 Stolen Democratic Campaign Signs, Police Say – Forbes.
• Wie eine russische Firma ungestört Deutschland hackt – ZDF Magazin Royale on YouTube.
• German cybersecurity chief investigated over Russia ties – AP News.
• German cybersecurity chief sacked following reports of Russia ties – The Guardian. 
• Fraudster swindled Virgin Trains out of £116,000 in ‘sophisticated’ scam – MSN. 
• Virgin Trains worker, 37, swindled rail firm out of £116,000 in ‘delay and repay’ compensation scam by photoshopping tickets to exploit flaw in system – Daily Mail. 
• Train delays:How to claim if it’s late or cancelled – Money Saving Expert.
• How many trains arrive on time – Gov.uk.
• Employee swindled Virgin Trains out of £116,000 in delay and repay compensation scam – Birmingham Mail. 
• Fat Bear Week 2022.
• ‘Fat Bear Week’ Hit By Voter-Fraud Attempt – Rolling Stone.
• PimEyes – Face search engine.
• The Fear of God: 25 Years of the Exorcist – BBC iPlayer.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

Sponsored by:

• Kolide – the SaaS app that sends employees important, timely, and relevant security recommendations concerning their Mac, Windows, and Linux devices, right inside Slack.
• Bitwarden – Password security you can trust. Bitwarden is an open source password manager trusted by millions of individuals, teams, and organizations worldwide for secure password storage and sharing.
• Akamai – Make the most of Cybersecurity Awareness Month by connecting with Akamai’s experts on how you can achieve unmatched security. Where else can you take advantage of insights from 7 trillion DNS queries per day?

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Thanks:

Theme tune: “Vinyl Memories” by Mikael Manvelyan.
Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

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Graham Cluley •   @gcluley

Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and is the co-host of the popular "Smashing Security" podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.