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Smashing Security

Rockstar got hacked. The data was junk. The secrets it revealed were not

Smashing Security

Graham Cluley

Technology, News, Tech News

4.7579 Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A company that ran anonymous tip lines for 35,000 American schools - handling reports of bullying, weapons, and self-harm - boasted on its website that it had suffered zero security breaches in over 20 years. A hacker called Internet Yiff Machine thought that sounded like a challenge, with predictable results...

Meanwhile, Rockstar Games gets hacked again - and the stolen data turns out to be less embarrassing than the financial secrets it accidentally revealed. GTA Online is still making half a billion dollars a year. Red Dead Redemption is not.

All this and more in episode 464 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity keynote speaker and industry veteran Graham Cluley, joined this week by special guest BBC cybersecurity correspondent Joe Tidy.

Plus! Don't miss our featured interview with Ryan Benson of Meter.


EPISODE LINKS:


SPONSORS:

  • Elastic – AI is transforming security operations, but security is still a data problem. Learn how context-rich data drives faster, more reliable defence.
  • Meter – Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.
  • Vanta – Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!


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THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.



Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

he said selling data he said goes against my principles but principles he said are for the well

0:08.8

fed he needs some grub on the table can we not just give him a burger rather than ten thousand

0:14.9

dollars smell Smashing Security, Episode 464, Rockstar got hacked.

0:30.4

The data was junk.

0:31.8

The secrets it revealed were not, with Graham Clooney and special guest Joe Tidy.

0:37.1

Hello, hello, and welcome to Smashing Security episode 464.

0:40.5

My name's Graham Clueley.

0:42.1

And I'm Joe Tudy.

0:43.4

Well, Joe, great to have you back on again.

0:45.6

I have to say author, of course, of, well, I actually have the book on the shelf behind me here.

0:51.3

Where it is, let me see it, let me see it.

0:52.9

Here it is.

0:53.5

Yeah, thank you very much.

0:55.3

There you are.

0:55.9

Within reach. Lovely to see. I'm a little bit echoed ground. I don't know if you can tell because I'm currently in what can only be described as a corridor, but I hope that's okay. I hope the sound is all right. The corridors of power, I suspect that's where you are. I'd like to say that, but no, it's just a corridor.

1:12.6

Now, for people who don That's where you are. I'd like to say that, but no, it's just a corridor.

1:29.2

Now, for people who don't know, you are the, what is it, what's your official title? Cyber correspondent at the BBC? That's right. Yeah, cyber correspondent. Yeah, actually, when I got the job at the BBC, oh, eight years ago, maybe nine years ago, it was a cyber reporter. And I remember saying to them, that sounds a bit futuristic.

1:31.1

Can you just, can you call me cyber security?

1:28.4

Because that sounds a bit futuristic. Can you just, can you call me cyber security? Because I sound like a robot.

1:32.7

But then over time, I've realized that people know what cyber means. And also I do other things.

1:37.4

I don't just do cybersecurity. I do sort of online safety and gaming and crypto, that kind of thing.

1:44.5

So cyber correspondence kind of covers it all.

...

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