The fall of Troy, and whisky barrel scammers
Smashing Security
Graham Cluley
4.7 • 579 Ratings
🗓️ 2 April 2025
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Renowned cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt falls victim to a phishing attack, resulting in the exposure of thousands of subscriber details, and don't lose your life savings in a whisky scam...
All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.
Plus! Don't miss our featured interview with Alastair Paterson, CEO and co-founder of Harmonic Security, discussing how companies can adopt Generative AI without putting their sensitive data at risk.
Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.
Episode links:
- A Sneaky Phish Just Grabbed my Mailchimp Mailing List - Troy Hunt.
- Thunderbird breach notice.
- Opération Cactus - Le Groupement d’Intérêt Public Action contre la Cybermalveillance.
- Cancer patient lost life savings to whisky barrel scammers - BBC.
- How to spot an investment scam - Saga Money.
- More than £612 million was lost to investment fraud in the UK last year - City of London Police.
- Adolescence - Netflix.
- Behind the scenes of Adolescence - YouTube.
- Thames Water: Inside the Crisis - BBC iPlayer.
- Who let the BBC inside Thames Water? - The New Statesman.
- Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)
Sponsored by:
- Harmonic - Let your teams adopt AI tools safely by protecting sensitive data in real time with minimal effort. Harmonic Security gives you full control and stops leaks so your teams can innovate confidently.
- Vanta – Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
- Acronis Threat Research Unit - Your secret weapon against cyber attacks. Access the reports now.
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
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THANKS:
Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.
Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyTranscript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | They start off by wooing you and then they say, oh, my darling, you know, I have... |
| 0:07.5 | Let me explain how crypto works. |
| 0:09.7 | Exactly. |
| 0:10.9 | Have you heard the term Bitcoin? Smashing Security, Episode 411, The Full of Troy and Whiskey Barrel Scammers, with Carol Terrio and Graham Cluley. |
| 0:32.1 | Hello, hello and welcome to Smashing Security episode 411. |
| 0:35.5 | My name's Graham Cluley. |
| 0:36.8 | And I'm Carol Terrio. And Carol, what's coming up this week? Well, first, let's thank this week's wonderful sponsors, Harmonic, Vanta and Acronis. It's their support that helps us give you this show for free. Now, coming up on today's show, Graham, what do you got? I'm going to be telling you about how anyone, and I do mean anyone, can get fished. |
| 0:58.2 | And I'm talking about an investment scam on the rocks. |
| 1:02.7 | Plus, we have a featured interview with Alistair Patterson, the CEO and co-founder of Harmonic Security, |
| 1:08.2 | a firm which enables companies to adopt generative AI without risking |
| 1:12.6 | sensitive data. All this and much more coming up on this episode of Smashing Security. |
| 1:21.2 | Now, chums, chums, is there anybody who isn't vulnerable to being fished? |
| 1:31.1 | You asking me? Well, yes, you're the only one here. |
| 1:37.1 | Yes, I do. This is a frustrating topic for me because I think everyone is vulnerable enough to be fished because I was fished, right? I've been fished. And I often find people are very, |
| 1:43.0 | feel that they won't be fished. You know, it's impossible for them to fall for such a ruse. And I'm always like, oh, really? And maybe, maybe if you have that attitude of thinking, well, I couldn't possibly happen to me, maybe that actually makes it more likely it will happen to you. If you have that kind of arrogance or think that you're somehow impervious to it. |
| 2:01.2 | I agree with you. I think even the most security savvy folks can fall foul of a fish. |
| 2:07.1 | And that has happened in the last week because well-known Australian cyber security pundit and creator of Have I Been Poned, Troy Hunt has become the victim of a fishing attack. Oh, no way, really. |
| 2:20.4 | Ouch. In recent days, it's occurred. And it hasn't just been embarrassing to him, but it's also |
| 2:25.8 | leaked the details of some 16,000 subscribers to his newsletter mailing list. Nightmare. |
| 2:33.3 | Yep. Now, Troy normally hangs out with his jet ski on the |
| 2:36.6 | Gold Coast of Australia, but he's recently traveled halfway around the world to the UK. I know he's |
| 2:42.2 | spent a day with the experts of the UK's NCSC, National Computer Security Center, discussing |
... |
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