PODCAST · technology
Digital Desperados
by Jim Brangenberg
Welcome to the Digital Desperados Podcast featuring Dark Tales from the Web with Patrick McMurphy. Patrick brings his Irish story telling origins into the limelight as he highlights the Dark Tales of Digital Desperados from around the globe. Cyber Criminal masterminds who are world renowned. Listen in and be prepared to be amazed and intrigued. This podcast is Brought to you by SaferNet VPN.
Episodes
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Episode #41 – Revisit of Episode #15 – Beware the Cozy Bear!
The Digital Desperados Podcast explores infamous cybercriminals and attacks with host Jim Brangenberg, story guide Patrick McMurphy, and SaferNet CEO Brad Hawkins. In this episode, we revisit as they delve into the activities of Cozy Bear, a sophisticated state-sponsored hacking group linked to...
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Episode #40 – Billionaire, Investor, Disruptor: Peter Thiel
Billionaire investor Peter Thiel has been many things—PayPal co-founder, Silicon Valley kingmaker, libertarian mastermind, and more. In this episode, the Digital Desperados gang unravel the tangled web of Thiel's career, from his early days in PayPal's "Mafia" to his eyebrow-raising ventures in...
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Content Details: Episode #39 – Ctrl + Alt + Caught: w0rmer's Story
In this episode of Digital Desperados, dive into the cautionary tale of hacker-turned-ethical-hacker, Higinio Ochoa, aka w0rmer. What starts as harmless curiosity quickly escalates into full-blown cyber activism with CabinCr3w, an offshoot of Anonymous. Their mission? To expose police misconduct...
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Episode #38 – Gary Alford Takes Down "The Dread Pirate Roberts"
In this episode of Digital Desperados, hosts Jim Brangenberg and Patrick McMurphy dive into the heroic story of Gary Alford, the IRS investigator who cracked the infamous Silk Road case (see episode 20). Unlike the usual criminals featured on the show, Alford was the determined underdog who...
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Episode #37 – Antivirus to Anarchy: The John McAfee Story
In this fascinating episode of Digital Desperados, Patrick McMurphy takes us deep into the wild and chaotic life of John McAfee, the tech genius turned fugitive. Best known for creating McAfee Antivirus, John's story is anything but ordinary. From his early days as a brilliant mathematician and...
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Episode #36 – Explore the Hacking "Business" with DarkSide
In this episode of Digital Desperados, host Jim Brangenberg is joined by Patrick McMurphy and SaferNet CEO Brad Hawkins to uncover the chilling world of DarkSide, one of the most notorious ransomware groups. DarkSide operates like a corporate enterprise, offering Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) to...
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Episode #35 – Why You Should Always Update Your Devices: The Story of Udi
In this episode of Digital Desperados, the spotlight is on Ehud "Udi" Tenenbaum, a hacker whose story of genius and cybercrime shook the digital world. Udi's tale begins in the late 1990s when his knack for uncovering software vulnerabilities earned him the nickname "The Analyzer." Targeting...
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Episode #34 – Elizabeth Holmes: Blood, Lies, and A Prison Sentence
Welcome to Digital Desperados, where we explore the dark tales of the web! In this episode, Jim Brangenberg and Patrick McMurphy take a deep dive into the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the ambitious founder of Theranos. Joined by Brad Hawkins, CEO of SaferNet, they uncover how Holmes' dream…
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Episode #33 – Kevin Poulsen: The OG Digital Desperado
In this episode of Digital Desperados, Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins (founder of SaferNet) take us on a wild ride through the life of Kevin Poulsen, aka "Dark Dante." From humble beginnings in Pasadena, California, to becoming a fugitive hacker legend, Kevin's story is one...
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Episode #32 – Iranian Hacking Group: the Not So "Charming Kitten"
This week, Jim Brangenberg is joined by cybersecurity expert Patrick McMurphy and SaferNet CEO Brad Hawkins to unravel the dark web world of APT42—better known as Charming Kitten. Spoiler alert: it's not actually charming. This Iranian state-sponsored hacking group is a master of digital…
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Episode #31 – Samy Kamkar: A Hacker's Quick Pivot to CyberSecurity
This week, Digital Desperados takes a lighthearted stroll through the story of Samy Kamkar, a hacker who quickly found out that hacking isn't a game. Remember MySpace? (Yes, it's the "classic rock" of social media.) Back in 2005, teenage Samy created the "Samy Worm," a harmless-yet-viral hack…
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Episode #30 – The Cyber Redemption of Hieu PC
Uncover the riveting story of Hieu Minh Ngo—aka "Hieu PC"—a notorious hacker who (thankfully) turned his life around to fight cybercrime. Hieu's story begins in Vietnam, where he got his first computer at 13 and quickly found the world of hacking. His skills evolved as he exploited…
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Episode #29 – The Rise and Fall of a Cyber Jihadist
Junaid Hussain, a quiet British teen with a knack for computers, morphed into a dangerous cyber jihadist. Initially drawn to hacking as a teenager, he joined groups like Team Poison, targeting perceived enemies of Islam. His skills grew, and he hacked high-profile individuals like Mark Zuckerberg...
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Episode #28 – Online Security, More Crucial Than Ever
In this episode of Digital Desperados, you'll learn the story of Mustafa Al-Bassam, a teenage hacker who took on the CIA and lived to tell the tale. Co-hosts Patrick, Brad, and Jim dive into Mustafa's journey from mischievous school hacker at the ripe age of 9 years old to a member of Anonymous…
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Episode #27 – The Rise and Fall of REvil
In this gripping episode of Digital Desperados, Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins (CEO of SaferNet) dive into the shadowy world of REvil, one of the most notorious ransomware groups in history. You'll walk through how REvil, born from the remnants of the GrandCrab group,...
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Episode #26 – The Accidental Hero, Marcus Hutchins
In this episode of Digital Desperados, Patrick McMurphy dives into the incredible true story of Marcus Hutchins, founder of the MalwareTech Blog. Born in a quiet English village, Marcus's passion for computers grew from a young age, leading him down a dark path of hacking and malware development....
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Episode #25 – Pavel Durov: Russia's Digital Rebel
In this episode of Digital Desperados, Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins explore the fascinating story of Pavel Durov, known as the "Mark Zuckerberg of Russia." Durov created VK, Russia's largest social media platform, while still a university student. His success, however, came...
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Episode #24 – Don't Give Drinkman Your Credit Card Information
Explore the story of Vladimir Drinkman, a notorious Russian hacker. This digital desperado gained expertise in SQL injections and formed a hacking crew that executed long-term cyber-attacks, including the massive breaches of TJX Companies and Heartland Payment Systems. Drinkman and his team...
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Episode #23 – The Julian Assange Story, Part 2
Welcome back to Part 2 in the Julian Assange story! This episode gets into the nitty gritty, discussing key WikiLeaks leaks, ranging from the Peruvian oil scandal to hundreds of thousands of classified war logs that the public was never meant to see. Not to mention the huge impact WikiLeaks had…
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Episode #22 – The Julian Assange Story, Part 1
In this episode of Digital Desperados, Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins (CEO of SaferNet VPN) begin to explore the fascinating and controversial life of Julian Assange. We look at the early life events that led Julian to become a self-taught computer whiz. As usual, he quickly...
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Episode #21 – How Some Teens Created a Cyber Atomic Bomb
Imagine an attack that takes down the internet! Three teenagers in the US created Mirai to try to get established in the cybersecurity world, but it turned into a monster. Their tool infected millions of internet devices like cameras and routers, turning them into an army. This "botnet" launched...
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Episode #20 – The Silk Road... to Trouble
Today on the Digital Desperados Podcast, the gang dive into the story of Ross Ulbricht, better known on the dark web as the Dread Pirate Roberts. Born in Austin, Texas, Ulbricht was a bright student and even an Eagle Scout who became obsessed with libertarianism during his college years. This...
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Episode #19 – Preventing the Next Roman Seleznev
This Digital Desperados episode explores Roman Seleznev, a hacker who amassed a fortune through stolen credit cards. Born in 1984, Roman's life took a dark turn after his parents divorced when he was young. Tragedy struck again at 17 with his mother's death, followed by his uncle seizing their...
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Episode #18 – Guccifer: Hacking Made Easy
This week's Digital Desperados serves up a side of "accidental hacking" with Guccifer, the hacker who makes social media security questions look like a joke. This guy used Google and a thirst for fame to waltz into the accounts of the rich, famous, and powerful like they were unlocked doors.…
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Episode #17 – Nasty Nastra, the King of Fraud
This episode of Digital Desperados exposes Alexander Zhukov, aka "Nastra," the King of Fraud. Nastra wasn't your average hacker. He started young, hustling on the streets before moving on to online scams. In the 2010s, he created MethBot, a program generating fake website visits to inflate ad...
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Episode #16 – The Treasonous Story of Forb
Dmitry Dukachaev, aka Forb, lived a life stranger than fiction. Starting as a Robin Hood hacker providing free internet, he soon dove into the dark world of cybercrime. Forb's skills made him a sought-after hacker-for-hire, stealing financial data and supposedly even infiltrating a U.S.…
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Episode #15 – Beware the Cozy Bear!
The Digital Desperados Podcast explores infamous cybercriminals and attacks with host Jim Brangenberg, story guide Patrick McMurphy, and SaferNet CEO Brad Hawkins. In this episode, they delve into the activities of Cozy Bear, a sophisticated state-sponsored hacking group linked to Russia. Cozy…
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Episode #14 – Spam Lord: Genius, Elusivity, and Mystery
In episode 14 of the Digital Desperados podcast, hosts Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins embark on a wild ride into the world of cybercrime with the intriguing tale of Pytor Levashov, aka the Spam Lord. Levashov, hailing from Russia, made waves in the cyber underworld with his...
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Episode #13 – I Spy with My Little Eye... SpyEye and the Smiling Hacker
Welcome to the Digital Desperados podcast, sponsored by SaferNet VPN. In this episode, we delve into the dark tale of Hamza Bendelladj, also known as BX1, the Smiling Hacker. The story unfolds as Hamza, a linguistic genius from Algeria, quickly becomes a notorious hacker. Collaborating with…
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Episode #12 – SEA: The Power of State-Sponsored Hacking
In a whirlwind cybersecurity adventure, hosts Jim Brangenberg, Patrick McMurphy, and Brad Hawkins of SaferNet VPN unravel the intriguing history of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), a state-sponsored hacking group specializing in propaganda and chaos. Sponsored by SaferNet.com, the trio inject...
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Episode #11 – The Gray Legacy of Adrian Lamo
In the riveting 11th episode of the Digital Desperadoes podcast, the gang dive deep into the captivating and tumultuous tale of Adrian Lamo, famously known as the Homeless Hacker. Lamo's journey unfolds from a tech-savvy enthusiast to a gray hat hacker, blurring the lines between morality and...
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Episode #10 – Condor: The Legendary Fugitive
This Digital Desperados episode introduces Kevin Mitnick, known as The Condor, a legendary figure in the hacking world. Mitnick displayed social engineering skills from a very early age, initiating his hacking journey at 16. After unauthorized access to the Arc and subsequent legal troubles, he...
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Episode #9 – A Global War: State-Sponsored Hacking
In this lively episode of the Digital Desperados Podcast, hosts Jim Brangenberg and Patrick McMurphy, accompanied by SaferNet VPN's Brad Hawkins, unravel the thrilling world of state-sponsored hacking. The spotlight is on the infamous Lazarus Group, North Korea's cyber mischief-makers, engaging…
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Episode #8 – Iceman's Cyber Freeze
This newest episode of the Digital Desperados Podcast recounts the chilling story of Max Butler, aka the Iceman, known for his cool demeanor and freezing victims' assets through credit card fraud. Butler's journey from teenage mischief to a hacking career unfolds as he evolves from theft and...
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Episode #7 – Sabu: Hacktivist, Informant, Cybersecurity Advocate
This episode's featured dark tale revolves around Hector Xavier Monsegur, also known as Sabu, a prominent figure in hacking and hacktivism. Born in 1983 in Puerto Rico, Sabu's challenging upbringing led him to explore hacking from a young age. The story follows Sabu's hacking techniques, such as...
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Episode #6 – Solo's UFO Odyssey: The NASA Hack Chronicles
Welcome to the Digital Desperados Podcast, where we embark on an enthralling journey into the life of Gary McKinnon, also known as Solo, the NASA Hacker. Gary's story is nothing short of extraordinary - driven by his obsession with UFOs, he dared to breach the formidable digital fortresses of…
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Episode #5 – Mafia Boy: A Hacker Prodigy's Redemption Story
In this episode of the Digital Desperados Podcast, we explore the riveting tale of Mafia Boy, a child prodigy turned hacker extraordinaire. His early experiments with AOL trials led to a life in the shadows, culminating in a colossal DDoS attack that caused a jaw-dropping $1.7 billion in damages....
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Episode #4 – Game Over Zeus: Slavik's Cybercrime Dark Tale
In this podcast, you'll hear the dark tale of Evgeny Mikhailovich Bogachev, also known as Slavik, a prolific Russian cybercriminal. Slavik's cybercrime journey began around 2010 when he created the Game Over Zeus (GOZ) botnet, a vast network of compromised computers. GOZ was responsible for...
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Episode #3 – The Thrill of Cybercrime: Alberto Gonzalez's Digital Desperado Story
It seems that Alberto Gonzalez has always been a thrill seeker. From hacking into NASA at just 14 years old to eventually working as a government spy, Gonzalez seemed to have a love for getting into trouble. From his early hacking days, he began collecting, using, and selling credit card...
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Episode #2 – Alexsey Belan Could Be Selling Your Information
This episode highlights the story and crimes of Alexsey Belan, a Latvian hacker best known for Yahoo data breaches and for stealing the information (login, credit card, etc.) of millions. All at about only 19 years old! This highly evasive young man was also well-known for hacking into Wordpress...
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Episode #1 – The Life & Criminal Activity of Maksim Yakubets (AKA Aqua)
This premier episode of the Digital Desperados Podcasts introduces a desperado indeed. Maksim Yakubets, known primarily as "Aqua" is a Ukranian-Russian hacker who has stolen and aided in stealing hundreds of millions of dollars. Patrick McMurphy, who's spent years studying hackers, joins Digital...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to the Digital Desperados Podcast featuring Dark Tales from the Web with Patrick McMurphy. Patrick brings his Irish story telling origins into the limelight as he highlights the Dark Tales of Digital Desperados from around the globe. Cyber Criminal masterminds who are world renowned. Listen in and be prepared to be amazed and intrigued. This podcast is Brought to you by SaferNet VPN.
HOSTED BY
Jim Brangenberg
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Digital Desperados have?
Digital Desperados currently has 41 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Digital Desperados about?
Welcome to the Digital Desperados Podcast featuring Dark Tales from the Web with Patrick McMurphy. Patrick brings his Irish story telling origins into the limelight as he highlights the Dark Tales of Digital Desperados from around the globe. Cyber Criminal masterminds who are world renowned. Listen...
How often does Digital Desperados release new episodes?
Digital Desperados has 41 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Digital Desperados?
You can listen to Digital Desperados on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Digital Desperados?
Digital Desperados is created and hosted by Jim Brangenberg.
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