Digital Desperados

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. government website. But things took a turn from our normal hacker story.    As usual, Forb ended up working for...

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 Bear specializes in cyber espionage, targeting entities largely across the US, Canada, and Europe, with...

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 knack for spam email campaigns and the creation of the infamous Kelihos botnet. Despite his mischievo...

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 Russian hacker buddy Gribodemon , they create the SpyEye malware, a formidable rival to the insanely popul...

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 humor into the serious havoc that the SEA has caused. You'll hear details of the SEA's origins and abo...

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 gr a y hat hacker, blurring the lines between morality and mischief.    You'll hear about Lamo's audacious exploits, from exposing security flaws on major networks...

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 became a fugitive from 1992 to 1995, evading capture with false identities and lies . Notably pursued by...

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 in espionage and global disruption.   From Lazarus' humble beginnings as novice hackers trained in China...

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 assault to orchestrating elaborate credit card schemes. Despite facing legal consequences, Iceman's crimina...

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 exploring vulnerabilities, phishing attacks, social engineering, and cross-site scripting. Although a p...

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 NASA, the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Department of Defense in search of evidence of extraterrestr...

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. Our podcast is proudly sponsored by SaferNet VPN, your go-to cybersecurity app for business and family...

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 distributing the Cryptolocker ransomware, resulting in significant financial losses, particularly in the Uni...

It seems that Albert o 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 information, which he continued to do throughout his life of crime. Even though he was caught , arrested, and...

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 and e-commerce websites. As such, the US put out an international warrant for his arrest along with a $...

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 Desperados to tell of Aqua's dark deeds. Aqua and his hacking group "Evil Corps" employ the malwares "Z...