Easy Prey

Technology is moving faster than our ability to process its impact, forcing us to question trust, motivation, and the value of our time. Few people have had a closer view of those shifts than Esther Dyson. With a background in economics from Harvard, Esther built a career as a journalist, author, commentator, investor, and philanthropist, with a unique ability to spot patterns across industries and challenge assumption...

Cybercrime continues to evolve in sophistication and scale, with attackers running their operations much like businesses. From ransomware gangs with customer support desks to AI-generated phishing campaigns that erase traditional red flags, scams are becoming harder to detect and stop.

In this episode, David Bittner, host of the CyberWire Daily Podcast, shares his perspective on the changing landscape of f...

Cybercriminals are accelerating their attacks in ways that weren’t possible a few years ago. Artificial intelligence is giving them the ability to spin up phishing campaigns, voice clones, and deepfakes in minutes instead of days. As a result, the gap between what’s genuine and what’s fake is closing fast, making it harder for both individuals and organizations to defend themselves.

I’m thrilled to welcome...

Trying to erase yourself from the internet sounds simple until you start counting up old accounts, scattered social media posts, and the hundreds of data brokers quietly collecting and selling your information. The reality is messy, and for most people, the idea of fully disappearing online is more myth than possibility. But there are practical steps you can take to cut down what’s out there and regain some control.

Cyberattacks aren’t just about hackers in hoodies anymore. Today, we’re up against professionalized, well-funded organizations that run like businesses. They use AI to crack defenses, run labs that simulate the tools we rely on, and rake in trillions while defenders struggle to keep pace. The scary part? Even the strongest companies and governments can fall behind when the threat landscape moves this fast.

Scams aren’t what they used to be. These days, AI can write perfect emails, mimic voices, and even fake a video call so well you’d swear you were talking to the real person. The problem is, the timing of a scam can be just right when you’re distracted, busy, or looking for exactly what they’re offering. That’s when even the most careful person can get caught.

My guest, Ritesh Kotak, knows this world inside...

Privacy in the digital age has grown from a background concern into one of the defining issues of our time. What began with simple questions about online safety has expanded into a complex, global conversation about how artificial intelligence, biometric data, and massive data ecosystems are reshaping daily life.

Pam Dixon has been at the center of these discussions for more than two decades. As the founde...

Most of us think of scams as random or isolated or something that just happens to unlucky people. But what if the truth is far more organized, far more disturbing? Behind many of today’s scams is a global web of criminal enterprises, structured like corporations and fueled by technology, data, and billions of stolen dollars.

In this episode, we sit down with Ken Westbrook. Ken spent over three decades in t...

It’s easy to think of fraud prevention as a technical problem with a software solution. But according to Brian Davis, effective fraud defense is just as much about people, trust, and communication as it is about tools and data. With over a decade of experience, Brian has built fraud teams from scratch, shaped company-wide strategy, and helped growing startups shift from reactive to proactive risk management.

Brian is t...

Everyone’s talking about AI these days, especially in cybersecurity. Sure, artificial intelligence can boost your defenses, but cybercriminals have noticed too. Now they're crafting phishing emails so believable it’s scary and finding clever paths around spam filters while zeroing in on vulnerabilities you didn’t even realize were there. 

Today, Aviad Hasnis joins the show. He's the CTO of Cynet Security...

Writers pour their hearts into their work, but unfortunately, that passion can make them prime targets for scams. From fake agents and vanity publishers to slick marketing schemes and social media impersonators, the tactics have only gotten more sophisticated over time. In this episode, we dig into the murky world of publishing scams and how they work and who they target. Along with why even experienced authors can get...

What if your social media success was built on deception, and it was working? In today’s episode, we hear from someone who knows exactly how that happens. Tim O’Hearn is a former software engineer and the author of Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media, a book that pulls back the curtain on how follower factories, automation, and persuasive technologies have shaped the online world we now take for granted. Ti...

What if you could stop a scam in real-time before the damage is done? In this episode, I’m joined by Nick Stapleton, an investigative journalist and the face behind Scam Interceptors, the BAFTA award-winning BBC series that exposes online fraud and steps in to protect victims as scams unfold. 

Nick brings a decade of undercover documentary experience to his current mission: fighting digital deception and e...

What happens when the drive to succeed masks deep emotional wounds and addiction? In this episode, Jonathan Schwartz shares a powerful and painfully honest account of how his life unraveled. 

Once one of Hollywood’s most trusted financial advisors, Jonathan worked with icons like Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Gwyneth Paltrow. On the surface, he had it all. But underneath the success was a secret struggle with...

People used to think fraud was something that happened in the shadows, rare, distant, and mostly affecting big companies. But after talking to PJ Rohall, it’s clear that fraud is evolving fast, and it’s showing up in places most of us don’t even think to look.

In this episode, I sit down with PJ Rohall, Head of Fraud Strategy and Education at SEON and co-founder of About Fraud. PJ’s work is all about stayi...

Sometimes it feels like every new technology we adopt comes with a new risk we didn’t see coming. From AI and data breaches to phishing scams and ransomware, it's clear we live in a time when cybersecurity isn’t just a tech issue, it’s a human issue.

In this episode, I talk with Jeff Reich, Executive Director of the Identity Defined Security Alliance. Jeff has been in the cybersecurity world since the earl...

I used to think of my car as just a tool to get from point A to point B. But after this conversation, I can’t help but see it as something else entirely, a powerful data collection device that knows far more about me than I realized. From where I go and who I text to how I drive and even what’s on my phone, today’s vehicles are gathering a staggering amount of personal information.

In this episode, I talk ...

Some scams are so convincing, they’re almost impossible to spot. With phishing emails that look like they’re from your bank, deep fake videos that mimic real people, and AI-generated messages that feel personal, it’s getting harder to know what’s real and what’s a trap.

In this episode, I sit down with Gabrielle Hempel, a security operations specialist at Exabeam and a current law student at Purdue Univers...

Technology is a double-edged sword. It can empower us, connect us, and solve problems, but it can also be used to exploit, manipulate, and harm. When it comes to protecting children online, that line gets especially thin. Digital forensics, AI-powered image classification, and global law enforcement collaboration are now essential tools for keeping families safe in a world that moves faster than most of us can keep up.