Welcome back CyberDudes! This week, we’re tackling some of the biggest cybersecurity myths that just won’t die. In the second half of the episode, we’re breaking down the bad advice, outdated assumptions, and straight-up nonsense that still circulates in security conversations.
But first, we’re covering a few major stories: cyber war games at SchmooCon simulated how Taiwan might defend itself against a full-scale Chinese cyberattack, Trump fired the Cyber Safety Review Board investigating Salt Typhoon’s telecom hacks, and Change Healthcare’s ransomware breach now affects a staggering 190 million Americans.
For our deeper dives, Omar walks us through Subaru’s massive security failure, where a researcher found their car tracking system exposed years of location data with barely any protection. We discuss why car manufacturers keep hoarding sensitive data while failing miserably at securing it.
We also break down the ongoing chaos at CISA, where a purge of leadership and active investigations is raising serious concerns. With critical infrastructure still compromised by Chinese hackers, dismantling the agency’s ability to respond feels less like policy and more like sabotage.
Join us for all this and more—including our biggest cybersecurity pet peeves—on CyberDudes!
This week's articles:
https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/war-game-pits-china-against-taiwan-cyberwar
https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/trump-fires-cyber-safety-board-salt-typhoon-hackers
https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/24/unitedhealth-confirms-190-million-americans-affected-by-change-healthcare-data-breach/?guccounter=2
https://www.wired.com/story/subaru-location-tracking-vulnerabilities/
https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-jen-easterly-cisa-cybersecurity/
Offers:
Get up to 175k Amex Points with a Platinum Card - https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/platinum-card?ref=ROBINTN6e3&XL=MIMNS
Get a $250 bonus when you spend $3k with an Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card - https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/blue-cash-preferred-credit-card?ref=ROBINT3nvs&XL=MIMNS
Get a $100 bonus with Discover - https://refer.discover.com/s/robin.t925?advocate.partner_share_id=4724472810
Get a $200 cash bonus with a CapitalOne Quicksilver Card - https://i.capitalone.com/Gg3TIobsQ
Get $20 free Bitcoin when you sign up to Coinbase - https://coinbase.com/join/Z5UAY8C?src=ios-link
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.