First off, happy new year! I haven’t been blogging too much recently, but will attempt to increase the frequency in 2024. I am not calling it a “resolution”, as that word implies commitment. It’s much too heavy a word. It induces mild anxiety! So instead, I’ll simply try to pop up here more often. Does that work?
People are always recommending podcasts to me, as they know I devour them whenever I can. Friends and co-workers often remark that I’m easy to spot in a crowd because I’m always wearing my headphones — whether it’s walking to work, heading for lunch, hiking, on airplanes, you name it. I have my podcast favorites, some I dabble in depending on the episode, and a few others that somehow ended up in my queue but I’ve never listened to. Darknet Diaries was one of those.
Each episode of Darknet Diaries looks at a security-related incident like an online scam, phishing attempt, crypto-crime, or penetration testing, the art of trying to access a building or server without authorization. Companies will often hire hackers and “pen testers” to find weak points in their security, often leading to precarious situations.
Darknet Diaries is hosted by Jack Rhysider, a guy whose previous career in cyber-security enables him to break down issues and make them understandable to the layman (i.e. me). He’s a superb storyteller and comes across as casual and conversational, never talking down to the audience and always making sure they’re following along.
If this sounds good to you, dive in with any episode — I haven’t found a bad or boring one yet. But for an extra treat, I was fascinated by the story of a former criminal named Gollumfun (who is active on X). Those are episodes 128 and 129. As they say, you can find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Let me know what you think.
