Ransomware may not be on your machines due to your negligence or mistakes. It could be there because of third-party software you are utilizing. Do you know what to do if this happens to you?

Today’s guest is Amitabh Sinha. Amitabh has a PhD in Computer Science and more than 20 years of experience in enterprise software, end-user computing, mobile, and database software. He co-founded Workspot in 2012. He was the General Manager of Enterprise Desktop and Applications at Citrix Systems. In his five years at Citrix, he was the VP of Product Management for XenDesktop and VP of Engineering for the Advanced Solutions Group.

• [1:03] - Amitabh shares his background and current role and contributions at Workspot.
• [4:35] - The first sign of ransomware in an organization is widespread blue screens and Microsoft machines shutting down.
• [5:40] - How does ransomware find its way to a device?
• [6:59] - Ransomware in your organization is not necessarily your fault.
• [10:37] - Amitabh describes how he has helped client organizations back up and running after having been infected with ransomware.
• [13:11] - Typically, it is not recommended to pay the ransomware, but it may be a viable option for some organizations.
• [15:59] - Most small companies are not prepared to prevent or handle ransomware.
• [17:34] - In most large companies, not all PCs are up to date on security patches.
• [20:41] - Cloud storage is much safer and can be accessed on other physical machines in the event that ransomware shuts down an organization.
• [24:41] - For those who work from home, sometimes multiple machines makes things even more complicated.
• [27:35] - What are you willing to pay to not have something happen? That’s how ransomware takes advantage of people.
• [31:20] - For small companies, there is typically an architectural solution, but that isn’t always viable for large organizations.
• [33:14] - Consider the critical functions of your organizations and what a plan could be if computers were not accessible.
• [34:37] - These types of attacks are more and more frequent.
• [36:44] - Amitabh is confident that AI will make preventing ransomware even more challenging.
• [40:38] - Most people have accepted that a lot, if not all, their information has already been leaked on the internet. But businesses are particularly vulnerable.
• [42:30] - A whole organization can be drastically impacted by just one machine being hit by ransomware.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Amitabh Sinha on LinkedIn
• Workspot.com

We all use technology. Things like internet browsers, search engines, instant messaging, and payment apps. But we aren’t always aware of the data being collected. This information can not only impact your privacy, but those around you as well.

Today’s guest is Carey Parker. Carey is the author of Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons, a step-by-step guide to computer security and privacy for non-techies. He also hosts a podcast by the same name. He recently retired from a career in software engineering to focus on teaching others how to defend their digital devices and protect their personal data.

• [0:53] - Carey shares his background and what provoked the motivation for a career shift.
• [4:07] - If we all did the small things that protect privacy, we would all be stronger.
• [5:20] - Even if you have already shared a lot of your information online, it is not hopeless and it’s not too late.
• [6:32] - Your security and privacy overlap with other people’s.
• [8:35] - We need to be protecting privacy for all of us, not just ourselves as individuals.
• [10:17] - Carey explains why and how apps and companies collect data.
• [11:48] - Foreign governments would love to get their hands on the data that is collected by countless companies and apps.
• [13:53] - Data is valuable to software developers for honest reasons. Collecting data isn’t inherently bad.
• [17:16] - When determining what connection to use, you are trading off who you trust - your ISP, the public wifi connection, or a VPN.
• [23:10] - Carey shares some easy things you can change right now to protect your privacy.
• [25:25] - Companies love to get your email address and your phone number. These become unique identifiers.
• [27:05] - Search engines collect data as well. This is important to remember.
• [28:05] - Payment apps are another obvious type of website that collects data. Which ones should you avoid?
• [30:32] - There is value in social media. Make sure the things you post are not public by default.
• [32:19] - Metadata and location tools are used on any social media image.
• [34:37] - Messaging apps collect data and share it. There is a gold standard app though that Carey suggests.
• [36:31] - Email is trickier because it is open standard. It wasn’t designed with encryption in mind.
• [38:55] - Carey discusses automated AI systems like Alexa.
• [41:26] - When using AI tools, assume that the information is collected and could be public.
• [42:35] - Car privacy is horrible and there is almost nothing you can do about it.
• [46:18] - It is not true that you need to give up privacy for security. Carey discusses the differences.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Website
• Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Podcast
• Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons by Carey Parker

Finding a solution to stop spam calls to you, your family, or your business isn’t easy. We may not win this war, but we don’t want the government making this decision for us. We can make it more manageable in the meantime.

Today’s guest is Aaron Foss. After winning the FTC Robocall Challenge in 2013, Aaron started Nomorobo. Since then, Nomorobo has stopped billions and billions of unwanted robocalls and spam texts from reaching our phones, and it was acquired by Applause group in August 2023. Aaron has been featured in The New York Times, Wired, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, and countless other media outlets. He has testified in front of Congress, not once, not twice, but three times.

• [1:14] - Aaron shares his background as a serial entrepreneur in the intersection of technology and business.
• [3:57] - At the beginning, Aaron didn’t even know what a robocall was.
• [6:47] - Robocalls have this negative connotation. They can actually be good. But there are many that are unwanted.
• [8:13] - There are different types of robocalls and there is a differentiation between spam and scam calls.
• [10:08] - Aaron explains why spam emails are easier to block than robocalls.
• [12:20] - There are some robocalls that are necessary and helpful for some people. That is one reason why not all robocalls can be blocked.
• [13:40] - Not answering the phone is not a plausible solution.
• [15:50] - Nomorobo is basically a series of bots talking to other bots.
• [16:50] - Aaron describes caller ID and how spoofing a number is possible.
• [19:42] - This is such a big problem because the barrier of entry is low.
• [21:08] - It is amazing that we can call anyone in the world. But that also means that scammers can, too.
• [22:53] - This is a complicated problem, and the future solution is a combination of government regulation, companies like Nomorobo, and AI.
• [26:29] - We are never going to win the war, but we can keep it manageable.
• [29:45] - What is the role of the carriers when it comes to robocalls?
• [31:47] - Keeping scammers on the phone does not make the problem go away.
• [33:52] - Some scams are seasonal and some are evergreen, like Medicare calls.
• [36:26] - Aaron explains the different ways these scams can be done and the range of damage they can do.
• [39:56] - At best, this is an annoyance. But there are people in our lives that are vulnerable and less protected.
• [44:42] - Sometimes, Nomorobo users have to turn it off for specific reasons and specific calls they’re waiting for.
• [47:56] - This problem is an example of “death by a thousand papercuts.”
• [49:30] - There are some red flags and things you might notice if you answer robocalls that could indicate that they are scams.
• [50:46] - This seems like an easy problem to solve, but it is far more complicated than most people think.
• [52:00] - Aaron describes what it was like to testify in front of Congress.
• [56:43] - Listen and educate yourself. Talk to other people about these things.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Nomorobo Website