Marc Goodman, FBI Futurist, on High-Tech Crime and How to Protect Yourself (#48)

The Tim Ferriss Show with Marc Goodman

“The fact of the matter is, back in 2008, terrorists were using search engines, like Google, to determine who shall live and who shall die. I know it’s a black swan event, but when you’re sharing on Facebook, it’s not just the media and marketing companies that you need to be concerned about. When you share openly, everybody has access to it.” (Tweet It)

– Marc Goodman

[Quick announcement: The Tim Ferriss Show is officially one of iTunes’ “Best of 2014“! Would you or your company like to sponsor the show? Click here for more details.]

Marc Goodman has been a Resident Futurist for the FBI and a senior adviser to Interpol.  He is also author of the much anticipated Future Crimes.

In this episode, we’ll go deep into the digital underground to expose the alarming ways criminals, corporations, and even countries are using emerging technologies against you…and some simple steps you can take to decrease your vulnerability.

Ep 48: Marc Goodman, FBI Futurist, on High-Tech Crime and How to Protect Yourself

To start, 3-D printers can produce AK-47s, bio-terrorists can download the recipe for Spanish flu, and cartels are using fleets of drones to ferry drugs across borders (all of which we touch on), but what else is waiting for you? What else is potentially targeting you right now?

If you want to hear about current and future threats, and simple defensive steps you can take, this interview is for you.

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

This episode is also brought to you by ExOfficio, which I’ve personally used since 2005 or so. They make ultra-lightweight, quick drying, antimicrobial clothing for men and women. Here’s my own ultra-light packing list (scroll down for video), which went viral.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: Have you ever been hacked or cyber-attacked? What practices are you using to mitigate the threat in the future? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. It keeps me going…

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Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes

  • Rapid fire questions [7:45]
  • Marc Goodman’s daily rituals [11:55]
  • Surprising examples of Internet-based crime [13:25]
  • Personalized biological weapons, genetic sequencing, etc. [16:25]
  • 23andMe best practices: paranoia vs. preparedness [22:10]
  • Examining the urban myth (or not?) of personalized biological weapons [26:10]
  • Debunking the myth that terrorists and criminals are simply uneducated [28:10]
  • “Public safety is too important to leave to the professionals.” [35:55]
  • Do you think having iodine tablets and gas masks at home is overkill? [44:05]
  • Kidnapping in the modern world [45:40]
  • The story of Andy Grove and data infiltration in China [50:10]
  • Spear-phishing e-mails and how billions can be lost [52:50]
  • How to Armageddon-proof yourself [54:55]
  • The digital underground and how to access it [57:00]
  • The illicit drug industry and how disruptive technology is a threat to it [1:00:00]
  • On “Narco” R&D budgets, drones, submarines and shock and awe  [1:06:55]
  • Potential threats of artificial intelligence (AI) [1:12:25]
  • The scalable paradigm shift in modern crime [1:15:15]
  • A handful of simple steps to decrease the odds of successful attacks [1:18:55]
  • Low-hanging fruit in terms of security [1:25:25]
  • On cyber crime cottage industries [1:27:40]
  • Why there is a Post-It note on every camera of Marc Goodman’s devices [1:29:05]
  • How the Crowne Casino in Melbourne was hacked for $33 million [1:33:05]

People and Concepts Mentioned (Partial List)

The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.

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Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
9 years ago

Welcome to the party! Look forward to your thoughts…

How do I pass my classes, yo?
How do I pass my classes, yo?
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

Do not fear.

swalebird
swalebird
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

Tim – I am a fan of yours. I broke away from the ‘cast to say this. I empathize (cringe) when you use far more words than I believe you might agree to mount your next question. Rec, Have someone you trust and appreciate transcribe your text only and apply your obvious editing skills. My view. Try to achieve a) Concise one sentence queries b) Guest gets 85% of air time AFTER the intro and you get 15% excluding sponsor credits. Marc is a big fan. Let him dominate. sQs Delray Beach FL aka Village By The Sea. PS Thanks for asking.

mitchellbgoss
mitchellbgoss
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

Tim- I am not active in the social media expect for LinkedIn. I use it for professional benefits and I am not in a priority business but after listening to this podcast I am a bit concerned about my digital footprint. Any suggestions on what i can go to minimize my exposure but still get the benefits some social media provides.

smartsartner
smartsartner
8 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

You rock bro. Please do a meet up night in Tokyo when you’re out again.

Andy
Andy
9 years ago

My camera is staring at me right now…

Remi
Remi
9 years ago

Just a technical heads up Tim, I haven’t been able to clip any of your pages to Evernote (I believe since the redesign). I also emailed Evernote about this.

Thanks for the awesome shows and guests, the interviews have been really inspiring!

Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
9 years ago
Reply to  Remi

Very interesting. Thank you for the feedback. I’ll check on it now!

Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

Remi, here’s the response from the Evernote team. Will be fixed shortly!

“The team identified the cause of the issue and will have it fixed in next week’s service update, which will happen on the evening of 12/18.”

Thanks again for the heads up!

Tim

Joel Alain
Joel Alain
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

since we’re on that trail, Evernot Food has not been working on iPhone 6 +new IOS since september 🙁 i use that data as a quantified-self project so it’s starting to freak me out that i still can’t sync any data to my evernote online / computer app… Can you use your magical power again? There’s a lot of comments on the app rating + online forums about this. Thanks =)

Rachel
Rachel
9 years ago

This stuff has elements of truth and elements of fiction. The reality remains, the single most organised, well funded, most ruthless and powerful terrorist organisation in the world is the US government. They will do whatever it takes to further their own interests including killing their own citizens and blaming it on another regime. So, when people start talking about ‘the big bad terrorists out there’ its worth considering whos actually broadcasting that information. Not to mention that they feel entitled to spy and own everyones private personal information – which makes them the same predators discussed in this chat, non?

However, The Guardian Project and ‘Reset The Net’ have a list of free softwares for all devices and operating systems to totally get you off the grid of passive surveillance – whether it be offical state or rogue state observation. This includes TOR and many other great ad ons.

I would included ‘Self Destructing Cookies’ ad-on to prevent any tracking, Ad Blocker Plus to destroy all ads, and browse LifeHacker for articles about security approaches – excellent articles.

There’s Tails – a self contained operating system on a bootup DVD or USB

that, used with Tor, grants you truly anonymous browsing

The Black Phone made by the guy who invented PGP, is across the board

an encrypted, spy proof hack proof phone . It’s just a bit expensive to maintain a subscription to the encrypted services.

Final point – don’t confuse Privacy with Anonymity. They are two distinct

thing. AND – Privacy is a right! It is not to be explained away with

‘if you’re not doing anything wrong you have nothing to hide.’ Thats straight out of 1984. Privacy is a RIGHT

AC
AC
9 years ago

My jaw was dropped literally this entire episode…Also have a few guest recommendations: Atul Gawande, Bill James and Nate Silver.

Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
9 years ago
Reply to  AC

All great guest suggestions. Thanks!

Jeremiah Onwubuya
Jeremiah Onwubuya
9 years ago

Hey Tim, just a suggestion for your next podcast, if you could interview an artist and have him or her talk about the 80/20 that applies to art, their daily routines, and their climb in the art world etc, that would be greatly appreciated

As always great podcast and hopefully you can keep them coming

Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
9 years ago

Thanks for the comment, Jeremiah. A visual artist, you mean? Any particular type? Any particular people on your wish list?

Jeremiah Onwubuya
Jeremiah Onwubuya
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

I should probably have been more clear, but yes I meant a visual artist specifically someone who is into painting and/or drawing. I don’t have a particular artist in mind but I think anyone you can find would definitely be helpful.

Ian Robinson
Ian Robinson
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

Matt Inman would be a fantastic guest: http://theoatmeal.com/pages/about

jayalders
jayalders
8 years ago
Reply to  Tim Ferriss

I saw the comment about visual artist interviews, I’d be honored to contribute and am an internationally published and exhibited fine artist. I’ve landed international magazine covers, been on live TV, featured on ESPN, Xgames, painted album art and book covers and live painted on stage with rock stars. I also have other bus

JP
JP
9 years ago

Wow, perfect timing hearing this podcast. I work at Sony Pictures where we are all getting a major dose of cybercrime reality right now. This stuff is no joke. Would love to hear more about state sponsored attacks, particularly N. Korea.

Joe J.
Joe J.
9 years ago

Great article subject that hits home for me. I realized (the hard way) to NOT use public wifi internet without an encrypted connection. Here I was at a coffee shop checking my email and some other sites.. And the next day I do my usual routine, except I cannot login to my email etc. I got hacked.

Turns out what happened was there was some hacker listening in (sniffing packets) and lifting passwords from everyone he could I assume. Since then I found out the safest way to use public wifi is with a VPN (I use https://ironsocket.com now). There is a lot of easy to use software out there made for the purpose of wifi hacking, but with an encrypted VPN they cannot do a thing.

Just my little bit to share on the subject =)

Joel Alain
Joel Alain
9 years ago
Reply to  Joe J.

Thanks for that, i’ve taken note 🙂

shawn
shawn
9 years ago

Typical FBI promoting software that they control or have access to…. (aka blackshades)

shawn
shawn
9 years ago
Reply to  shawn

The sophistication of hacking does not lie in controlling webcams or any other part of a computer remotely, as that is done using push button software 90% of the time… The sophistication of hacking mainly lies in the exploitation of vulnerable code. Impressing the uninformed by saying how easily it is to hack webcams, for example, is pathetic.

blk
blk
9 years ago
Reply to  shawn

A webcam example is cliche at best, but it was a well rounded interview, generally bringing to light how the people listening can be wary of this stuff. Was there something you were trying to add to the conversation?

Chris
Chris
9 years ago
Reply to  shawn

You’re looking through a negativity perspective. I see this as increasing the awareness of cybercrime. 99% of the people need to know and dont need the nitty gritty of vulnerability scanning and exploitation…

Tim, this episode provide unimaginable value to each and everyone of the listeners. Thank you!

Tiam
Tiam
9 years ago

Hi Tim, just wanted to tell you i love the show. Only one thing is driving me crazy: your inconsistent naming of the mp3 files

smalltownsoapopera
smalltownsoapopera
9 years ago

I work for a small-town business and we get hacked routinely. One of the perps almost certainly is at the local ISP/phone monopoly office, and his sidekick owns an electronics store. These jerks bypass VPNs and probably are stealing from several businesses. We do no business online except the required state taxes, and I use only prepaid cards for online purchasing.

The problem is compounded by the owner’s refusal to learn anything about computers except how to play games, use Facebook, and cruise porn.

allentucker
allentucker
9 years ago

The most important thing people can do is to use common sense and to take responsibility for their own security. Most hacking still relies on nontechnical attacks, social engineering, etc. because no matter how secure a system is, I can call the old lady at the front desk and talk her out of her password.

[Moderator: Link removed]

rubthemtogether
rubthemtogether
9 years ago

Pretty random guest, great stuff

Saurabh
Saurabh
9 years ago

Tim thank you very much. Loved the interview, it was very helpful. I never had an idea that we are so vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Can you interview Vivek Wadhwa of Singularity University? He gave a really nice talk on IOT and future of technology in my company,I think your interview will give us a great opportunity to learn from Vivek.

kingscott00
kingscott00
9 years ago

Great episode! I highly recommend the fiction trilogy by Mark Russinovich starting with “Zero Day”. One of my favorite fiction books. Mark is one of the most knowledgeable cyber security experts in the world so this book is realistic and scary. He writes the kind of books that end up coming true within a few years because he understands where we our future is headed.

Alexander
Alexander
9 years ago

Started to use a simple password generator for every website I use. 20 characters, 0-9 A-z and special characters if allowed. These passwords are stored in an aggregator and filled automatically. Having an ‘offline’ backup of everything that should not be stolen.

Bas Hamer
Bas Hamer
9 years ago

The thing that is glossed over is who is liable for hacking; in general the company that is being hacked does not have liability issues. Sure there is some backlash, and your company might even die but the people that decide not to put any effort into security are not liable.

So from the perspective of a rational profit maximizing Company. If you expect that the chance of getting hacked is 0.1% over the next 2 years and your company is worth 100 million USD then your budget for security is only 100,000 USD over 2 years, or about 3 months of time of one developer with support. And that is assuming that your company is reduced to being worth 0 USD after the event.

So although you can do a lot for personal security, don’t be surprised if that data is then stored in a company unencrypted and accessible by a lot of people who have no business accessing that data. So really obfuscation is your best bet, but obfuscation also means isolation from the social aspects of applications.

Kalle Anka
Kalle Anka
9 years ago

Very inspiring as always. Here are some things that popped into my mind:

Nigerian princes: I recently read Think like a Freak, where they talk about why the Nigerian scammers go out of their way to point out they’re from Nigeria. Why do they wave the red flag so intensely? 🙂

Check out the recent documentary “The Culture High” regarding the social costs of the drug on war.

One of my favorite guests on the London Real podcast (you’ve been on it, Tim) is called Vinay Gupta and he’s really far out when it comes to thinking about disaster relief and preparedness. Would love to hear you two have a conversation

Producer Craig (@ProducerCraig33)
Producer Craig (@ProducerCraig33)
9 years ago

Your next book should be “Four Hour Prepper”.

Self Reliance is a gateway thought crime towards a better world.

Madeline
Madeline
9 years ago

Great episode and great questions! I like the rapid fire questions at the end though like you usually do because I care more about the guest’s answers after I’ve gotten to know the guest.

Joel Alain
Joel Alain
9 years ago

My already too-fertile brain didnt need those things to be confirmed, but I’ll remember that Mexico thing with the cardboard. I guess everyone should have a “real name” and a “travel name”, but will an image analysis-app ruin that and find your real name and info despite precautions? For rich people, one thing for sure is that i’d avoid taking picture of themselves beside Lamborghinis and the likes, since a quick facial recognition + brand recognition could link your face to cash and put you on a “special list” when travelling. That could also spell problem if you’re an average revenue person and just like to take pretend-its-your-own-fun pictures of you beside an expensive car, etc.

I’d be very curious to hang around a few rich people like Tim, or Richard Branson and ask them questions about what they really do about safety. Those are the kind of thing they never answer publicly (probably rightfully so) but could be very interesting to know. In fact, i was surprised that Tim said he would have another name + delivery address for critical stuff like the genome, etc. Nice to know i’m not that extreme when it comes to safety.

The only thing that keep me from going into a spiraling downward trends of paranoia is that 1- the world is getting better even if the news seems to point otherwise, 2- almost all types of crimes are going down year to year, 3- i am a pretty cautious person in advance, so that helps (aka i pick and choose what picture of me ends up on the internet)

Thanks Tim for that awesome podcast, i’ll surely buy his book

Joel

Cal Bachand
Cal Bachand
9 years ago

Def one of the best podcasts yet! Looking forward to part II. Will be getting his book for sure.

Lisa
Lisa
9 years ago

Tim Tim. I am torn. I understand why you have placed this topic on your show. It has valuable information, it is a real threat that we should be aware of….. But in the midst of protests , ebola, terrorists, and overall unrest, I feel the need for positivity as we approach 2015 . My heart is heavy as I look toward the future. Know I have been inspired by you, and still support your vision. I just ask… how do we live a quality life in this fucked up world? Those are the gems from you that I want.

Tatyana
Tatyana
9 years ago
Reply to  Lisa

just stop reading news 🙂 it really helps.

Felipe
Felipe
9 years ago

I’ve listened to every episode so far.

Amazing, brought me a lot of unexpected gifts like the Hardcore History podcast (which I listen to regularly now) and to read books such as “Creativity, Inc” (from Ed Catmul – episode 22), “The Art of Learnign” (Josh Waiztkin – episode 2, and also in Tim’s book club), “Spartan Up!” (Joe de sena – episode 16) and much more. I would never have had the change to hear about those works. Since I live in Brazil, I don’t even have the chance to stumble upon any of those in a book store (most don’t have been translated yet). You allow me to expand my knowledge horizon. I could randomly look for areas I don’t know, but those are sure shots. They’ve passed the Tim Ferris barrier, which is more than enough to me.

Bottom line is: Thank you Tim!! For your good work, and for being a door to more and more good stuff. Your job both as a creator of content and of connector or salesman on what you believe has helped many people, certainly me.

If I could suggest a few guests: Malcom Gladwell, Leonard Mlodinow and Sir Ken Robinson.

Malcom and Leonard are both excellent authors with a particularity of starting with something rather small and ending with an amazing tale. They see how far the rabbit hole goes. They follow their curiosity.

And Sir Ken Robinson, beyond being really funny, is interested in helping people to find their passion, their element, a lot of what the “4 Hour Workweek” allow us. He and you (Tim) seem to have a lot in common, through different routes. And he has strong opinions on education, such as yourself.

Keep up with the good work, and have an awesome week!!

George Freemon
George Freemon
9 years ago

My contact list on LinkedIn and AOL email was recently hacked by someone from Ukraine & and possibly New Zealand.

I had to change all of my passwords, and so

thankfully there have been no other problems.

Alec Berg
Alec Berg
9 years ago

Don’t use your computer or allow anyone in your family to use computer with administrator rights. Create another user that isn’t the administrator and use that account. This prevents you from accidentally installing software that could damage to your computer.

Cover your web-cam with a piece of electrical tape when not in use.

James Sherman
James Sherman
9 years ago

I am an experienced software developer who consults to major corporations. The software I work with is used by approximately 70% of the Fortune 500, most major universities and the Federal Government, including the Department of Defense, IRS and NSA. Around 9 months ago, I found a major security vulnerability, lets call it a backdoor into the system, that would allow someone with knowledge of the software to essentially write their own check.

I reported it to CERT, which is a kind of clearinghouse for security issues, who contacted the software vendor.

Since it has been over 9 months and it still hasn’t been resolved, it’s obviously not a high priority to the software vendor. I assume they weigh the cost of fixing the problem versus the likelihood of the vulnerability being exploited and decided that the most cost effective option was to just let it ride.

If all the companies, universities, and Federal government were hacked using this one vulnerability… every person in America would have their information stolen.

So here I sit on a problem that no one seems to think is an issue. I feel like an Edward Snowden that no one wants to listen to.

You know.. I was wrong… I guess the most cost effective option is to call me a quack.

tedmills1970
tedmills1970
9 years ago

Shouldn’t have listened to this at night, now I’m awake!!! Not because I’ve become ultra-paranoid (well maybe a little), but because the future ideas put forth by the guest could power many many sci-fi novels.

BTW, wasn’t that casino heist story at the end previously a plot in a movie like Oceans 12 or something?

Also, when I click on the Facebook icon to sign in to post this comment, the popup window says “This connection is untrusted!” What next, black helicopters?

julien Tromeur
julien Tromeur
9 years ago

Hello Tim,

great show, very interesting.

About 99 designs, you keep saying it’s a great company, you should know that they used and sold my work illegally for a logo, they know about it, and you know what they did ?

nothing… so saying it’s a great company, please no.

They don’t take responsability towards the illustrators. And people should know.

Tim J
Tim J
9 years ago

Had my fair share with hackers since my blog (about making Sushi …. prime hacker property apparently) was attacked with a DDoS back in 2011.

Since then I’ve become a fanatic as far as blog security is concerned. Hidden/renamed all the usual WordPress folders/files, passwords I can barely remember, daily backups of everything, countless security plugins, deleted unused standard themes and so on and so on.

Having up-to-date WP installs, themes and plugins also helps tremendously. A great host with their own security measures is mandatory.

Only one attack got through in the last years, because I forgot to fix a security issue. Had everything back up and running within 2h, which is a major improvement from the week I was offline when the first attack happened 😉

Toonna Obi-Okoye
Toonna Obi-Okoye
9 years ago
Reply to  Tim J

You must make such great sushi to get someone so angry at your business!

Fred
Fred
9 years ago

Tim this was one of the most interesting podcasts of the year. Some of the stories related by Marc were fascinating and I think we can all take away lessons that will improve our security. Please bring Marc back again in 2015.

Bucko
Bucko
9 years ago

This was an awesome episode. A lot of fun listening to you two basically shoot the shit about this more esoteric interest of yours. It’s one of the best things about being in a conversation with a truly smart person with a lot of life experience- just hearing the stories they have to tell.

I also found it particularly relevant having been living in China for the past 4 years and in that time having my electronics behave strangely, particularly when I go back home for visits.

Thanks for sharing this one!

P.S. Guest requests- might be interesting to hear you interview a top athlete. You’ve had chefs, cops, entrepreneurs, investors, thinkers, comedians. Would be great to hear you talk tactics and routines with someone who performs at an elite level physically.

maxim
maxim
9 years ago

Amazing! You should probably consider getting Cory Doctorow as a guest.

Henrik Sætre
Henrik Sætre
9 years ago

Excellent podcast Tim, and it has already proven to be of value!

Was listening to your podcast with Marc Goodman today on my commute to work, which must have primed my brain, as the breakfast’s topic was cybercrime.

During work today I overheard my colleague talking on the phone with IT department, and some warning bells went off due to questions.

They were asking him to install Supremo, a remote access software, so they could help him make his computer run faster. Sounded pretty scammy to me, and it was an “unknown number”, so I went over and asked them to verify themselves through email.

As soon as we started down that path the scammer got agitated and told us to go “%#¤% ourselves”, and then hung up.

Googled it after, and seems this is a million-dollar scam that is going around. So thanks for the timely podcast on this, and always authentice!

Best regards,

Henrik Sætre

Thomas
Thomas
9 years ago

The US gov forced microsoft to install a backdoor in skype that allowed them to monitor all conversations. Same goes for Whatsapp recently aquired by facebook for a massive sum. On the other hand I appreciate Tim is trying to do the Jason Bourne thing and have us feeling independent, self reliant and thinking outside the box. But the creative thing to do is not believe the paranoid BS propaganda perpetuated by the US gov and media. The content of this interview is not innovative it is more towards the conservative conventional tv watching end of the spectrum. Note: the FBI are not your friends. They WANT you to be thinking there are terrorists lurking behind every bush. So you’ll not protest when your civil liberties are stolen. If every false flag and offensive campaign primarily orchestrated and promoted by the US govt, all over the world, did not occur, then the world would be a VERY peace loving, friendly, safe and relaxed place indeed.

Mia
Mia
9 years ago

VPN’s are not safe purely because you have no way of verifying the veracity of the provider – they are only as safe as the provider. for instace Hotspot shield (actually promoted by Tim in his NOBNOM post) has been proven on Lifehacker to be utterly suspicious – they offer NO surety as to the privacy of your info and the fine print almost plainly states they may share it around! HTTPS Everywhere and Disconnect are two excellent and famous ad-ons for automatic public wi fi protection, encryption between parties and disabling spying and tracking. A proxy server is a good idea and TOR is even better.

Kepass is the most famous and best regarded free password database. One master password accesses all of your passwords for every site. It has a variety of security features and is super friendly to use.

Self Destructing Cookies is an excellent free ad on – amazing to learn how many sites implant tracking cookies on your computer after you visit them!

I use Portable Apps on a USB for using ANY computer that is not my own

It has my own browser with all my own bookmarks and various security ad-ons,KePass with my passwords, skype, and any other software I may need. Much safer and secure internet use when travelling.

One step better is using TAILS on a bootable DVD or USB. It’s a completely self contained operating system using TOR – you can use any public computer leaving no trace of your presence and be safe from threats

Mia
Mia
9 years ago

PS – with security, to secure against random attacks you dont have to be the fastest cat in the race. You just have to not be the slowest. Its like, a car alarm or steering wheel lock may be easy to bypass but if you use them a car thief is more likely to skip yours for a car that just needs a screwdriver to start. Disabling sharing and bluetooth on your device and making yourself invisible to other devices is a massive step forward for security – it’s certainly not 100% infalliable but it puts you way ahead of the more vulnerable parties on their visible, accessible devices. turn them on manually only when you need them. Be aware that a breach could occur from other angles e.g. access to the the server – but it’s a leap forward nonetheless

Zsolt
Zsolt
9 years ago

Yeap I’ve been hacked. They hacked my computer and read my email…gmail right in front of me. I was connected with a remote desktop. Basically I had to fight over the mouse to force a restart. I made some desperate phone calls home at 4.am in the morning to my family to unplug my computer. It was a nightmare….forgot to mention within 2 weeks they break 3 of my websites. Basically they ruined my life …it took me months to recover the data and learn how to protect myself. My professional life basically stopped for a year ….an antivirus is like nothing. After a while I get pretty good at knowing the pros and cons …weaknesses and flaws of the programs ….and the most important was common sense. I helped my friends …basically I “bullet proofed” their computers. After all of my research I’m more than convinced than ever than cia,nsa can know everything that you do …even what you think in your head ….but I’m pretty convinced about that that you can cause them a lot of pain and struggle and a small fortune to get just a small part of your data. It’s not about hiding something from the nsa or fbi …most of us are not criminals so they will do like nothing with our life but it’s like strange. …We can’t go to area 51 to shake hands with aliens but they can read our emails ? It’s not fair. For me protecting home made “sexy time” lol or my business documents from data theft seems more than enough. However they are tools to make it like a real pain to get even small pieces of your information. If your interested about this than check digitalhide on indiegogo. com If it’s considered spam …my apologies …. it has unapologetical 🙂 good solutions …wish you a sunny day ; )

smalltownsoapopera
smalltownsoapopera
9 years ago
Reply to  Zsolt

Somewhere out there is an enterprising young developer who could make a fortune on software designed to block remote desktop software. Another highly desired app or add-on would block “long-running Chrome scripts” on machines not running Chrome.

We can disable networking and run firewalls till Hell freezes, but black hats continue to find gaping holes in operating system or utilities software. Wishing a Ferriss reader a cool million thwarting electronic burglars.

Ed Rod
Ed Rod
9 years ago

Hi Tim,

Many thanks for this and all your great podcasts and posts. Your honesty re the human side of entrepreneurship is especially appreciated. Also, the unusually great detail put into show notes including times within podcasts. Would be great if we could search a dbase of them tagged by theme, for ex startup terms, daily routines, etc. I like the Q&A in between-isodes too, since you asked for feedback. Finally, even though it has nothing to do with entrepreneurship per se, I think you would enjoy interviewing fellow author Sebastian Junger at some point as I see some similarity in the selfless approaches to understanding, and presenting stories. I think it would be interesting to say the least. – E

Hope you get your TV show on air soon. I’m sure your followers would chime in if it would help.

Joel
Joel
9 years ago

Tim,

Great interview! Never heard of Marc Goodman until today and was unaware of all the cyber security risks we face. If you ever are intereted in learning more about local law enforcement specifically in SF, I can help facilitate that, and already sent an email to Donna. Thanks for everything you do, the content is constantly new and exciting!

Benedict Westenra
Benedict Westenra
9 years ago

This is utterly fascinating (as well as useful), and I’d never have looked for this information if it wasn’t for your podcast. Thank you so much for this. I think part of what makes it so great is that it’s future-orientated, whereas most podcast episodes are necessarily past-orientated (“What did you do to get to here?”-type questions).

Also a fan of the answering-questions-off-the-Internet format. Bring on another one!

And the sound issues all seem to be fixed. Impressed. 🙂

qingdave
qingdave
9 years ago

Great podcast! Also, these recent podcast have the best show notes of ALL TIME!

Johnny Russell
Johnny Russell
9 years ago

This was such an eye / ear opener for me.. Makes you think about what is happening with all of these terror attacks happening overseas and who is really behind them… Tim, what’s your opinion on what’s happening around the world at the moment? Obviously, it’s horrible to hear about all of the innocents dying but I am worried about who is actually responsible..

Marsh Gooding
Marsh Gooding
9 years ago

Tim- Perhaps I’m just being paranoid (hard not to be after listening to this!) but as soon as I started researching password protection services like ‘One Password’ I started to wonder how safe it really is to trust all of my login info to one service…

My question is: Aren’t these services at risk of being hacked and giving someone access to EVERYTHING I have (or taking away my access) all at once?

Thanks for an EXCELLENT episode. I shared this one more than any previous episode. Well done!

Mel
Mel
9 years ago
Reply to  Marsh Gooding

Yep. I have the same fears…

racerxx
racerxx
9 years ago

TIM! DUDE!! I cannot believe you have not seen Gattaca! What an awesome movie..

Ryan Nile
Ryan Nile
9 years ago

Absolutely brilliant Episode! Such great insight into the other side of life we’re all connected into

rubthemtogether
rubthemtogether
9 years ago

Having finally finished listened to this I’m now terrified of the internet and am logging off forever. So I can listen to further podcasts without my PC being hacked, can someone download them for me, burn them to audio CD, play them through a stereo while recording the audio on a Dictaphone, and post the tape to a PO box address I’ve just set up? Thanks

rubthemtogether
rubthemtogether
9 years ago

Is Marc masking his voice? It sounds weird

Jeff Romeo
Jeff Romeo
9 years ago

Tim – I’ve always been a fan and in light of the Sony hack and what’s going on with The Interview being pulled from theaters I command you for your impeccable timing with this podcast coming out a couple weeks back. Thanks for the amazing, important, and timely content. Happy Holidays my Long Island friend! Keep the good content coming!

Jeff Romeo
Jeff Romeo
9 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Romeo

Commend* 🙂 – I don’t “command” you anything!

Rolmsted
Rolmsted
9 years ago

Hi Tim love your interviews. Great variety, superb guests and great topics. One thing I consistently find myself thinking, “you should let them talk more”. There are the expert you’re the interviewer.

Keep up the great work! Love ya!!

Morgan Wright
Morgan Wright
9 years ago

Marc and I taught a computer crime course way back in the day in the UAE – Abu Dhabi – at the police college. I knew back then he had a unique view of cybercrime and technology. Great segment.

Mel
Mel
9 years ago

Fantastic show! Often received emails from friends and princes. So far smart enough to delete them. But one of these days will I succumb? I do/use many of the suggestions you and Marc had – use non-admin account, don’t click on links, use a password manager. My largest fear is someone will hack my financial accounts. Wish those companies had two-step verification…Keep up the great work!

Ritesh
Ritesh
9 years ago

As a global leader in the field of Computer Crime Investigation and Computer Forensics, HTCI is uniquely qualified to provide expert instruction, proactive security management and computer forensic platforms to both the private and public sectors.

Chris
Chris
9 years ago

Love this episode. Had to listen to it again… Please please please include more of the futurist stuff in your podcast. -Cheers!

elliotwood01
elliotwood01
9 years ago

Great podcast, thanks to Tim and to Marc – I’ve used that example of the money found in the drug cartel’s place numerous times now to wow corporate execs on the need to think differently about the future. Looking very much forward to this book when it comes out.

agarston
agarston
9 years ago

Wow! Fascinating stuff and really practical – will definitely change the way I travel and cover my laptop camera! Thanks Tim – looking forward to reading Marc’s book too

James Heritage
James Heritage
8 years ago

When I will be in my bunker if you need me.

Jack Cotton-Brown
Jack Cotton-Brown
7 years ago

How to make a password formula that generates a unique password for everything, and is easy to remember?

It has 2 parts:

1. A repeating part. This part stays the same always, and is essentially no different from what you had before (using the same passwords for everything), however this time your repeating part will be a little more complex. It will include lowercase and uppercase letters, and numbers and symbols.

2. A variable part. This part changes for each service that you use. Use something about that service that can generate a variable password component.

For Example:

Repeating Part: 55cB## (make it 5 or 6 characters long so you will never fall short on getting the minimum 8 total characters) (or make your variable part longer, but make sure you test it works out for everything)

Variable Part:

1. Facebook: The last three characters backwards: “koo” (potential problems, the service only has 2 characters)

2. Google: The first three characters in lowercase: “goo” (or the first 2 if less than 3 characters – just remember you will always need at

least 8 total)

3. YouTube: Start at the beginning, and jump one each time: “yuu”

4. Evernote: Lop the first and last characters: “vernot”

Note: You can choose to put the repeating part first, last, or split it half half. If you have a 6 character repeating part then it’s easy to split.

Ideas to make the formula stronger:

1. If the service is more than 4 letters long, put the variable part at the beginning, and the repeating part at the end. If the name of the service is 4 letters or less, put the variable part at the end.

2. If the service begins with a vowel, put half your repeating part first, and then the variable part, and then the other half of the repeating part at the end.

3. Code vowels into their own numbers or symbols, or capitalize all vowels. e.g. a, e, i, o, u becomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Check out the video on YouTube for a more detailed explanation 🙂

Bright
Bright
3 years ago

Thanks for the great tips