Cybercrime and How Hackers Prey on Human Nature

Cybercrime has been around for as long as computers have — but over the past 20 years, it’s exploded into a global threat, with staggering financial, political, and personal consequences. These days, large-scale cyber attacks can have domino effects that go far beyond computers and tech, affecting everything from supply chains to critical infrastructure and the economy. In the meantime, defending ourselves has grown ever more complicated and expensive.

On this episode, we look at cybercrime — how it’s evolved, how it affects us, in big ways and small, and how scammers prey on human nature. We’ll hear about the ILOVEYOU virus — the first significant malware event to capitalize on social engineering; one man’s path from petty thief to cyber scam menace; and how hacking went from a nerdy pursuit to a multi-billion dollar industry.

ALSO HEARD:

• We talk with Dan Goodin, Senior Security Editor for Ars Technica, about the history of hacking, and how it evolved from a minor annoyance into a global threat capable of sabotaging infrastructure and causing billions of dollars in damage — along with best practices for protecting yourself.
• When we think of hackers, we usually picture an archetype — faceless, shadowy computer geniuses, launching devastating attacks from their secret lairs. But who are these people? And what drives them to commit these crimes? Reporter Liz Tung talked with one — former cyber-criminal-turned-security-consultant Brett Johnson — about what led him from petty street crimes to the FBI’s Most Wanted List, and finally over to the light side.