Think your Kindle is harmless? Think again! In this episode, Graham and special guest Danny Palmer unpack a Black Hat Europe talk revealing how a boobytrapped audiobook could exploit the Amazon eBook reader - potentially letting an attacker break into your account and seize control of your credit card.

Plus a blast from 2021's "summer of ransomware" returns to haunt Ireland's Health Service Executive, as victims are offered €750 each.

And because it's the last show before the Christmas break, there's also a Pick of the Week that veers from cosy rom-com comfort to pointy-polygon nostalgia.

All this, and more, in episode 448 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Danny Palmer.

🎅 🎄 Thanks to everyone for listening to "Smashing Security" during 2025 - we look forward to being back in your ear'oles in early January. Stay safe! 🎅 🎄

EPISODE LINKS:

• Password manager provider fined £1.2m by ICO for data breach affecting up to 1.6 million people in the UK - ICO.
• Trump Administration Turning to Private Firms in Cyber Offensive - Bloomberg.
• Russian ban on Roblox gaming platform sparks rare protest - Reuters.
• Once upon an exploit: how fake audiobook led to Kindle takeover - Cybernews.
• Four years later, Irish health service offers €750 to victims of ransomware attack - Bitdefender.
• When Harry Met Sally - Wikipedia.
• When Harry Met Sally trailer - YouTube.
• Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered review - you were never going to smooth these games out - Eurogamer.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• ThreatLocker - Start your free trial and book a demo of ThreatLocker today to see how you can implement Zero Trust in your environment.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

ENJOYED THE SHOW?

Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".

Tinder has got a plan to rummage through your camera roll, and Warren Buffett keeps popping up in convincing deepfakes dishing "number one investment tips."

Meanwhile, will agentic AI replace your co-hosts before you can say "EDR for robots"? and why you should still read books.

All this, plus Lily Allen's new album and Claude Code come up for discussion in episode 443 of the "Smashing Security" podcast, with special guest Ron Eddings.

EPISODE LINKS:

• ‘Landfall’ spyware abused zero-day to hack Samsung Galaxy phones - TechCrunch.
• Cyber insurers paid out over twice as much for UK ransomware attacks last year - The Register.
• Lost iPhone? Don’t fall for phishing texts saying it was found - Bleeping Computer.
• Tinder to use AI to get to know users, tap into their Camera Roll photos - TechCrunch.
• Facebook’s AI can now suggest edits to the photos still on your phone - TechCrunch.
• Berkshire warns of AI deepfakes impersonating Warren Buffett - Reuters.
• West End Girl - Wikipedia.
• West End Girl - Spotify.
• Claude Code.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Action1 - Keep your systems safe (and your sanity intact) with the patch management platform that just works. The best part? Your first 200 endpoints are free, forever, with no functional limits.
• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Trelica by 1Password - Access Governance for every SaaS app. Discover, manage, and optimize access for any of your SaaS apps - whether managed or unmanaged.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

ENJOYED THE SHOW?

Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".

Time itself comes under attack as a state-backed hacking gang spends two years tunnelling toward a nation’s master clock — with chaos potentially only a tick away.

Plus when ransomware negotiators turn to the dark side, what could possibly go wrong?

All this and more is discussed in episode 442 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Dave Bittner.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Alleged Meduza Stealer malware admins arrested after hacking Russian org - Bleeping Computer.
• Tap-and-Steal: The Rise of NFC Relay Malware on Mobile Devices - Zimperium.
• Postcode Lottery's lucky dip turns into data slip as players draw each other's info - The Register.
• Chinese Ministry of State Security MSS WeChat post - WeChat.
• China blames US for cyber break-in, claims America is world's biggest bit burglar - The Register.
• Chicago firm that resolves ransomware attacks had rogue workers carrying out their own hacks, FBI says - Chicago Sun Times.
• MicroMacro: Crime City.
• Star Wars 3.5 foot animated LED R2-D2 - Home Depot.
• TrackaLacker.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Material - Email security that covers the full threat landscape – stopping new flavors of phishing and pretexting attacks in their tracks, while also protecting accounts and data from exploit or exposure.
• Drata - The world’s most advanced Trust Management platform – making risk and compliance management accessible, continuous, and 10x more automated than ever before.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

ENJOYED THE SHOW?

Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".