Data is continuously being collected and this information can lead to misleading conclusions about an individual. Without proper context, behavior can be misinterpreted. This underscores the need for data privacy laws and stronger protections against data brokers.

Today’s guest is Jeff Jockisch. Jeff is a passionate data privacy researcher dedicated to exploring the evolution of technology, our search behaviors, trust dynamics, and safeguarding of our information. As Managing Partner at ObscureIQ, he specializes in advanced data removal and privacy risk mitigation for enterprises and government organizations.

• [0:58] - Jeff describes his career and what he does in the field at ObscureIQ.
• [3:35] - Instead of taking his career into the compliance field, he took his expertise to the intersection of data privacy and data science.
• [4:40] - Jeff explains what a data broker does and breaks down a recent data breach.
• [5:40] - The legal definition of what a data broker is is very narrow.
• [6:42] - The data that is collected by data brokers can literally be anything, like health care data, drivers licenses, and viewing habits online.
• [7:32] - One of the worst types of data that is collected is cell phone location data.
• [8:46] - Data tells a story, but pieces might be missing. Data can paint an inaccurate picture of someone.
• [10:18] - Data can be interpreted in different ways.
• [12:41] - Your digital footprint can be deleted. But in addition to deleting it, your behavior needs to change.
• [13:50] - Apps track data automatically for ads.
• [16:31] - All of these companies are collecting our data, but they’re not securing it.
• [19:42] - What can someone do with collected data? The possibilities are endless.
• [21:38] - Data that is collected can also show other people who are connected to you.
• [23:10] - Some things can be deleted, including public records.
• [25:09] - The problem is that the data brokers are massively powerful.
• [27:15] - Check out the links below for resources that Jeff recommends on the steps to take in order to delete the data you are leaking.
• [29:57] - Jeff shares an experience of almost being a victim of a scam.
• [33:10] - Scammers sound totally reasonable in the moment, even when we reflect and feel stupid for making a decision.

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

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• 7 Steps to Reduce Your Digital Dust by 90%
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• A Tactical Privacy Wire on the Creation of Secure Sock Puppets
• Empowering Digital Citizenship with Privacy Video
• Empowering Digital Citizenship with Privacy PDF

When a recruiter contacts you, it’s essential to do your homework, verify their sources, and trust your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. While it can be frustrating to be this skeptical, being cautious can protect you and your finances. Today’s guest is John Sidoti. John is the Senior Director of Information Technology at Social Current. He has over 30 years of experience as an IT generalist with wide and varied experience across all aspects of the IT spectrum.

• [0:50] - John shares his background and discusses his extensive and varied career in IT.
• [3:32] - Even as a director, John keeps hands-on projects going to keep working in the field.
• [4:45] - John describes an experience of himself falling victim to a scam on LinkedIn.
• [7:56] - At some point in the process, John realized that something seemed off.
• [9:40] - After speaking with this scam company, he continued to receive copied and pasted messages from other “recruiters”.
• [12:21] - Although the copy and website look and sound very legitimate, there are some things we can look for that raise red flags.
• [14:13] - Many scammers create fake profiles that look very professional and well done. But take the extra step and research the company and individual.
• [15:57] - In the grand scheme of things, the people who have been victimized by these types of scams are vulnerable and desperate for employment.
• [18:22] - Anyone can purchase a domain name and pull together a website using a free or cheap template that all look very legitimate.
• [20:05] - Once you know the markers, you can see them coming.
• [21:07] - Look at the domain names and how long they have been registered.
• [22:30] - Don’t assume it is just an email world. If a company does not have a legitimate phone number, it is a red flag.
• [24:02] - Another red flag is when a recruiter has been working with just one single company in their career.
• [26:45] - Recruiters should not be asking for personal information. The company will do that, not a recruiter.
• [29:43] - It’s okay to be a little cynical about this in order to protect yourself.
• [31:34] - There are other places that need to be looked at closer as well, specifically Facebook Marketplace.
• [34:16] - When you look closely at sponsored posts that seem too good to be true, you’ll notice that they are all from bots.

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Today’s threat actors and social engineers leverage social media to observe individuals’ patterns and habits. They encounter you at a coffee shop or another familiar spot. They begin to establish trust, which makes you more susceptible to their tactics.

Today’s guest is Peter Warmka. Peter is a retired CIA officer with over two decades of breaching the security of organizations overseas in pursuit of intelligence. He is the founder of The Counterintelligence Institute, author of two books, conference speaker, consultant, and educator on the dangers of human hacking.

• [0:56] - Peter shares his background and what he has done in his interesting career.
• [3:27] - The Counterintelligence Institute helps organizations and individuals understand what types of information threat actors are trying to steal.
• [6:08] - Peter discusses the surprise his friends and family experienced when learning he had been working for the CIA.
• [9:13] - There are some skills that Peter had to learn when going into this career, but other skills came more naturally.
• [11:15] - Trust is different in various societies, and Americans are particularly vulnerable.
• [13:31] - Peter explains how he developed trust with others.
• [16:00] - There are ways to leverage trust in this type of work.
• [19:32] - Peter discusses international breaches and the types of intelligence breaches from other governments.
• [23:11] - The internet has made information so readily available to everyone, including information you may not want them to have.
• [25:19] - There are different types of information found on the different kinds of social media platforms that all come together to paint a whole picture.
• [28:09] - Human hacking, or social engineering, can be accomplished through five different communication channels.
• [31:21] - Peter describes a very powerful and common in-person scenario.
• [35:53] - We have to get away from the silo-approach, thinking that breaches are only coming from the IT network.
• [37:24] - Peter wrote a book in the early days of Covid-19 for organizations. He then wrote a book geared more towards individuals.
• [39:41] - Privacy and security settings are great, but platforms can still be hacked.
• [41:56] - It shouldn’t be “trust, then verify.” It needs to be “verify, then trust.”
• [44:27] - AI tools have made things even more complicated for victims and easy for threat actors.
• [46:37] - LinkedIn specifically is overwhelmed with fake accounts.
• [48:50] - Workplace education on this topic is backwards in organizations since they are seen as compliance training.

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

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