How Hacks Happen

Mar 26 2025 56 ep. 24 mins 22

How Hacks Happen Podcast artwork

Hacks, scams, cyber crimes, and other shenanigans explored and explained. Presented by cyber security teacher and digital forensics specialist Michele Bousquet. howhackshappen.net

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Social Media Fraud: Fyre Festival

Mar 26 2025 29 mins

Want to hang out with supermodels on the beach? That's the dream that Billy McFarland sold in 2017 when he advertised Fyre Festival, an outdoor music concert in the Bahamas. Attendees were promised beautiful beaches, live music, comfy villas, gourmet meals, and supermodels around every corner. Instead, they got a gravel parking lot, soggy tents, cheese sandwiches, and no music. And

Hacker, Broker, Scam: Following Stolen Data

Mar 19 2025 23 mins

When a scam caller knows everything about you--your address, social security number, bank account--how do they know? There isn't some super powerful hacker ring with its own call center. Your data is actually stolen at one end of the internet, goes on a trip through hacker forums and dark web stashes, and reappears in a neat spreadsheet for a call center. The more you know about ho

AI Part 3: Tools, Technology, and Magical Connections

Mar 12 2025 28 mins

Let's explore the technology behind audio and music AI, and how it makes use of some cool math concepts to bring us convincing and realistic voices and music. Hear some actual AI-generated tunes, and find out how "latent space" changed the way AI generates sounds and music. Resources Ghostwriter, the Mastermind Behind the Viral Drake AI Song, Speaks For the First TimeSpotify will n

Ross Ulbricht and Silk Road: Replay

Mar 05 2025 24 mins

Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht after he served 12 years of his life sentence. In light of this news, we decided to replay our 2023 episode on the Silk Road website, which sold recreational drugs and other illegal items from 2011 to 2013. Was Trump's pardon the right move? We'll let you form your own opinion. Send us a text Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan'

AI Part 2: Recognizing Scams

Feb 26 2025 26 mins

AI makes our lives more convenient in so many ways, but it also gives scammers the same conveniences. Host Michele Bousquet explains how scammers use AI audio, video, and text to better fool their victims. Send us a text Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcast

AI Part 1: Deepseek

Feb 20 2025 27 mins

The AI model Deepseek was all over the news in January 2025. Deepseek's developers claimed its costs to develop and run were a fraction of the costs for large popular AI models, which caused a big disruption in the stock market. But how true are these claims? In the first of a three-part series on AI, host Michele Bousquet dives in and give Deepseek a spin, and debunks some of the

Equifax: Replay

Feb 12 2025 73 mins

With so many social security breaches, we return to the original scene of the crime: the Equifax Breach of 2017. Enjoy this replay of one of our most popular episodes, where you'll learn about common hacking techniques, how routers work and why they're so important, and the most basic of cybersecurity measures like patch plans. Resources for this episode: Website where you can chec

Shady Cousins: Hacks and Scams

Feb 05 2025 23 mins

They're the kinds of cousins you wish you didn't have, but you don't really have a choice. What's the difference between hacks and scams, and how do they work together to part you from your valuables like personal information and money? In this episode, we look at the similarities and differences between these shady cousins, and how you can keep them from doing their dirty work. Re

Wildfire Clickbait: Milking a Disaster on Social Media

Jan 23 2025 24 mins

In the wake of the devastating California wildfires, conspiracy theories abound, some of them with no basis in fact. Just after her Pasadena home was threatened by the fires, author Su Falcon ran into a wall of disinformation in social media. Find out what she did about it, and how you can help keep the internet free of this kind of destructive garbage. Resources Website: Californi

2025 World Tour of Scams

Jan 15 2025 24 mins

2025 promises to be an exciting year for scammers. From ridiculous job offers to the colorful family of Apple ID scams, join us on a whirlwind tour of schemes designed to part you and your money. Send us a text Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify