To octopi, or not to octopi.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up, including a chicken update and a little Greek vocabulary. Dave explores new tools from FINRA designed to help investors research the markets, assess their vulnerability to financial fraud, and practice recognizing common scam tactics before real money is at stake. Joe looks at Apate, an Australian startup using AI agents to pose as potential scam victims, waste fraudsters’ time, and gather intelligence that can help researchers and security teams better understand and disrupt scams. Maria covers new approaches to cybersecurity awareness and personal cyber readiness, exploring how we can move beyond traditional awareness campaigns and help people better protect themselves online. Our Catch of the Day comes from Anthony, who received a convincing-looking scam email about his trademark application that uses publicly available information and a fake mandatory verification appointment to pressure him into calling a fraudulent number.
Resources and links to stories:
- FINRA Launches Enhanced Investor Education and Protection Tools to Help Research Markets and Recognize Fraud
- Apate sends AI agents undercover to get scammed so they can gather fraud intelligence
- It’s Time to Rename Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- Cybersecurity Awareness Won’t Save You. Readiness Might.
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
