How a ransomware negotiator ended up arrested at his own conference
Summary
Graham Cluley and Paul Ducklin discuss the arrest of ransomware negotiator Edward Dubrovsky, who was charged with conspiracy to extort money in connection with the Shiny Hunters cybercrime gang. They explore the murky, unregulated nature of the ransomware negotiation industry and the risks of criminals playing both sides. The episode also covers a breach of the ASOS app, where attackers sent extortion messages to customers, prompting criticism of the company’s dismissive response to data privacy violations. Finally, the hosts share their picks of the week, including a Minecraft city built b…
Topics discussed
Intro banter: unfashionable trousers and social embarrassment
Sponsors and episode preview
Teaser: Seven degrees of separation from ransomware
Origin: Endpoint AI Observability sponsor segment
The seven degrees of separation to a ransomware negotiator
Arrest of Ed Dubrovsky and the Shiny Hunters gang
The wild west of ransomware negotiation
FBI takedowns and the Shiny Hunters investigation
The evolution of cybercrime: from viruses to affiliates
Vanta: Trust management platform sponsor segment
ASOS breach: The scenario and the data involved
The extortion message sent to all customers
Case study: A customer who requested data deletion
Critique of ASOS's casual breach response
Hack the Box: Testing AI agents in security teams
Pick of the Week: Mike Tomlin's Minecraft mansion
Pick of the Week: Bypassing Google AI overviews
Nostalgia: The Konami Code and retro boss screens
Outro, social media links, and supporter roll call
Final sponsor: Cyber insurance advertisement
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