Last week I had the privilege to go on the Hammer and Nigel Show to discuss the Colonial Pipeline cyber-attack. This was a fun interview and hope to be invited back on in the future!   Links https://www.wibc.com/hammer-and-nigel/ https://omny.fm/shows/hammer-and-nigel-show/nick-sturgeon-talks-cyber-security

My conversation with Dewand Neely of the Eleven Fifty Academy.

The 2020 U.S. Elections are in the books... well sort of! In this episode I continue the conversation over the election and election security. Even though voting day is done the aftermath of the election and results are far from over. Now according to Election officials all went well,  there is/was no fraud, and the entire election was secure. However, we cannot forget the conversation over the last four years about how Russia interfered with the 2016 election. These officials want us to trust their word for it. If they really want us to trust the results and that things were secure, we need them to be 100% transparent. Now was there wide spread fraud, maybe/maybe not. To completely dismiss this as a crazy idea and dismiss those who are calling foul, is not going to build trust. Either side needs to present the evidence and fact in their case. The other conversation I bring up is the rumor control efforts by U.S DHS and the Federal government. As I was preparing for this episode I came across a web page on U.S DHS CISA site on their campaign for rumor control. This campaign is part of their fight against dis-information. Looking into it, my initial reaction was not good. Is it the government's job to fight rumors even if it is part of fighting disinformation from a foreign government. This is a slippery slope issue. This effort is even happening with the Indiana state government, Governor Holcomb, and Indiana Department of Homeland Security.   Links: https://fox59.com/news/national-world/cybersecurity-officials-maintain-this-years-election-was-the-most-secure-in-us-history/ https://www.cisa.gov/rumorcontrol  

This week the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI held a press conference detailing election interference activity by Russia and Iran. In this episode I break down the video and what this activity means for you and I.     Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-22/fbi-russia-iran-influence-2020-election/12801440

To kick off the month of October and the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), I was fortunate to speak to Daniel Eliot of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). Daniel is the Director of Education and Strategic Initiatives for the NCSA. Since this conversation took place during the kickoff of NCSAM, I took the opportunity to ask Daniel about the purpose behind the month, the activities, themes, and importance of being cyber smart.   Daniel's Bio:In this role, Daniel is responsible for NCSA’s educational portfolio, and helms one of NCSA’s most successful initiatives, CyberSecure My Business, which is a national program designed to help organizations of all sizes learn to be safer and more secure online. Daniel assembles the federal government, state and local governments, academia, and the private sector to discuss cutting-edge issues and create and implement high-quality, large-scale education and awareness efforts. Daniel is an accomplished speaker and champion when it comes to cybersecurity, and regularly speaks at events across the country and collaborates on regional and national cybersecurity initiatives.   Social Media: Twitter & Facebook: @StaySafeOnline Links: NCSA: https://staysafeonline.org/

This month we hit a tragic milestone in cybersecurity. A patient at Düsseldorf University Hospital died as a result of a ransomware attack. Though it did hit the news, I don't think the magnitude of this event is coming across or even truly understand. What can we do to make sure that this is the only time that this happens? Unfortunately, I think this is part of our reality now. Also the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deployed some very invasive technology during the Portland protests and riots. This is very dangerous and should be illegal to use against protesters. For those who are rioting... well there may be some legal gray areas there. Links: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54204356https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/dhs-authorizes-personnel-to-collect-information-on-protesters-it-says-threaten-monuments/2020/07/20/6f58867c-cace-11ea-b0e3-d55bda07d66a_story.html

19 years ago today our nation was changed forever. The promise most of us made was never to forget. The first part of this episode I talk about my own personal experience and where I was at 19 years ago. The conversation leads to why remembering is important to the issues going on today. The last part of the episode is talking about the 2020 elections. This also pivots into work that my company Iuvare Cyber is doing around election security. This episode is dedicated to all those who lost their lives on this day 19 years ago.   Links c-Watch Elections Training Program: https://www.cyberresilienceinstitute.org/programs/c-watch-2020/

On this episode of the CyberBites Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with James Czerniawski of the Libertas Institute. The Libertas Institute is based in Lehi, UT and is a 501(c)3 who's mission "is to change hearts, minds, and laws to build a freer society by creating and implementing innovative policy reforms and exceptional educational resources." James is a Policy Analyst specializing on Technology and Innovation. The conversation starts out by framing the challenges and problems we as individuals and our government's face as it relates to technology, privacy and security. From there James talks about the Privacy Proposal that the Libertas Institute is working to get passed in the Utah State Legislature. This was a really fun conversation and super thankful for James taking time out of his week to chat. I want to thank Lindsay Marie for making the introduction and helping to set this conversation up. James was born in New Jersey and raised in New York. Prior to joining Libertas, he was a Program Coordinator for the American Institute for Economic Research. He earned his master’s degree in economics from George Mason University where he was a Mercatus MA Fellow. He graduated from the State University of New York – Purchase with a bachelor’s in economics and American history. He is a travel enthusiast, a professional gamer, a cellist, an actor, a book worm, and a strong supporter for the ideas of liberty. You can find James on Twitter: @JamesCz19 As a special note: this was the first time recording on a Rodecaster Pro. Man did this thing surpass my expectations. The sound is great, the ability to control and adjust things during the recording as fantastic, and you have to love the built in sound board.   Links: https://libertasutah.org/limited-and-open-government/proposal-the-privacy-protection-act/ https://libertasutah.org/ Twitter: @LibertasUtah

Lindsay Marie

On this CyberBite Chat I sit down with Eric Wassenaar of Veracode to talk cybersecurity.

In this special and the first "Meet the Candidate" episode of the CyberBites Podcast, I had the opportunity to chat with another candidate who is running for the Office of Indiana Attorney General. This past week I virtually sat down with John Westercamp over Zoom.  John is a native Hoosier, a graduate of Purdue University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Management and a Master’s degree in Finance. John also a graduated from IU law school, where he graduated with honors and received an award for oral advocacy during the Sherman Minton Moot Court competition.From John's campaign website it says his "vision for the Attorney General’s office is to lead the state by collaborating with the administration and with the General Assembly to advance meaningful conservative policies. As a practicing attorney, John helps his clients navigate legal and regulatory issues so they can achieve their business goals. He believes Indiana needs an Attorney General who can appreciate the regulatory challenges of small and medium sized businesses. During our conversation we spoke about why he is running for Indiana AG, why he is the best choice for this office, the role of Indiana AG, and finish off the conversation talking about cybersecurity. I really enjoyed this conversation with John, wish him the best of luck in his bid for Indiana AG, and look forward to talking to him again!       Links: John's Campaign site: https://www.johnwestercamp.com/meet-john Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westercampforag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnWestercamp   On a special note, the entire CyberBites family hopes that you and your family are staying safe and healthy during this COVID-19 crisis.

My interview with Adam Krupp, who is running for Indiana Attorney General.

On this week's episode of Cyber.Now, part two of my conversation with Lindsay Marie. The episode starts out by picking up the conversation on the FBI misleading the FISC on the FISA application to spy on Carter Page. Lindsay and I talk about her recent article on the FDA considering slowing down the already slow drug approval process and her article on how Democrat professors outnumber republican professors. Both articles are very well written and it was great to get a bit of a scoop if you will on the FDA article! Links to both articles are below. Again I want to thank Lindsay for coming on the show, for being a friend, and supporter of Liberty! Links: https://townhall.com/columnists/lindsaymarie/2020/01/30/democratic-professors-outnumber-their-republican-counterparts-nearly-9-to-1-at-top-schools-n2560300 https://freethepeople.org/fda-approval-process-for-new-drugs-is-a-death-sentence-for-americans/

This week I was fortunate to be able to talk with friend of the show Lindsay Marie. This week's episode is part one of that conversation. We discuss Indiana State politics, specifically, S.B 436 and how the Indiana GOP is acting more like Democrat liberals versus conservative Republicans. We also get into Miranda and a couple of other Law Enforcement related topics. Per usual, our conversation did end up going a bit in every direction. I am very thankful for her coming on the show. I was able to get a little bit of a preview of her latest article on Town Hall, which can be found here: https://townhall.com/columnists/lindsaymarie/2020/01/30/democratic-professors-outnumber-their-republican-counterparts-nearly-9-to-1-at-top-schools-n2560300    

Over the last few months we have heard of the incompetence and abuses of the FBI when it has come to their application for FISA on Carter Page. Not to say that just one mistake or improper use would have major consequences, but there were 17 times the FBI misrepresented the information they presented to the FISC. As DOJ Inspector General Micheal Horowitz stated in his report, these were serial abuses in the surveillance of Carter Page. The failures of the FISA Court and the failures by the FBI are not just harmful to the President, they are harmful to all Americans. So what does this have to do with cybersecurity, well I get in to that and more in this week's episode.   Links: https://www.aclu.org/issues/national-security/privacy-and-surveillance/warrantless-surveillance-under-section-702-fisa https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/foreign-intelligence-surveillance-fisa-section-702-executive-order-12333 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/s12 https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/475053-fisa-courts-rebuke-of-the-fbi-it-broke-or-ignored-the-rules-and-our https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/06/inspector-general-report-shows-special-counsel-replicated-fbi-abuses/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/11/20/justice-watchdog-cites-investigative-challenges-prior-russia-report/4249000002/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/12/05/fisa-report-inspector-general-probe-into-fbi-may-not-satisfy-trumps-predictions-william-barr/2597748001/ https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2018/02/14/fisa-write-epitaph-fourth-amendment/318548002/

Happy New Year folks! Things around command central have been busy. At the end of the year I was offered an Adjunct Professor position teaching onlinedistance ed cybersecurity courses for an Indiana based University. That meant most of my time in December and the beginning of this year was spent on prepping things for this class. Don't fret, I am back with the first episode of 2020 and boy do we have some stuff to talk about. There are some potential changes in store for the podcast as I am looking to make this podcast better. These changes could included a name and format change. In the mean time there is still plenty of cyber news to talk about especially with the the on goings between the U.S. and Iran. In other news I am happy to announce the return of CyberTech Midwest July 14 & 15, 2020. I have spoken to the folks at CyberTech and we are working on getting a partnership going. I hope to have Julia Kraut back on the show here in the coming weeks. https://midwest.cybertechconference.com/   Source Links: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/01/11/irans-critical-cyberattack-threat-this-is-what-is-really-happening-right-now/#352a96ec4f78

If there is one episode of this show you should listen to, this is that one! I get into a story from the Washington Post about a hacker who compromised a Ring camera that as installed in an eight year old girls room. This punk tried to get her to say some very derogatory words all the while finding himself oh so amusing. For as bad as it was it could have been a whole lot worse. We have to be extremely mindful of the technology we bring in our homes. This is just one story of why that is true. There are many other dangers we could discuss and probably will after the holidays. Please share this episode with your friends and family! Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/12/she-installed-ring-camera-her-childrens-room-peace-mind-hacker-accessed-it-harassed-her-year-old-daughter/?arc404=true

This morning I was going through my pre-podcast routine looking for some articles to discuss and I come across this article from thehill.com. Looking at the title alone I was intrigued enough to click on the link. The other thing I noticed is that the article had a “Sponsored Content” tag. The title is “Why Backdoors are Distracting us from Real Cybersecurity Issues." I was expecting some insights that maybe I have not thought about on this particular subject. After reading through the article I found myself scratching my head and thinking okay the content did not have a lick to do with the title. This episode is all about me destroying the article and using it as an example of why you need to fact check, verify content, and don't take things at face value. The last subject I dug into was the arrest of two red teamers who where conducting a pentest on the behalf of the State of Iowa. This story should serve as a a warning to you red teamers, make sure you have your stuff in order.   Links: https://thehill.com/branded-content?prx_t=knYFAuao-AN98MA&&ntv_fpc=0616cc02-fb4e-4cb5-8428-4e9b94997b2f https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/11/12/iowa-paid-coalfire-to-pen-test-courthouse-then-arrested-employees.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/04/chinese-spy-chips-are-said-to-be-found-in-hardware-used-by-apple-amazon-apple-denies-the-bloomberg-businessweek-report.html

In a what seems to be a rare move towards liberty, a bill to restrict law enforcement's use of facial recognition technology is introduced in the U.S. Senate. We also cover the meeting between a couple of prominent social activist groups and Facebook on Facebook's political speech policy. Finally, why won't the Epstein Didn't Kill himself meme just die? I mean go away. What is it about this meme and other memes like it that take hold on social media and have the masses hang on to them? Are memes in general harmful to society, are they a way for us to understand what is going on, or are they the subconscious thought of our society?   Links: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/470486-senators-introduce-bipartisan-bill-restricting-facial-recognition-tech-for   https://www.wired.com/story/epstein-didnt-kill-himself-conspiracy/   https://thehill.com/policy/technology/470482-civil-rights-groups-demand-changes-to-facebooks-political-speech-policy

Good morning from the racing capital of the world, Speedway, IN. My name is Nick Sturgeon your host, thank you for listening to the episode 67 of the Cyber.Now Podcast, your #1 spot for learning about tech, cybersecurity, politics, and policy. I want to thank our show sponsor Delta Research! I cannot thank them enough for their support. I also want to thank all of you who are listening to this episode right now for taking time out of your day. Time is the one resource that we do not get back and are not guaranteed. I really appreciate you spending that valuable resource on this podcast. For those of you who are first time listeners thank you for tuning in. It is my goal to keep you around coming back week in and week out. If you are a returning listener, you continued support is very much appreciated. Outside of listening, I ask a couple of simple things if you find this show’s content valuable, share the show with your network, subscribe, rate, review and go sign up for my mailing list at cybernowpod.com for the latest news, insights and behind the scene information. The last couple of weeks have been really busy. The week of Oct 13 my family and I went to Florida for fall break and since coming back my work schedule has been super busy. I have hosted and/or presented three different presentations in the last two weeks. I want to the folks at the University of Southern Indiana HITs, the Indiana and Kentucky Chapters of HIMSS for having present on Cyber Risk Management on Oct 23. I also want to thank Jessica Jagger, Jennifer Trusler, and Ivy Tech Community College for having in this past week to speak on taking advantage of your introversionextraversion. I also hosted a cyber sharing webinar that was very well attended. A little public service announcement. For those listeners in the Indianapolis area, on November 14 at the Marriott North, the National Cybersecurity Alliance is hosting two cybersecurity workshops. The first workshop is titled CyberSecure My Family & Home. Yours truly along with Daniel Elliot with the National Cybersecurity Alliance and Todd Kossow with the Federal Trade Commission will be on this panel. If you want to learn how not to let cybercriminals into your home, this is the workshop for you. This first one will begin at 9am. I am looking forward to this workshop. Additionally, at 1pm the second workshop titled Cybersecure my business will discuss why small and mid-sized businesses are targeted by cyber criminals. As well this workshop will help you     Identify which business assets others want     Protect those assets     Detect when something has gone wrong     Respond quickly and appropriately with an action plan     Recover after a breach A link to both workshops will be included in the show notes. Getting into some news. From wired.com “Congress Still Doesn't Have an Answer for Ransomware.” My simple response is because this is a problem that cannot be legislated away, isn’t a problem congress is equipped to answer, are smart enough to answer, nor are they the right group to address this problem. The article reads…..   This is why I don’t trust the federal government when it comes to cybersecurity. There is no sane or logical reason to make Rudy Giuliani the cybersecurity advisor. He is not qualified to really speak on cybersecurity issues. This is one example of why. This video is courtesy  of  NBC News [Play video] That’s it for this week’s show you guys. Thank you all for tuning in, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again to our sponsor Delta Research for supporting the show. Again, if you want to join in on the conversation go to the show’s web page at www.cybernowpod.com, Facebook and twitter. If you want to get a hold of me directly you can find me on Twitter @The_Polititech or email me at nick@thepolititech.com.  Finally, if you think this show is worthy, to go to iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting platform to subscribe, rate, review and don’t forget to share the