Speaker 1: All right, so you've given me quite the reading list here,
Speaker 1: lots about cybersecurity education and research. Seems like you're interested
Speaker 1: in how we're you know, getting ready for these more
Speaker 1: and more complex cyber threats.
Speaker 2: Yeah. It's a big topic, it is, and for good reason.
Speaker 2: What I think is really interesting is that these sources
Speaker 2: all kind of point to like this future where cybersecurity
Speaker 2: knowledge is just like common, like everyone knows it and
Speaker 2: knowing how to use a smartphone.
Speaker 1: You know, so like everyone like from college freshmen to
Speaker 1: judges needs to know this stuff exactly.
Speaker 2: And it's not even just about like making sure everyone
Speaker 2: has the information, you know, like the research from that
Speaker 2: twenty twenty National Cyber Summit, for example, that one really
Speaker 2: emphasizes like we need to build a whole new kind
Speaker 2: of cybersecurity mindset. Oh yeah, I saw that one that's
Speaker 2: like proactive and adaptive really understands how these cyber threats work,
Speaker 2: you know, because you're always changing. Right.
Speaker 1: They use this term adversarial thinking.
Speaker 2: I thought that, Yeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 1: What does that actually mean?
Speaker 2: So it's basically about learning to think like the attacker,
Speaker 2: you know, like instead of just saying, okay, how do
Speaker 2: I defend this system. Yeah, you think, how would someone
Speaker 2: try to break into this? You know, like what's their motivation,
Speaker 2: what kind of tactics do they use, even like their psychology,
Speaker 2: you know.
Speaker 1: So it's almost like playing chess, but instead of just
Speaker 1: trying to checkmate your opponent, you're trying to anticipate their
Speaker 1: every move and build up your defenses.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, that's a great analogy. And like this shift
Speaker 2: in how we think it's starting to show up in
Speaker 2: how cybersecurity is being you know, taught and assessed. Like
Speaker 2: the researchers at the National Cyber Summit talk about something
Speaker 2: called the Cybersecurity Concept Inventory.
Speaker 1: I saw that mentioned in a couple of the articles,
Speaker 1: but I got it. I'm a little fuzzy on what
Speaker 1: it actually is.
Speaker 2: So it's like this tool and it's designed to like
Speaker 2: figure out if students really get those like core concepts
Speaker 2: of cybersecurity. And what's really cool about it is that
Speaker 2: it's not just about memorizing stuff. The searchers actually talk
Speaker 2: about how hard it was for them to like to
Speaker 2: come up with questions that really assess critical thinking and
Speaker 2: that adversarial thinking we were just talking about.
Speaker 1: So instead of just being like, what is fishing. It's
Speaker 1: more like, here's a situation, what are the red flags
Speaker 1: and how would you actually respond?
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Like they really wanted to get away
Speaker 2: from those like traditional multiple choice questions. Yeah, and build
Speaker 2: these scenarios that force students to analyze things right, evaluate
Speaker 2: apply their knowledge.
Speaker 1: That's cool.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And they even like they did a bunch of
Speaker 2: interviews with students, okay, just to make sure they were
Speaker 2: capturing the right ideas and the right challenges.
Speaker 1: It reminds me of those medical school exams where they
Speaker 1: give you a patient case and then you have to
Speaker 1: figure out what's wrong and how to treat them based
Speaker 1: on you know, yeah, the symptoms.
Speaker 2: That's a good comparison. Yeah, And speaking of different fields,
Speaker 2: it's really interesting to see how cybersecurity education is like expanding,
Speaker 2: you know, like beyond just the computer science departments, because
Speaker 2: there's this growing awareness that professionals and like all kinds
Speaker 2: of fields need this knowledge.
Speaker 1: I was really fascinated by that article about creating a
Speaker 1: digital forensics training like specifically for judges and prosecutors, you know.
Speaker 1: I feel like the legal system is always trying to
Speaker 1: catch up it is, yeah, with technology.
Speaker 2: Oh totally, And like that knowledge gap. It could have
Speaker 2: real consequences. You know, imagine a judge they're in a
Speaker 2: case with like digital evidence, Yeah, but they don't even
Speaker 2: understand like how it was collected or analyzed. It could
Speaker 2: lead to like rulings that are unfair or even wrong.
Speaker 1: You know, that's a really good point. I hadn't even
Speaker 1: thought about it that way.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And so like educating judges about things like digital forensics,
Speaker 2: it's really about making sure that those legal decisions are
Speaker 2: fair and informed in a world that's like only getting
Speaker 2: more digital. Absolutely, and this need for like broader cybersecurity education,
Speaker 2: it goes way beyond the court room. You know, another
Speaker 2: source you sent it talks about this modular lecture series
Speaker 2: video based and it was made to be accessible to
Speaker 2: like community college students, busy professionals, everyone.
Speaker 1: Okay, this is the one that really caught my eye.
Speaker 1: What makes this lecture series different?
Speaker 2: Well, first of all, it covers like a ton of
Speaker 2: stuff blockchain, cryptocurrencies, ethical hacking, even the dark web.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 2: And they designed it so that it's really flexible, like
Speaker 2: people could pick and choose the modules that like they're
Speaker 2: interested in or that relate to their careers.
Speaker 1: They choose your own adventure for cybersecurity education. That's really cool,
Speaker 1: and it's so.
Speaker 2: Different from those like typical boring lectures, right, Like these
Speaker 2: modules are supposed to be like engaging, kind of edgy
Speaker 2: even they talk about stuff that people are actually curious about.
Speaker 2: You know. It's like not just learning about firewalls. It's
Speaker 2: like getting a glimpse into like the world of crypto
Speaker 2: or like ethical hacking, like a little taste of cybersecurity.
Speaker 2: So people want to learn more. Yeah, that's a good
Speaker 2: way put it. It's like an appetizer, especially since there's
Speaker 2: just so much information out there. You know. It's about
Speaker 2: building like a foundation of knowledge and then letting people
Speaker 2: like pursue what they're actually into. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Right, So we've talked about a new cybersecurity mindset and
Speaker 1: making education more accessible. What other big trends are we
Speaker 1: seeing in these articles?
Speaker 2: I think one of the coolest things is that there's
Speaker 2: this real shift happening towards like hands on learning and gamification.
Speaker 2: Like the old way of doing things with lectures and textbooks,
Speaker 2: it's it's kind of fading away.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that makes sense. You can only read so much
Speaker 1: about network security before your eyes like lays over. But
Speaker 1: if you're actually building a network and trying to defend
Speaker 1: it against simulated attacks. That's like a whole other level totally.
Speaker 2: And actually one of the articles you sent it dives
Speaker 2: into using serious games to teach devsekops. Okay, have you
Speaker 2: heard of that.
Speaker 1: I'm not super familiar with it. Can you break it down?
Speaker 2: Okay? So it stands for Development, Security and Operations and
Speaker 2: it's basically a set of practices that like build security
Speaker 2: into every part of making software. So instead of thinking
Speaker 2: about security like at the end, you know, as an afterthought,
Speaker 2: it's baked into the process from the very beginning.
Speaker 1: So it's like preventing those vulnerabilities instead of trying to
Speaker 1: fix them later exactly.
Speaker 2: And that's where these serious games come in. They create
Speaker 2: these like simulated worlds where students can like play around
Speaker 2: with devsekops principles, you know, they make decisions about security investments,
Speaker 2: and then they actually see what happens based on their choices.
Speaker 1: So it's kind of like a flight simulator for software developers.
Speaker 1: They can crash and burn in the virtual world without
Speaker 1: like you know, actually causing damage exactly.
Speaker 2: And one of the games in the research actually makes
Speaker 2: students think about like the costs and the risks of
Speaker 2: different security measures. Ok, Like they have to make tough
Speaker 2: choices balance the need for security with other things like budget,
Speaker 2: how long it takes to develop user experience.
Speaker 1: Wow, so they're really having to like think critically and strategically.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, and I bet it's way more fun than
Speaker 2: just reading about it in the textbook.
Speaker 1: Right for sure. And I think another research team was
Speaker 1: talking about their work with something called a single board
Speaker 1: computing constellation, Oh, yes, which is basically it's a.
Speaker 2: Small cheap computers all network together.
Speaker 1: Yeah, to give students hands on experience with like cybersecurity concepts,
Speaker 1: so they're not just reading about firewalls, they're actually configuring
Speaker 1: them and testing them out in a safe environment exactly.
Speaker 2: Yeah. You can explore things like kernel modifications, network traffic analysis,
Speaker 2: even like ethical hacking techniques. But it's all in this
Speaker 2: like controlled setting.
Speaker 1: So it's like a cybersecurity playground where students can experiment
Speaker 1: and learn without worrying about breaking anything important.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good way to put it. And this
Speaker 2: like hands on approach it's really key to understanding like
Speaker 2: the technical side of cybersecurity. You know, it's one thing
Speaker 2: to read about how a network works, but it's totally
Speaker 2: different to build one, configure it, and then try to
Speaker 2: you know, hack into it.
Speaker 1: Right, because that's where the real learning happens, you know,
Speaker 1: when you run into those challenges and have to figure
Speaker 1: out how to solve them yourself.
Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. And that leads us to another big thing.
Speaker 2: These articles highlight the cutting edge research that's happening in
Speaker 2: the world of cybersecurity. It's not just about making education better.
Speaker 2: It's about like pushing the boundaries of what we know
Speaker 2: and coming up with new tech and strategies to fight
Speaker 2: these these threats that are always changing.
Speaker 1: I'm really interested in that research on securing all these
Speaker 1: new technologies, especially because the world is like becoming so
Speaker 1: interconnected so fast. What were some of the key areas
Speaker 1: that stood out to you, Well, the research.
Speaker 2: From the National Cyber Summit. They really dig deep into
Speaker 2: the whole thing about securing unmanned aerial vehicles. Yeah yeah,
Speaker 2: which is just a fancy way of saying drones.
Speaker 1: Drones.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I never really thought about the cybersecurity
Speaker 2: side of drones before, right, but it makes sense. They're
Speaker 2: like flying computers, you know, and if someone hacks into one,
Speaker 2: the results could be pretty bad. And the researchers they
Speaker 2: talk about some of the unique challenges with drones, like
Speaker 2: how much they rely on wireless communication and how they
Speaker 2: might be used in like really sensitive areas. You know,
Speaker 2: we're not just talking about some kid's toy drone like
Speaker 2: getting hacked and flying into a tree. We're talking about
Speaker 2: the potential for like espionage, sabotage, even physical harm.
Speaker 1: So like if a drone was carrying something sensitive and
Speaker 1: it was hijacked or its data was stolen, that could
Speaker 1: have serious consequences for like national security businesses, even individuals.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, totally. And to deal with those challenges, the
Speaker 2: researchers talk about things like the CNSSP twenty eight, which
Speaker 2: is basically a set of cybersecurity rules specifically for national
Speaker 2: security systems that are unmanned. Okay, so they're essentially trying
Speaker 2: to create a framework for like building and using secure
Speaker 2: drones for the government and the military.
Speaker 1: So it's kind of like building codes for houses, but
Speaker 1: for drones.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good way to think about it. And
Speaker 2: besides those rules, they're also looking at how to make
Speaker 2: civilian drones safer too, looking at things like you know,
Speaker 2: how to authenticate drones, protect the communication channels, even put
Speaker 2: in like self destruct features if a drone gets compromised.
Speaker 1: Self destruct. That sounds pretty intense, it.
Speaker 2: Is, but it just shows how serious this is. If
Speaker 2: a drone is compromised and there's no way to get
Speaker 2: it back, sometimes the best thing to do is make
Speaker 2: sure it doesn't end up in the wrong hands, right,
Speaker 2: or cause more problems.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's kind of a last resort to prevent
Speaker 1: a bigger disaster exactly.
Speaker 2: And this research on drone security is just one example
Speaker 2: of the cutting edge work being done in the field.
Speaker 2: Another area getting a lot of attention is security for
Speaker 2: like smart homes and the Internet of Things.
Speaker 1: It seems like everything in our homes is getting connected
Speaker 1: to the internet these days, smart refrigerators, smart thermostats, smart doorbells,
Speaker 1: even smart toothbrushes.
Speaker 2: I know, it's crazy.
Speaker 1: It's amazing, but also a little overwhelming from a security
Speaker 1: perspect you know, oh.
Speaker 2: Yeah, totally. And the researchers they're finding some pretty scary
Speaker 2: vulnerabilities in these systems, Like they've found ways that hackers
Speaker 2: can use innocent looking devices like smart meters to gather
Speaker 2: information about our habits and what we do.
Speaker 1: Wait, so someone could hack into my smart meter and
Speaker 1: figure out when I'm home when I'm not even what
Speaker 1: appliances I'm using.
Speaker 2: It's possible, Yeah, and that data could be used for
Speaker 2: all sorts of things like targeted advertising, but also scarier
Speaker 2: things like identity theft or even blackmail.
Speaker 1: That's kind of unsettling to think about how our personal
Speaker 1: information can be taken and used and we don't even
Speaker 1: know about it.
Speaker 2: It is, and it really highlights how important it is
Speaker 2: to be aware of the risks right and take steps
Speaker 2: to protect our privacy.
Speaker 1: So what can we do do we have to get
Speaker 1: rid of all our smart devices and go back to
Speaker 1: the stone age.
Speaker 2: Not necessarily, there are things we can do to lessen
Speaker 2: the risks without going totally offline. We'll talk about some
Speaker 2: of those and explore other cool aspects of cybersecurity research
Speaker 2: when we come back for part two of this deep dive.
Speaker 1: Okay, so before the break, we were talking about how
Speaker 1: hackers can actually use smart devices to figure out our
Speaker 1: daily routines.
Speaker 2: Pretty creepy, right, Yeah, a little unsettling, but there's good news.
Speaker 2: Cybersecurity folks are coming up with ways to protect on
Speaker 2: privacy in this world where everything's connected.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: One of the articles you sent actually talks about a
Speaker 2: technique called iotl.
Speaker 1: IOTL that sounds like some kind of secret code. What
Speaker 1: is it exactly?
Speaker 2: Well, it stands for Mitigation of IoT Leakage, okay, and
Speaker 2: it's a pretty smart approach. Basically, what it does is
Speaker 2: like it introduces fake traffic into your home network.
Speaker 1: Fake traffic.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Think of it like a digital smoke screen. Oh okay,
Speaker 2: that hides what you're really doing. So attackers have a
Speaker 2: much harder time getting any useful information from your smart devices.
Speaker 1: So if a hacker is watching my network, they'll see
Speaker 1: all this fake activity mixed in with my real activity exactly,
Speaker 1: and it makes it hard to tell them apart.
Speaker 2: Yeah, like trying to find a needle in a haystack,
Speaker 2: but a haystack is constantly moving and changing.
Speaker 1: That's pretty clever. Are there other things we can do
Speaker 1: to protect ourselves without having to give up all our
Speaker 1: smart devices? Of course?
Speaker 2: Of course, for starters, be careful about what information you're
Speaker 2: giving your devices, Like think twice before letting an app
Speaker 2: use your location.
Speaker 1: Data, Oh yeah.
Speaker 2: Or access your contacts.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker 2: It's so easy to just click allow without really thinking
Speaker 2: about it. Right, but those choices can really affect your privacy.
Speaker 1: Of course, you know you strong passwords and turn on
Speaker 1: to factor authentication.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's cybersecurity one on one, right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's always good to be reminded. What about
Speaker 1: keeping our software updated? That could be such a pain.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know it's so tempting to ignore those notifications.
Speaker 2: I know, but guess those updates often have important security fixes.
Speaker 2: Do to address vulnerabilities, right exactly?
Speaker 1: Think if I'm like getting a flu shot for your devices,
Speaker 1: it helps protect you from the newest threats out there.
Speaker 1: Good enough, joy, What if you're not really sure how
Speaker 1: to secure your device? Are there like resources people can use?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, definitely. Organizations like o wast O, WASP, the
Speaker 2: Open Web Application Security Project, Okay, they have tons of
Speaker 2: information and guys on how to secure web applications, including
Speaker 2: ones used in a lot of smart home devices.
Speaker 1: So there's help out there if we need it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. You don't have to be a cybersecurity whiz
Speaker 2: to protect yourself.
Speaker 1: That's good to know. So we've talked about a new
Speaker 1: mindset for cybersecurity, making education more accessible and even some
Speaker 1: ways to protect ourselves in this connected world. Anything else
Speaker 1: jumping out at you from these articles.
Speaker 2: Yeah, one of the things I'm most excited about is
Speaker 2: this move towards hands on learning and using games to
Speaker 2: teach these concepts, especially with things like DevSecOps, which we
Speaker 2: talked about before.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think a lot of people learn best by
Speaker 1: doing so that approach makes a lot.
Speaker 2: Of sense, right, and the research shows how effective it
Speaker 2: can be. Like, there's this one game it's called Gaming DevSecOps,
Speaker 2: and it puts students in the role of software developers
Speaker 2: who have to like build a system as fast as
Speaker 2: they can, Okay, but at the same time they're facing
Speaker 2: all these security challenges.
Speaker 1: So it's not just about coding. It's about understanding how
Speaker 1: those coding decisions could impact security. Right.
Speaker 2: That's it. Students have to think strategically about security investments,
Speaker 2: figure out the costs and risks of different approaches, deal
Speaker 2: with unexpected stuff like cyber attacks. It makes them think
Speaker 2: on their feet.
Speaker 1: That's a lot different from just reading a textbook.
Speaker 2: Uh oh, yeah. It really brings the concepts to life,
Speaker 2: you know. The researchers found that students who played this
Speaker 2: game actually did way better on tests about dev secops.
Speaker 2: Oh wow, compared to students who learned the traditional way.
Speaker 1: Interesting. It seems like games could really change the game
Speaker 1: for cybersecurity education.
Speaker 2: I think so. And it's not just dev secops either.
Speaker 2: They're using games to teach all sorts of cybersecurity topics,
Speaker 2: from network security to incident response.
Speaker 1: Makes sense. Games are engaging, They pull you in and
Speaker 1: you can experiment without any real world consequences, you know, exactly.
Speaker 2: And this whole idea of hands on interactive learning it
Speaker 2: goes beyond games too. Some researchers are using things like
Speaker 2: single board computers and micro controllers to create cool learning experience.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I remember reading about that.
Speaker 2: It's like those old chemistry sets, but instead of mixing chemicals,
Speaker 2: students are building and hacking devices.
Speaker 1: So they're like becoming cybersecurity tinkerers exactly.
Speaker 2: And they're given the tools and knowledge to explore an
Speaker 2: experiment in a safe environment. That's how you build the
Speaker 2: next generation of cybersecurity pros.
Speaker 1: We've talked a lot about the educational side of things,
Speaker 1: but what about the research, like the actual work being
Speaker 1: done to secure all this new tech. We touched on drones,
Speaker 1: but where else are researchers focusing their energy.
Speaker 2: Well, one big area is communication security, especially for the
Speaker 2: Internet of things, right. Researchers are looking at all sorts
Speaker 2: of ways to protect the data that's flowing between all
Speaker 2: these devices and the networks they're.
Speaker 1: Connected to, right, because if that communication channel is compromised,
Speaker 1: then it's game over, exactly. And they're looking at everything
Speaker 1: from the traditional encryption to more advanced techniques like using
Speaker 1: multiple drones to create interference so attackers can't eavesdrop. They're
Speaker 1: also exploring ways to like authenticate devices so you can
Speaker 1: be sure you're actually talking to your smart thermostat, right
Speaker 1: and not some hackers' device exactly. Sounds like they're really
Speaker 1: pulling out all the stops.
Speaker 2: They are, and it's not just about protecting the devices themselves.
Speaker 2: Researchers are also figuring out how to secure the data
Speaker 2: those systems collect in store too.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that's important. I mean, we've seen how valuable
Speaker 1: that data can be and how it can be used
Speaker 1: in good and bad ways exactly.
Speaker 2: So they're exploring things like data encryption, access controls, even
Speaker 2: ways to securely delete data. The goal is to make
Speaker 2: sure that even if a hacker gets their hands on
Speaker 2: your data. It's either completely useless or way too hard
Speaker 2: to use.
Speaker 1: So even if someone gets into my smart home system,
Speaker 1: they won't be able to access my info or mess
Speaker 1: with my devices.
Speaker 2: That's the idea. Yeah, And even if they can get
Speaker 2: to the data, they might not even know if it's real.
Speaker 2: Some researchers are working on ways to sneak fake data
Speaker 2: into these systems. Oh wow, just to mess with the attackers.
Speaker 1: It's like a digital game of cat and mouse, with
Speaker 1: researchers always trying to stay one step ahead.
Speaker 2: That's a great way to put it. Yeah, cybersecurity is
Speaker 2: a field that's constantly changing. As new technology comes out
Speaker 2: and new threats pop up, the researchers have to keep
Speaker 2: adapting and coming up with new strategies to fight back.
Speaker 1: Sounds like it takes a certain kind of person to
Speaker 1: work in cybersecurity. You got to be able to think
Speaker 1: like an attacker, predict their moves, and then come up
Speaker 1: with creative ways to outsmart them.
Speaker 2: It does take a special set of skills and a
Speaker 2: certain way of thinking. But the cool thing about cybersecurity
Speaker 2: is that it's not just about technical stuff. It's also
Speaker 2: about psychology, human behavior, even economics.
Speaker 1: Really. Yeah, So it's not just about building unbreakable systems,
Speaker 1: it's about understanding the people who are trying to break
Speaker 1: in exactly.
Speaker 2: Cybersecurity is a field where you got to know a
Speaker 2: lot of different things. Yea, not just tech. It's about
Speaker 2: people and how they use tech. That's what makes it
Speaker 2: so challenging and so rewarding.
Speaker 1: Okay, so we've talked about education, the research, even ways
Speaker 1: to protect ourselves, But what about the people doing these attacks?
Speaker 1: Who are these hackers and what do they want?
Speaker 2: That's a tough question and the answer kind of depends
Speaker 2: on the attack. Some hackers are after money, they want
Speaker 2: to steal data or cash, you know. Others have political
Speaker 2: or ideological reasons. They want to cause trouble for organizations
Speaker 2: or governments they don't like.
Speaker 1: So there's like a whole range of bad guys from
Speaker 1: like small time thieves to organized crime to like state
Speaker 1: sponsored actors.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good way to think about it. And
Speaker 2: the attacks themselves, they can range from simple things like
Speaker 2: phishing scams to super complicated multi stage operations, custom malware,
Speaker 2: tons of planning.
Speaker 1: That's a little scary to think about how sophisticated some
Speaker 1: of these attacks are getting.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not just teenagers in their basements anymore, right,
Speaker 2: and the targets are changing too. We're seeing attacks on
Speaker 2: importan and infrastructure, banks, governments, even individuals.
Speaker 1: So it's not just about protecting our computers and data anymore.
Speaker 1: It's about protecting our way of life exactly.
Speaker 2: Cybersecurity isn't just a technical issue anymore. It affects all
Speaker 2: of society definitely.
Speaker 1: So let's talk about some real world examples of cyber
Speaker 1: attacks from these articles, cases that really show the scale
Speaker 1: and sophistication of the threats were up against. What's the
Speaker 1: first one that comes to mind.
Speaker 2: Well, one of the biggest ones was the Bangladesh bank heist.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I remember that. That was back in twenty sixteen, right, Yeah.
Speaker 1: Hackers got away with millions of dollars by taking advantage
Speaker 1: of weaknesses in the Swift network. Yeah, that's the global
Speaker 1: financial messaging system, right, yep.
Speaker 2: It was a crazy sophisticated attack. They combined technical skills,
Speaker 2: social engineering, and they even understood how the bank worked internally.
Speaker 2: They got into the bank system, installed malware, and then
Speaker 2: sent fake messages through Swift to transfer money to their
Speaker 2: own accounts.
Speaker 1: So they didn't just break into one system. They comprom
Speaker 1: multiple systems and got them to do what they wanted.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was like a perfectly planned digital heist exactly.
Speaker 1: What's interesting is how they combine technical skills with understanding
Speaker 1: how people behave. You know, they exploited weaknesses and the
Speaker 1: bank's security procedures and even tricked employees into helping them. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it just shows that even the most secure systems are
Speaker 1: vulnerable if the people using them aren't careful.
Speaker 2: That's so true. The investigation is still going on, but
Speaker 2: they've figured out a lot about how it happened. They
Speaker 2: followed the money, identified some of the people involved, and
Speaker 2: even found evidence that someone who worked at the bank
Speaker 2: might have helped them.
Speaker 1: Wow, that's wild.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it really shows how cybersecurity isn't just about technology.
Speaker 2: It's also about people, the processes, and the whole culture
Speaker 2: of security within organizations.
Speaker 1: So it's not just about stopping attacks, it's about finding
Speaker 1: them early and reacting quickly to limit the damage.
Speaker 2: Right. And that brings us to another interesting case, a
Speaker 2: bunch of attacks on Brazilian banks. These show how important
Speaker 2: and it is to be on guard and take proactive
Speaker 2: security measures.
Speaker 1: I read about those they were different from the Bangladesh
Speaker 1: Bank thing because they didn't use brute force hacking or malware.
Speaker 1: They exploited vulnerabilities in the domain name system, the internet's
Speaker 1: phone book.
Speaker 2: Basically exactly, they took control of the bank's domain registrations
Speaker 2: and changed the DNS records that they pointed to their
Speaker 2: own servers. So when customers tried to go to the
Speaker 2: bank's website, they were redirected to fake websites that looked
Speaker 2: exactly like the real thing.
Speaker 1: So the customers thought they were logging in, but they
Speaker 1: were actually giving their info to the attackers.
Speaker 2: Yep. And it gets worse. They even got valid HTTPS
Speaker 2: certificates for those fake sites, so the user's browsers showed
Speaker 2: the green lock, you know, like it was secure seeky.
Speaker 2: It is, And it shows how important it is for
Speaker 2: people to be careful about where they enter their personal
Speaker 2: information online. Even if a website looks real and has
Speaker 2: that security certificate, it could still be a.
Speaker 1: Trap, So we need to be really careful. And it
Speaker 1: also shows how important and it is to educate users
Speaker 1: right oh.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, people need to understand the basics of how the
Speaker 2: Internet works, how to spot phishing scams, how to check
Speaker 2: if a website is legit.
Speaker 1: Because a lot of times the weakest link.
Speaker 2: Is us exactly. So it's crucial to invest in security
Speaker 2: awareness training and empower users to take charge of their
Speaker 2: own safety online.
Speaker 1: So we've seen how hackers can target banks, individuals, even
Speaker 1: critical infrastructure. What are we doing to fight back? Are
Speaker 1: law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals keeping up with all these
Speaker 1: evolving threats.
Speaker 2: It's a tough battle, but there are some good things happening.
Speaker 2: We read about a group of researchers who are developing
Speaker 2: a system called secure Swift okay, and it's designed to
Speaker 2: improve the security of the Swift network by adding another
Speaker 2: layer of authentication and monitoring. They want to use digital
Speaker 2: signatures and machine learning to spot and stop fraudulent messages.
Speaker 1: So it's like giving Swift a digital bodyguard exactly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you make it way harder to pull off another
Speaker 2: Bangladesh bang heist. And this is just one example of
Speaker 2: the innovative solutions being developed to fight cybercrime. We're also
Speaker 2: seeing progress in things like threat intelligence sharing, where companies
Speaker 2: work together and share information about the latest threats and vulnerability.
Speaker 1: Oh that makes sense.
Speaker 2: Yeah, if we can share information about the bad guys
Speaker 2: and what they're doing. We can all better protect ourselves
Speaker 2: right and law enforcement is stepping up too. They're working
Speaker 2: with cybersecurity experts to track down hackers, stop their operations,
Speaker 2: and bring them to justice. We're seeing more international cooperation,
Speaker 2: which is important because cybercrime crosses borders all the time.
Speaker 1: It's good to know that someone's out there fighting the
Speaker 1: good fight.
Speaker 2: It is, yeah, and it's important to remember that we
Speaker 2: all have a role to play in cybersecurity. By being
Speaker 2: aware of the risks, taking those precautions, and supporting law
Speaker 2: enforcement and those cybersecurity professionals, we can make the digital
Speaker 2: world safer for everyone.
Speaker 1: Well said, We've covered a lot in this deep dive,
Speaker 1: from the importance of education and training to the research
Speaker 1: happening right now to secure our digital world. But clearly
Speaker 1: this is an ongoing challenge and we need to keep
Speaker 1: adapting as the threats change.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, cybersecurity isn't a destination, it's a journey.
Speaker 1: Well, that's a good way to put it. It feels
Speaker 1: like we've only just scratched the surface we.
Speaker 2: Have, but I think we've laid a good foundation. It's
Speaker 2: clear that cybersecurity isn't just some technical problem. It touches
Speaker 2: every part of our lives, how we bank, shop, communicate,
Speaker 2: even how we control our homes.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a part of everything, right, and.
Speaker 2: That's why we need to think about the future of cybersecurity.
Speaker 2: What can we do to make the digital world safer
Speaker 2: and more secure for us and for future generations.
Speaker 1: That's the big question, isn't it. Where do we go
Speaker 1: from here?
Speaker 2: Well, one thing that's clear from all this research is
Speaker 2: that there's no easy answer, no single technology or strategy
Speaker 2: that's going to solve everything.
Speaker 1: It's going to take a bunch of different approaches, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, a lot of collaboration between governments, companies, schools, and
Speaker 2: regular people. Everyone has a part to play, and.
Speaker 1: We need to be thinking long term.
Speaker 2: Oh for sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: We need to invest in research and development, strengthen our defenses,
Speaker 2: and most importantly, educate the next generation of cybersecurity folks.
Speaker 1: Speaking of education, we've seen some really cool approaches in
Speaker 1: these articles, games, hands on labs, even cybersecurity training for judges.
Speaker 1: What other trends are you noticing in this area?
Speaker 2: One promising one is this move towards what they call
Speaker 2: competency based education. Okay, I means focusing on what students
Speaker 2: can actually do, not just what they know.
Speaker 1: So it's about being able to use that knowledge in
Speaker 1: the real world, not just passing tests exactly.
Speaker 2: Designing courses that match industry standards, giving students a chance
Speaker 2: to get real world experience through internships and stuff like
Speaker 2: that makes sense. We need to make sure cybersecurity grads
Speaker 2: are ready to work and have the skills they need
Speaker 2: to succeed.
Speaker 1: And it's not just technical skills, right right.
Speaker 2: We also need to help them develop those soft skills
Speaker 2: like communication, problem solving, working in teams because in cybersecurity
Speaker 2: you rarely work alone.
Speaker 1: It's a team effort for sure.
Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, And that brings us to another interesting trend.
Speaker 2: There's a growing focus on collaboration between different fields. Oh yeah,
Speaker 2: so cybersecurity isn't stuck in the computer science department anymore.
Speaker 2: It's branching out. Okay, We're seeing it integrated into law, business, healthcare,
Speaker 2: even the humanities. Wow, which makes sense. As cybersecurity becomes
Speaker 2: more and more part of everything, we need people with
Speaker 2: different backgrounds and skills to tackle these challenges. It's about
Speaker 2: breaking down those old walls and bringing people together from
Speaker 2: different fields to come up with creative solutions.
Speaker 1: It's like that's saying two heads are better than one,
Speaker 1: but in this case, it's more like a dozen heads
Speaker 1: with different expertise are better than one. Uh huh. That's
Speaker 1: a great way to put it. And in the end,
Speaker 1: it all comes back to having a cybersecurity mindset. It's
Speaker 1: not just about having the skills. It's about knowing the risks,
Speaker 1: thinking critically, and being proactive about security.
Speaker 2: So making cybersecurity to be a part of everyday life,
Speaker 2: like wearing a seatbelt or locking your doors.
Speaker 1: And that's something everyone can do, no matter how tech
Speaker 1: savvy they are.
Speaker 2: So before we wrap up this deep dive, any practical
Speaker 2: tips for our listeners on how to improve their own cybersecurity. Well.
Speaker 1: First off, be aware of the risks, keep up with
Speaker 1: the latest threats, scams, and vulnerabilities. There's tons of information online,
Speaker 1: government websites, security blogs, all sorts of stuff.
Speaker 2: Right, knowledge is power.
Speaker 1: It is, and be careful about what you share online.
Speaker 1: Use strong passwords, turn on two factor authentication, watch out
Speaker 1: for phishing emails and shady links, keep your software updated
Speaker 1: and back up your important files regularly.
Speaker 2: It sounds like common sense, but I know it's easy
Speaker 2: to forget, especially when you're busy, Oh for sure.
Speaker 1: And if you're ever not sure about something, ask for help,
Speaker 1: your it support, cybersecurity experts, even the police, they can help.
Speaker 2: And don't be afraid to report anything suspicious.
Speaker 1: Yeah, if you see something, say something right exactly.
Speaker 2: We all have to look out for each other in
Speaker 2: this digital world.
Speaker 1: So it sounds like we all have a part to
Speaker 1: play in making a safer, more secure digital world.
Speaker 2: We do, and the good news is that it's not
Speaker 2: as hard as you might think. By taking simple steps,
Speaker 2: staying informed, and working together, we can actually make a difference.
Speaker 1: This deep dive has been really eye opening. Any less thoughts, just.
Speaker 2: This, The future of cybersecurity is in our hands. By
Speaker 2: investing in education, making security part of our culture, and
Speaker 2: working together, we can build a digital world where everyone
Speaker 2: can thrive.
Speaker 1: Well said, Thanks for joining us on this deep dive
Speaker 1: into cybersecurity, education and research. Until next time, stay safe
Speaker 1: and keep learning.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it really does feel like we've only just scratched
Speaker 2: the surface of this whole topic.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we have, but I think we've got like a
Speaker 1: good starting point.
Speaker 2: You know, it's pretty clear that cybersecurity it's not just
Speaker 2: a tech issue. It affects everything we do, how we bank,
Speaker 2: how we shop, how we communicate, even how we you know,
Speaker 2: manage our homes.
Speaker 1: It's like woven into the fabric of society.
Speaker 2: Exactly, and that's why it's so important to think about
Speaker 2: like the future of cybersecurity. What can we actually do
Speaker 2: to make the digital world safer, more secure for ourselves
Speaker 2: and you know, for generations to come.
Speaker 1: Right, that's the big question, Right, where do we go
Speaker 1: from here?
Speaker 2: Well, one thing is for sure from all these articles,
Speaker 2: there's no magic solution. Yeah, no single technology or strategy
Speaker 2: that's going to solve all our cybersecurity problems.
Speaker 1: So it's going to take a multifaceted approach exactly.
Speaker 2: We need governments, companies, schools, and individuals all working together.
Speaker 1: Yeah, everybody has a part to play.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we've got to be thinking long term invest
Speaker 2: in research, strengthen our defenses, and maybe most importantly, educate
Speaker 2: that next generation of cybersecurity pros.
Speaker 1: You know, speaking of education, we've seen some really creative
Speaker 1: approaches in these sources, games, hands on labs, even cybersecurity
Speaker 1: training for judges. What other trends are you seeing pop
Speaker 1: up in cybersecurity education?
Speaker 2: Well, one that's really promising is this idea of competency
Speaker 2: based education.
Speaker 1: Competency based Okay.
Speaker 2: It's all about focusing on what students can actually do,
Speaker 2: not just what they memorize, right, So it's not about
Speaker 2: passing a test, it's about using that knowledge in real
Speaker 2: world situations.
Speaker 1: Right, being able to actually apply it exactly.
Speaker 2: So building curriculums that match what the industry needs, you know,
Speaker 2: getting those certifications, and making sure students get practical experience
Speaker 2: through internships, apprenticeships, stuff like that.
Speaker 1: So basically making sure those cybersecurity grads are ready to go.
Speaker 2: Yep, prepared to work and with the skills they need
Speaker 2: to succeed.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, And I imagine it's not just technical skills, no,
Speaker 1: not at all. Right, the soft skills, communication, problem solving, teamwork,
Speaker 1: all that stuff is important too.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, those are key. Cybersecurity is rarely a one person.
Speaker 1: Job, right, It's definitely a team effort.
Speaker 2: Exactly, which brings us to another trend. I'm seeing more
Speaker 2: and more emphasis on collaboration between different feeds.
Speaker 1: So cybersecurity isn't just a computer science thing anymore. It's
Speaker 1: spreading out into other areas.
Speaker 2: Yep, we're seeing cybersecurity becoming part of law, business, healthcare,
Speaker 2: even the humanities. Wow.
Speaker 1: So as cybersecurity becomes more important in every part of life,
Speaker 1: we need people with lots of different perspectives and skills exactly.
Speaker 2: It's about breaking down those traditional walls and bringing people
Speaker 2: together from all kinds of backgrounds to find solutions.
Speaker 1: Yeah. It's like instead of just two heads being better
Speaker 1: than one, it's like a dozen heads with different specialties exactly.
Speaker 2: And you know, ultimately it all goes back to that
Speaker 2: cybersecurity mindset we were talking about before. It's not just
Speaker 2: about technical know how. It's about being aware of those risks,
Speaker 2: thinking critically and being proactive.
Speaker 1: Right, So making cybersecurity just a normal part of life,
Speaker 1: like you know, buckling your seatbelt yep, or locking your.
Speaker 2: Door exactly, and that's something everyone can do, no matter
Speaker 2: how tech savvy they are.
Speaker 1: So, as we wrap up this deep dive, any parting
Speaker 1: advice for our listener on how to stay safe online?
Speaker 2: Well, the first thing is just being aware, stay up
Speaker 2: to date on the latest scams, threats and vulnerabilities. There
Speaker 2: are tons of resources out there, yeah, government websites, security blogs,
Speaker 2: all sorts of things.
Speaker 1: Knowledge is power, it is.
Speaker 2: And be careful about what information you share online and
Speaker 2: who you share it with. You know, use strong passwords,
Speaker 2: turn on that two factor authentication, watch out for those
Speaker 2: phishing emails and those links that look suspicious, keep your
Speaker 2: software updated, back up your important data. Right you know
Speaker 2: it sounds like common sense, but I know it's easy
Speaker 2: to get complacent, especially when we're busy. Absolutely, and if
Speaker 2: you're ever unsure about something, don't be afraid to ask
Speaker 2: for help, right it. Support security professionals, even law enforcement,
Speaker 2: they're there to help. Yeah, if you see something fishy,
Speaker 2: report it.
Speaker 1: If you see something, say something exactly.
Speaker 2: We got to look out for each other online.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, so we all have a part to play in
Speaker 1: making the digital world a safer place.
Speaker 2: We do, and the good news is it's not as
Speaker 2: overwhelming as it might seem. By taking those small steps,
Speaker 2: staying informed, and working together, we can make a real difference.
Speaker 1: This has been a really fascinating deep dive. Any final
Speaker 1: thoughts you want to leave us with?
Speaker 2: Just this, The future of cybersecurity is up to us.
Speaker 2: By investing in education, making security part of our culture,
Speaker 2: and collaborating, we can build a digital world where everyone
Speaker 2: can thrive.
Speaker 1: Well said, Thanks for joining us on this deep dive
Speaker 1: into the world of cybersecurity, education and research. Until next time,
Speaker 1: stay safe out there and keep learning.