Job scams are getting scary good. We're talking AI deepfakes, fake recruiters, and cryptocurrency traps that are fooling even tech-savvy professionals. In this Security Cocktail Hour holiday special, Joe and Adam break down four of the most dangerous job scams hitting people right now—because nothing says "Happy Holidays" quite like protecting yourself from scammers, right?

If you're job hunting (or know someone who is), grab a drink and settle in. We're covering everything from deepfake video interviews to the bizarre world of "lucky order" scams that'll drain your crypto wallet faster than you can say "I got the job!"

What You'll Learn:

✅ How scammers use real-time deepfake technology to impersonate legitimate recruiters

✅ The malware delivery tactics hidden in "competency tests" and coding exercises

✅ How to spot fake job postings before sharing personal information

✅ The "lucky order" scam that tricks workers into depleting their own accounts

00:00 Intro: Job Scams for the Holidays

01:08 AI Enhanced Interview Fraud

11:26 Packaging and Processing Scams

17:23 Mystery Shopper Scam

24:30 Gamify/Task Scams

28:48 Help Spread Awareness

29:40 Wrapup and Happy Holidays

30:58 Bonus Bloopers!

Key Takeaways:

🚩 Red Flag #1: Any job asking for money upfront (deposits, equipment fees, background check fees)

🚩 Red Flag #2: Payment exclusively in cryptocurrency for employment

🚩 Red Flag #3: Requests for excessive personal information before an interview

🚩 Red Flag #4: Downloading special software for interviews or tests

🚩 Red Flag #5: "Too good to be true" easy money for simple tasks

Protect Yourself:

✓ Always verify recruiters through official company websites (not LinkedIn alone)

✓ Never give MFA/2FA codes to anyone—even for "deposits"

✓ Be wary of video interviews that seem glitchy (could be deepfakes)

✓ Research the company independently before sharing personal data

✓ Use multi-factor authentication on all financial accounts

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Website: securitycocktailhour.com

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Twitter: @SecCocktailHour

Share This Episode: Know someone job hunting? Share this video to help protect them from these evolving scams.

Scammers stay busy during the holidays. From recognizing fake gift card requests to safe phone payments for teens, we're bringing back the best cyber security tips from last year's holiday episode, as a warmup for a new episode focusing on the latest AI threats coming next week.

Whether you’re buying gifts, traveling, or just enjoying the holidays with family, these practical tips will help you protect yourself and your loved ones.

👉 Help us fight back against the scammers:

• Share this episode with friends and family to keep them safe too!
• Leave a comment with your experiences or questions about scams.

Stay safe, stay smart, and have a happy holiday season! 🎁

In this episode of the Security Cocktail Hour, guest Jatin Mannepalli introduces co-hosts Joe Patti and Adam Roth the high-speed, high stakes world of high frequency trading (HFT) and its many security challenges. The conversation delves into the intricacies of high frequency trading, the stress of incident response, and the importance of redundancy in connectivity. They discuss the evolution of data transmission methods, the challenges of security in trading environments, and the role of custom hardware. The episode also touches on the current job market in cyber security and the necessity of collaboration among firms to enhance security measures.

Have you worked in cyber security for trading environments, or HFT's? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker, Jatin Mannepalli, and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of IMC Trading or its affiliates.

Join Security Cocktail Hour hosts Joe Patti and Adam Roth for an in-depth conversation with Myke Lyons, Chief Information Security Officer at Cribl, about AI in cybersecurity operations. Discover how modern CISOs are actually using LLMs and AI tools in their daily work, handling the data explosion (28% CAGR growth in logs), and transforming security operations with smarter telemetry management. Myke shares practical AI adoption strategies, prompt engineering techniques, and his unique perspective on threat hunting with modern data architectures. From his non-traditional background (Culinary Institute of America graduate) to leading security at companies like Snyk, Collibra, and ServiceNow, Myke offers real-world insights on the future of AI in security.

Everyone's using AI, including ransomware gangs. Podcast guest Karin Lagziel, Director Cybersecurity at consulting firm Sygnia, gives us the news and her cyber defense strategies for fighting back: With more AI, as well as a focus on fundamentals.

In this episode:

🔹 The first AI-powered ransomware "Prompt Lock" discovered in the wild
🔹 How Chinese hackers created "Villager" - the AI version of Cobalt Strike
🔹 Why traditional cybersecurity is failing against AI attacks
🔹 How attackers weaponize your own AI against you
🔹 The dark web's "AI as a Service" marketplace
🔹 Real-time deep fakes so realistic they fool security experts
🔹 AI governance frameworks
🔹 Why every organization needs agentic AI for defense
🔹 The future of cybersecurity careers (spoiler: humans aren't going away)

Guest info: Karin Lagziel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinlags/
Sygnia: https://sygnia.co

How are you preparing for AI-enabled cyber attacks? Tell us in the comments. 👇

Forbes 30 Under 30 cybersecurity expert Yevheniia Broshevan discusses crypto security challenges, bug bounty programs, and the reality that 95% of Bitcoin has been mined while 11-18% is lost forever.

🔥 What You'll Learn:

• The concerning trend in crypto losses hitting $3 billion this year alone
• How bug bounties in Web3 can reach up to $10 million for critical vulnerabilities
• How operational security failures cause more crypto thefts than code vulnerabilities
• Why diversification is critical when storing digital assets
• The reality behind crypto kidnappings
• Real-world asset tokenization and the future of digital assetsKey management best practices

🎯 Guest Spotlight:

Yevheniia Broshevan – Co-Founder and CEO of Hacken, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and Web3 security pioneer who has been active in crypto since 2014. Hacken, an end-to-end security and compliance partner for digital assets, has conducted security assessments for over 2,000 clients and operates a community of 50,000+ ethical hackers who have identified vulnerabilities worth millions.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Access control issues and private key leakage cause majority of crypto hacks
• Bug bounties in crypto can reach 5-10% of potential losses (millions in payouts)
• Hardware wallets, diversification, and proper key management are essential
• The industry lost $2.5 billion last year, $3 billion this year - trend is accelerating
• Phishing and social engineering remain the weakest links in crypto security

🚨 Critical Security Insights:

From penetration testing blockchain protocols to smart contract audits, Yev reveals the hidden vulnerabilities that put billions at risk. Whether you're a crypto investor, security professional, or curious about Web3 technology, this conversation delivers actionable intelligence you can't afford to miss.

💬 Comment: What's your biggest crypto security concern?

Follow the Security Cocktail Hour podcast:

• Website: https://securitycocktailhour.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/security-cocktail-hour/
• Twitter/X: @SecCocktailHour
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seccocktailhour/

Guest Links:

• Yevheniia Broshevan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/broshevan/
• Hacken: https://hacken.io

#CryptoSecurity #Web3Security #Blockchain #Cybersecurity #DigitalAssets #SmartContracts #CryptoHacking #BugBounty #Web3 #SecurityPodcast #Forbes30Under30 #EthicalHacking #PenetrationTesting #CryptoWallet #KeyManagement #SecurityAudit #DeFi #Cryptocurrency

Ever wondered what that mysterious "WiFi Pineapple" device from hacker movies actually does? Today we're unboxing the Hak5 WiFi Pineapple Mark 7 - the real penetration testing tool that's been featured in countless TV shows and movies!

🔥 What We Cover:

• Complete unboxing of the WiFi Pineapple Mark 7
• How hackers use this for man-in-the-middle attack
• Why you should be worried about fake WiFi hotspots
• Real-world scenarios where this could be deployed

• Ethical penetration testing applications

⚠️ STAY SAFE: This video is for educational and ethical penetration testing purposes only. Always use these tools responsibly and only on networks you own or have explicit permission to test.

For a discussion on these tools and the ethics of using them, listen to Episode 6: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/security-cocktail-hour-po/episodes/Ep--6-Flipper-Zero-and-Other-Totally-Legit-Hacking-Tools-e2bsa4i

For more unboxing videos of hacking and cybersecurity devices, check out this episode:

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/security-cocktail-hour-po/episodes/Ep--58-Travel-Router-Unboxing-Dont-Get-Hacked-on-Vacation-e36dgrf

#WiFiPineapple #Hak5 #CyberSecurity #PenetrationTesting #Unboxing #InfoSec #EthicalHacking #SecurityCocktailHour

Back in Episode 54 we talked about vacation cybersecurity, including the dangers of hotel WiFi and public networks. Today we're unboxing the travel router that could save your digital life while traveling (or at least save you a lot of grief).

🚨 Why You NEED This:

Hotel WiFi is a hacker's playground. From man-in-the-middle attacks to data theft, public networks are incredibly dangerous. This tiny device creates your own secure network bubble wherever you go!

🏨 Real Vacation Scenarios:

Hotel room internet security

Airport lounge protection

Coffee shop safety

Airbnb and rental property networks

International travel considerations