Governments, Hackers, and Government Hackers (feat. Emily Crose)
Welcome back to The FAIK Files!
In this week's episode, we sit down with Emily Crose, a former US Intelligence Officer and expert in offensive and defensive cyber security.
- We discuss her book, "Hack to the Future," and the history of how governments pursue and domesticate hackers.
- The evolution of the relationship between the hacking community and the US government, from the "Kevin Mitnick era" to modern recruitment.
- How the culture of early BBS systems morphed into modern social media influence and disinformation.
- Hidden history: The "Eligible Receiver" exercise and the mysterious "Evidence Surprise."
- The resilience of Critical Infrastructure (SCADA) and the role of regulation in cybersecurity.
Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: https://sayhi.chat/FAIK
You can also join our Discord server here: https://faik.to/discord
*** NOTES AND REFERENCES ***
The Guest & The Book:
- Emily Crose is a security researcher specializing in Linux behavioral threat research and development.
- Get the Book: "Hack to the Future: How World Governments Relentlessly Pursue and Domesticate Hackers": https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Hack+to+The+Future%3A+How+World+Governments+Relentlessly+Pursue+and+Domesticate+Hackers-p-9781394169825
History of Government & Hacker Relations:
- The shift from viewing hackers solely as suspects to pursuing them for technical talent.
- The "Massive Fiasco" involving the French government's approach to hackers in the early 90s.
- The impact of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the arrest of Kevin Mitnick.
Recruitment, Trust, and Culture:
- How the 2013 Snowden revelations fractured trust between the government and the hacker community.
- Modern recruitment leverages: NSA Centers of Academic Excellence and student loan repayment vs. patriotism.
Influence Operations & Social Engineering:
- Tracing the lineage of online culture from BBS flame wars to modern algorithmic radicalization.
- The intersection of Anonymous, LulzSec, WikiLeaks, and the Syrian Civil War.
- Rolling Stone article on LulzSec and the FBI: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-rise-and-fall-of-jeremy-hammond-enemy-of-the-state-185363/
Future Threats & Hidden History:
- The issue of ransomware and the lack of legislative solutions.
- Eligible Receiver (1997): A famous government exercise testing US response to cyber threats.
- Evidence Surprise: A little-known offensive exercise that took place shortly before Eligible Receiver.
- Why the electrical grid (NERC regulations) is often more resilient than other industrial sectors (like oil/gas).
- Book recommendation: "Dark Territory" by Fred Kaplan.
*** THE BOILERPLATE ***
About The FAIK Files:
The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.
- Get the Book: FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions (Amazon Associates link)
- Check out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.com
- Sign up for The Mark & The Mask with Perry && Brian Brushwood: https://faik.to/Convene
Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA
Want to connect with us? Here's how:
Connect with Perry:
- Perry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter
- Perry on X: https://x.com/perrycarpenter
- Perry on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social
Connect with Mason:
- Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/
- Mason on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing
