Cyber warfare is no longer something that happens behind closed doors or in some far-off digital corner. It's happening now—and reshaping the rules of conflict in real time. Drone strikes controlled by apps, ransomware attacks on hospitals—today's battleground is just as likely to be online as on the ground. That science fiction scenario is now a critical, constant threat-the kind that affects us all globally.

I'm really excited to introduce you to Dr. Chase Cunningham. He's a retired Navy chief cryptologist with a wealth of experience in cyber operations for the NSA, CIA, FBI—and more. He's the one who pioneered zero-trust security strategies and advises top decision-makers in government and private industry. That gives him a front-row seat to how digital warfare is evolving—and what that means for all of us. He's also the author of Cyber Warfare and the gAbriel Series, where his real-world expertise comes to life in stories that are chillingly plausible.

We talk about how cyber conflict is already playing out in Ukraine, how different threat actors operate—and why critical infrastructure is such a tempting target. Chase shares practical advice on what individuals and small businesses can do to better protect themselves. We also look at what governments are doing to defend against these growing threats. That conversation is eye-opening-and urgent. You won't want to miss it.

• [01:21] Chase is a retired Navy Chief and a cryptologist. He also worked at the NSA. He also put Zero Trust in the formal practice at Forrester research.
• [03:24] We learn how Chase got involved with computer work and cryptology.
• [05:29] We're seeing cyber war play out in real time with Russia and Ukraine.
• [07:13] We talk about the future of war and drones.
• [08:31] Cyber warfare is just the natural evolution of conflict in the digital space. It's the bridge between espionage and kinetic activity.
• [09:40] Chase talks about the different actors in the cyber warfare space and their primary targets.
• [12:05] Critical infrastructure includes oil and gas, piping, water systems, healthcare, and even schools.
• [14:12] Some of the unique issues with dealing with the attacks from cyber criminals.
• [19:20] How the CCP plays 3D chess.
• [22:26] Reducing risk and protecting ourselves includes following best practices.
• [25:10] What the government is doing to try to mitigate cyber risk.
• [27:23] Chasing money and finding cyber crime.
• [32:04] A lot of valuable assets are being developed in the context of war.
• [35:06] Chase talks about some of the things he covers in his book.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

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• Chase Cunningham - Dr. Zero Trust
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• Cyber Warfare – Truth, Tactics, and Strategies
• gAbrIel: A Novel in the gAbrIel Series
• Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America

Scammers are getting smarter, understanding the psychology behind social engineering and the challenges companies face every day can help keep networks secure. This episode will show how to anticipate these threats and secure networks against ever-changing vulnerabilities. We’ll focus on practical, real-world solutions to protect data and trust.

Dr. Jared Smith joins us to share his insights from his role leading research and development at SecurityScorecard. He also co-founded UnCat, a B2B accounting technology company serving thousands of customers and teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and NYU. His experience shows why social engineering is so effective and how companies can adapt to a world where attackers are always refining their techniques.

This episode shows how even small oversights or minor issues can lead to big breaches. Dr. Smith shares concrete steps to strengthen defenses, and why we need both technical solutions and employee awareness. By looking at the psychology behind the attacks, he’ll show that staying one step ahead depends on using smart security tools and a culture that recognizes vigilance at every level.

• [01:19] Jared is a distinguished thought researcher at SecurityScorecard. He's built systems and helps vendors monitor and secure their networks. He also has a PHD in computer science. He focuses on Border Gateway Protocol or BGP.
• [02:16] He was also a high clearance government national security researcher.
• [03:02] Jared shares a story about how sophisticated phishing scams are becoming.
• [08:43] How large language models are making more sophisticated social engineering possible.
• [10:26] The importance of thinking about cybersecurity needed in the next 10 years.
• [11:02] BGP is like the plumbing of the internet. BGP poisoning breaks the typical internet traffic route. It's very nuanced traffic engineering that uses the Border Gateway Protocol.
• [13:34] BGP is also useful when you have multiple internet connections and one goes down.
• [14:20] The most sophisticated DDoS works are called link flooding attacks, where they identify links that have a certain amount of bandwidth, and they flood that specific border gateway protocol link, effectively segmenting the internet in those places.
• [15:39] Managing DDOS attacks and where the traffic comes from.
• [16:02] Being aware of botnets, because they are what's rented out or being used for these attacks.
• [17:32] Lizard Squad launched DDoS as a service.
• [21:00] Attackers try to get the actual IP addresses from behind a CDN.
• [23:41] How AWS has the ability to manage large amounts of traffic.
• [25:24] There are some DDoS that just require sending enough traffic to fill up the buffers on the other side of the application.
• [28:15] The size of a botnet for DDoS to take down a big network like X. We explore potential paths for these attacks.
• [32:21] We talk about the uptick on attacks during tax season. A large accounting firm with a lot of clients could be spoofed.
• [36:50] The predominant attacks are coming from organized cybercrime groups and ransomware groups.
• [45:40] The vast majority of large networks taken out are usually a result of user error.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

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