031 No Phishing Allowed

This episode focuses on phishing, where a bad actor pretends to be someone they’re not in order to get a user to reveal information, like a login or password, or to get them to perform a task, like transferring money.  Phishing has been around for quite a while. Many of us remember breathless email requests from a certain Nigerian Prince looking to share millions of dollars. It’s still around today because it works and it’s inexpensive to do, taking advantage of human nature and most people’s tendency to be helpful and trusting.  Our guest today is Oren Falkowitz, CEO and founder of Area 1 Security, a company that specializes in protecting organizations from phishing attacks. He describes the history and continued effectiveness of phishing campaigns, the techniques that companies like Area 1 Security use to defend against them, and whether or not he thinks it’s a problem we’ll ultimately solve.