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Artwork for Hacker And The Fed
Cybersecurity
Ransomware
China
Data Breaches
Cryptocurrency
Supply Chain Attacks
Artificial Intelligence
CISO
North Korea
Cybersecurity Scams
Data Breach
Social Engineering
Zero Trust
Cyber Attacks
Phishing
FBI
Coinbase
Microsoft
Whatsapp
Scattered Spiders

Former FBI Special Agent, Chris Tarbell, and ex-Anonymous/LulzSec blackhat hacker turned network penetration tester, Hector Monsegur (aka Sabu), once faced off as adversaries in cyberspace before becoming close friends and now podcast co-hosts. Whether you are a legal professional, cybersecurity practitioner, or forensic investigator, Chris and Hector will bring you their unique perspectives on th... more

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Artwork for Hacker And The Fed

Latest Episodes

Chris and Hector break down Texas suing WhatsApp over encryption claims, a law enforcement operation targeting a ransomware linked VPN provider, and a bizarre hack involving FBI Director Kash Patel’s apparel website. They also dive into the nonstop w... more

Chris and Hector break down a major ransomware attack on Foxconn, the growing strain AI data centers are putting on power grids, and new allegations surrounding Microsoft security and cloud infrastructure. They also discuss insider threats, ransomwar... more

Chris and Hector break down a massive cyberattack affecting thousands of schools during finals week, Russia’s reported hacker training pipeline through universities, and the growing wave of developer focused supply chain attacks. They also discuss No... more

Chris and Hector break down a series of AI and cybersecurity failures, including an autonomous coding agent that deleted an entire production database, a breach exposing voice and biometric data from 40,000 AI contractors, and major GitHub and supply... more

Key Facts

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Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Anonymous CISO
Anonymous Chief Information Security Officer joining for part two
Anonymous CISO (guest)
Episode: What CISOs Actually Worry About
Aron Mann
Special Agent with the Homeland Security Investigation Cybercrime Unit
Department of Homeland Security
Episode: The Colonial Pipeline Hack, the SEC's X Account, and Special Agent Aron Mann on Homeland Security and Cyber
Greg Van Houten
Attorney specializing in insurance recovery and cybersecurity.
Haynes Boone
Episode: A Train Hack, $80M Pig Butchering Scheme, and Greg Van Houten of Haynes Boone on the SEC's New Cybersecurity Disclosure Rules
Lance Taubin
Attorney with a focus on cybersecurity law at Alston Bird
Alston Bird
Episode: The FBI Shares Tactics of a Ransomware Gang, a Ransom Payment Fail, and Cyber Law with Lance Taubin

Hosts

Chris Tarbell
Former FBI Special Agent; frequent host and security expert with a focus on cyber investigations and public-interest cases.
Hector Monsegur
Former black hat hacker (Sabu); co-host with a practitioner's security mindset and industry leadership experience.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 535 ratings
  • The juvenile jokes gets old really fast

    Hector has some great insights, that makes the show somewhat interesting. But the FBI dude’s constant juvenile Bro joke attempts are more annoying than they are funny.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    plawer88
    United States20 days ago
  • You are what you do

    Crappie people do crappie things. You are what you do so there for you are what you do.

    Criminal cowards of chaos.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dunka Dude
    United States9 months ago
  • Listen to their Patreon

    Long time listener of the pod and I have zero IT background. That’s how amazing this podcast is. Then when they came out with a paid Patreon subscription pod, it exceeded my expectations. The stuff they talk about on Patreon is hilarious lol

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Qallen2013
    United States10 months ago
  • Love and Respect!

    Great show with awesome dynamic between the hosts. Up to date industry news, funny stories and loads of banter!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NonRelativist
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Really enjoyable, but…

    They make cyber security entertaining and informative for normal people. I would suggest any executive or business owner listen regularly to keep such things top of mind. I hesitate to recommend it to friends and family because they just can’t resist the occasional F bomb.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Clintonrebel
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise accessible explanations of complex topics and the hosts' contrasting perspectives.
Some feedback notes show appreciation for up-to-date industry coverage and entertaining banter.
Overall very positive reception highlighting engaging dynamics and practical cybersecurity insights.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#196
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#181
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#108
Brazil/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#118
United Arab Emirates/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#150
Singapore/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#169
Philippines/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What CISOs Actually Worry About
Q: How has the rise of ransomware and supply chains changed the day-to-day reality of being a CISO compared to five or ten years ago?
The evolution has shifted how incidents are managed, increasing reliance on cyber-insurance, external counsel, and continuous preparedness exercises; the core requirement is to be ready for inevitable incidents with practiced response and routine tabletop exercises.
What CISOs Actually Worry About
Q: Why do CISOs so often end up as the fall guy after a major breach, even when the problem started years before they were hired?
Responsibility often rests with the highest-paid risk owners in the organization; if the board and executive team push risky initiatives or fail to provide adequate resources, the CISO becomes the convenient target when failures occur.
What CISOs Actually Worry About
Q: What's the big example of cyber security theater you've seen in a large organization that everyone knows doesn't actually improve security, but leadership still pushes forward anyways?
Mobile security is highlighted as a classic theater example where significant resources are spent on perceived protections while real, substantive risk reduction remains lagging behind, underscoring the need for measurable, ongoing improvements.
What CISOs Actually Worry About
Q: If you could tell your CEO one thing about cybersecurity that they probably don't want to hear, what would it be?
AI is not the universal answer;security must be grounded in practical, verifiable controls and ongoing risk management rather than hype, and leadership should acknowledge real limitations and invest accordingly.
What CISOs Won’t Say in Public
Q: How do we get new talent into the cybersecurity industry?
We need to hire based on attitudes, mentorship, and apprenticeship rather than just formal qualifications.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Hacker And The Fed

What is Hacker And The Fed about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A dual-hosted cybersecurity show led by an ex-FBI agent and a former high-profile hacker-turned-security practitioner. Conversations blend hard-earned incident insights with accessible storytelling, covering real-world breaches, threat actors, governance, and policy, often with geopolitical context and commentary on industry trust, regulations, and AI's impact on security. The dynamic between two perspectives—law enforcement rigor and adversarial experience—creates a unique lens on risk, defense, and the human factors behind cyber incidents, with occasional live-show banter and industry anecdotes that help translate complex topics for business leaders and practitioners alike.

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Which podcasts are similar to Hacker And The Fed?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Hacker And The Fed:

1. Hacked
2. Smashing Security
3. Hacking Humans
4. Darknet Diaries
5. CyberWire Daily

How many episodes of Hacker And The Fed are there?

Hacker And The Fed launched 4 years ago and published 134 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Hacker And The Fed?

Recent guests on Hacker And The Fed include:

1. Anonymous CISO
2. Aron Mann
3. Greg Van Houten
4. Lance Taubin

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