This week on The Upgrade, we chat with Hector Monsegur, the Director of Assessment Services at Rhino Labs.
Hector Monsegur, once known by the alias Sabu, was a notorious black-hat hacker who targeted corporations, media outlets, and governments in the Middle East. After his capture, he turned informant for the FBI. Today, he works legally, assisting businesses in identifying vulnerabilities and preventing cyberattacks. Hector also features on the Science Channel's Outlaw Tech, a series delving into advanced security systems and the tools used by both hackers and defenders.
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This Week’s Highlights
This week, we explored a wide range of topics, including:
How The Hacker’s Manifesto resonated with Hector during his childhood in the Lower East Side
The reasons behind his swift transition from hacktivist to FBI informant
The origins of the latest generation of hackers
The key differences between Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning
The essential first step everyone should take to safeguard their personal information
Why everyone has something worth protecting
How to pinpoint your vulnerabilities or “attack vectors”
Why the Google Docs phishing scam had a silver lining
The significance of setting up a personal VPN
The risks associated with sharing too much online
This Week’s Upgrades
Each week, we share the upgrades we’ve made in our lives. This time, we discuss a game-changing kitchen appliance, the impact of rose-colored lighting, gaining a fresh perspective, and the surprisingly effective practice of “turning your phone off.” (Yes, really.)
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