This job interview could destroy your company

You've been headhunted for a great job in cryptocurrency. All you have to do is complete a short online assessment - with your webcam on, of course, so they can verify who you really are. Which is ironic, because the person recruiting you doesn't exist. And North Korean hackers using this trick have already made off with $643 million in crypto this year alone.

Meanwhile, researchers at UC San Diego have discovered that 2.2 million cars across the United States can be unlocked or immobilised by anyone with a bit of Bluetooth kit - thanks to one aftermarket car alarm that made a truly spectacular cryptographic blunder. The bug has been sitting there since 2017. Nobody noticed.

All this and more in episode 478 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Paul Ducklin.

EPISODE LINKS:

• OpenAI's AI "goes rogue" and hacks Hugging Face: what you need to know - Hot for Security.
• Post by Graeme Bell - Linkedin.
• HOLLOWGRAPH: Turning Microsoft 365 Calendars into Covert Command-and-Control Channels - Group-IB.
• Ransom gang targets Dutch ice arena Thialf in cyberattack - Cybernews.
• No Shark is Safe: Millions of Shark Vacuums are Vulnerable to RCE - Tokay0.
• DPRK’s Famous Chollima Deploys RATs Through ClickFake Job Interviews - SOCRadar.
• H1 2026 Crypto Hacks Reach Record High as Losses Fall Below USD 1 Billion - TRM Labs.
• 2 Million Cars with Anti-Theft Systems Installed by Dealers are at Higher Risk of Theft - UC San Diego Today.
• 2 Million Cars with Anti-Theft Systems Installed by Dealers are at Higher Risk of Theft - YouTube.
• Karr Security.
• Ann Droid - BBC iPlayer.
• North Leigh Roman Villa - English Heritage.
• Uffington White Horse - Wikipedia.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Arctic Wolf - See why 1 in 3 IT assets is missing a critical security control. Download the 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Attack Surface report.
• NordLayer - the network security platform for modern teams across different work environments. Use code NLSUMMER26 for up to 20% off annual plans.
• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!

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THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

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