Topic: Data Theft

Delta Airlines announced a cyber attack involving a third-party chat service provider that may have exposed customer payment information. The hosts discuss the frequency of such breaches and express skepticism about identity theft protection services like LifeLock, arguing they create a single point of failure for personal data.

A former NSA contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton agreed to plead guilty to stealing 50 terabytes of highly sensitive government data over a 20-year period. The material was discovered at his home in Glen Burnie, Maryland. The hosts compare the contractor to a "hoarder" of national secrets.

Speculation arises that the Equifax breach may have been the work of an intelligence agency rather than a standard criminal organization. The sheer volume of the data stolen suggests a level of processing power and intent beyond simple identity theft for profit. One theory posits that an agency might have "stolen" the database to replace a failed internal backup.

An NBC "Rossen Reports" segment warns consumers about the dangers of selling used electronics without properly wiping data. The report demonstrates how easily social security numbers, bank details, and private photos can be recovered from devices. The hosts provide additional advice, such as physically drilling through old hard drives to ensure data destruction.

A clip from the television show "CSI: Cyber" introduces the concept of "juice jacking," where hackers steal data from phones at public USB charging stations. The hosts discuss the technical reality of this threat and note that modern devices like the iPhone 6 now ask users to "trust" a computer before allowing data transfer.

A massive security breach at Target retail stores has potentially compromised 40 million credit and debit card numbers. The Secret Service is investigating the hack, which targeted point-of-sale systems starting on Black Friday, prompting some consumers to advocate for returning to cash transactions to protect their identities.