New Episode of Darknet Diaries: EP 160: Greg

In this captivating episode of Darknet Diaries, we meet Greg, a talented hacker with a fascinating story. Greg's interest in computers began at a young age, thanks to his father who salvaged computer parts from the trash to build complete systems. This early exposure led Greg to become passionate about computers and eventually, a hacker. Greg recounts how, in high school, he used his programming skills to alter his grades and attendance, allowing him to skip classes while still getting good grades. However, this trick was discovered when the school's grading system crashed due to an error in his code. This led to his arrest and a difficult period where he was placed in a group home. Despite these challenges, Greg continued to develop his hacking skills and eventually found a job at eEye, a cybersecurity company. At eEye, Greg worked on discovering zero-day vulnerabilities in popular software like Microsoft Office. He shares an exciting anecdote about discovering a vulnerability in Office 2007, which required intense efforts from his team to meet deadlines. This experience enhanced his reputation in the field of cybersecurity. Greg also shares fascinating stories from his penetration testing missions, where he was hired to test the security of various companies. In one of these missions, he successfully exfiltrated sensitive data using hard drives hidden in a printer. In another mission, he physically penetrated the premises of a venture capital firm by disabling security cameras and using cloned badges. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of physical security and the challenges faced by penetration testers. Greg emphasizes that even the most advanced security systems can have exploitable flaws, and it is crucial to regularly test these systems to identify and fix vulnerabilities. In summary, this episode provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of hacking and cybersecurity, highlighting the challenges and successes of those working in this field. Greg's stories illustrate the importance of constant vigilance and innovation in combating cyber threats.