Don’t have time to binge Season 1 again? No problem. Here’s everything you need to know… at least the unredacted parts. The Hacker Chronicles Season 2: Digital Nomad. Presented by Tenable. Starring Michael C. Hall as John Doe. And Chloe Taylor as Alice. Coming July 14th – wherever you listen to podcasts.
Don’t have time to binge Season 1 again? No problem. Here’s everything you need to know… at least the unredacted parts.
The Hacker Chronicles Season 2: Digital Nomad. Presented by Tenable.
Starring Michael C. Hall as John Doe.
And Chloe Taylor as Alice.
Coming July 14th – wherever you listen to podcasts.
[00:00:00] Hi, I am Ian Faison, the executive producer of The Hacker Chronicles. We're so excited to share season two with you, and we're even more excited to announce that Michael C. Hall himself has joined the cast. He'll be sharing the stage with Chloe Taylor who plays our main character, Alice Minnick. As much as we would love for you to listen to season one again before a release, we know you probably don't have time for that.
So we made a recap episode to get you caught up. There's a lot of ground to cover. So we'll get right into it. How did Alice Mitnick, or as she's known on the dark web, able 10 go from a barista to the most wanted hacker in America? Our story begins with the latte order that changes Alice's life forever.
Customer: Hey. Yeah, can you take my order please? Uh, the best oat milk latte in soho. Extra foam.
Alice: Oh, I'm sorry. But we're out of oat milk at the moment.
Customer: Seriously, how do you not have any oat milk?
Alice: Um, it's been recalled.
Customer: What do you mean it's been [00:01:00] recalled?
Alice: We use Robert Sky organic oat milk and it got recalled.
Customer: Okay, but why?
Alice: I don't, I don't know. I don't. I don't work there.
Customer: So you work here in a coffee shop and you don't know why the oat milk was recalled?
Alice: Well, we have other milk alternatives.
Customer: Alternatives. Do I look like I settle for second best? Judging by the fact that you look like an extra on the cast of new girl, I think you know that there are no acceptable alternatives.
Alice: Well, judging by your suit and your smug attitude, I'm guessing you work at one of the law firms in the building. You know, just because you're 65 floors above us doesn't mean you're actually better than us. Okay? Okay.
Customer: Look, I I don't need this. I'm outta here.
Alice: That makes two of us, it's been an absolute pleasure to serve you today.
As the angry customer leaves Alice jets outta work early so that she can make it in time for a massive audition at the New York Classical Fellowship. It's a huge opportunity for the aspiring pianist, but it doesn't go [00:02:00] like Alice hopes.
Alice: Well, I majored in computer science to have a backup plan, but I don't want a backup plan. I just wanna live my dream. You know, like when I play piano, it's like the only time I feel alive. That's what I want every day. But when I have to work so much to pay my bills and my student loans, and it's like I never have time to perform and then. If I got a stipend in my own apartment, oh my God, the chance to perform and study and I don't even, that'd be amazing. What will you be playing for us today? Um, today I'll be playing Sin Wheels, Rondo and a minor.
Jude: Whenever you're ready.
Alice: You got this. Alice, you got this.[00:03:00]
Alice's day only gets worse. She gets fired from the coffee shop. And then her roommate Katie, reminds Alice, she is behind on her rent.
Katie: Um, this is awkward, so I'm just gonna have to get it out. I still [00:04:00] haven't gotten your Venmo with the rent.
Alice: Oh, okay. That's, that's weird. I'll just, I'll take a look at it.
Katie: Alice, even my stepmom knows how to use Venmo. Okay, um, well, I'm getting tipped out on Friday, and then you'll have it and tell you what, from here on out, I will pay you a week early.
Alice Commiserates with her gamer buddies in the video game war zone. Her friend Jeanie has an idea on how Alice can make her financial issues go away by buying a ransomware as a service kit, a K a A RAs kit, and becoming a hacker. It turns out Genie is what he calls himself an armchair hacker where he's into hacking, but he's never done it himself. With Genie's help, Alice discovers that launching a ransomware attack is something she can easily do. But before Alice begins, her friend Genie gives her three simple rules to ensure that she won't get caught.
Alice: Anytime a hacker gets caught, it's because they weren't careful. Ugh. Famous last words. [00:05:00] If you follow Genie's three rules, you won't get caught.
Genie: Hey, hear me out first. Don't try and catch the biggest fish out there. They'll pull you off the deck and swallow you whole, okay? But if you pick a smaller company, they won't have the resources to come after you. They'll just pay you. They might even have insurance for it, okay? Okay. Okay. And what is rule number two? Don't get greedy. Demand a small enough ransom so you don't attract attention. Say five figures. That's considered small. You figure if you are a 50 or a hundred person company doing 20 million in revenue, 15 grand is nothing when their whole company is locked out of their computers.
A RAs kit isn't cheap, so Alice calls up her brother so she can get the money to purchase the kit. Of course, she doesn't tell him the truth about what she's up to. Oh,
Ryan: Alice, my long lost sister, what's going on?
Alice: Okay. Remember when you told me that I needed to start using that computer [00:06:00] science minor for something?
Ryan: Yeah. I remember the last five times I told you that.
Alice: Well, I think you're right. It's. It's time for me to look for a new job. I mean, I can't make another latte. I just, I need something real and consistent.
Ryan: Oh, o okay. Okay. I like what I'm hearing. Keep going. I know you do.
Alice: Um, there's just one thing. If I wanna keep paying my rent, I have to keep working these shift jobs and I'm just always busy and I don't have any time to show up for an interview. So I was wondering if I could just borrow some money from you for now.
Ryan: Oh, oh, Alice, I have been waiting for this phone call my entire adult life using her brother's money.
Alice purchases her ransomware as a service kit. Then she identifies her target for a ransomware attack.
Alice: And then it hit me. The biggest a-hole of all was that jerk who got me fired from the coffee shop. I knew he worked in the building and after 20 minutes on [00:07:00] Google, I found the firm he worked at. Oglethorpe and Hudson, they were a mid-sized law firm, not a big fish. They specialized in representing large corporations during class action lawsuits. Of course, he worked there. They made money off people getting hurt. They protected companies who think they're above the law. All they cared about was making money. This was my chance to dump an oat milk latte all over their servers.
Alice attempts a series of spearfishing attacks on her target, but they don't go as planned. She begins to wonder if it's time to give up and get a real job. When also goes on a job interview, the hiring manager gives her an idea on how her ransomware attack could work. And the hiring manager, he's this marketing guy who knows stuff.
Alice: Okay? So he gave me an idea. He said I should specifically target a few [00:08:00] people that I should like, follow them on LinkedIn, get to know 'em, and then I'll have everything I need for my spear. Genie, do you think I'm crazy or could I just literally get to know someone personally and then target them? Why didn't I think of that?
Genie: It's social engineering hackers do it all the time. So I kind of tuned into that Psych 1 0 1 lecture you were giving me before, but would you mind refreshing me, Mr. Armchair hacker, about what social engineering actually is? Yeah, it's exactly what the hiring manager said. You gather information about your target and use that information against them to get what you want. Sometimes hackers pretend to be air conditioning repairmen so they can figure out an access code. Or maybe you research someone online, so you use what you find online to create a false narrative that gives them the motivation to share information with you. God, that's creepy. The creepy part is that everybody can be fooled.
Alice: It's just a matter of finesse. I'm bet I could get someone to open a resume. That's a [00:09:00] great idea. Just a random resume might go to spam. You need to personalize it. They need to know what's coming. Ooh, if I pretended to know someone who was looking for a job and you made your target think they knew you. Yeah. Oh, and like that hiring manager said, if I study their social media, then I'll know 'em almost as well as they know themselves. If I make them think they know me, they'll open my email. Alice picks her social engineering target, Helen, an accountant at Oglethorpe and Hudson after learning everything about Helen that she can.
Alice pretends to be a college friend of Helen's. Helen believes Alice's story and then takes the bait.
Alice: You know, it is just cosmic that we ran into each other. My friend Chase is a legal accountant and he's looking for a new job. I would just love to hook you two up for some networking. I mean, I'm like a human LinkedIn. I'm just always making connections. This. Use cosmic.
Helen: We actually are looking for [00:10:00] someone new in accountant at my firm. Shut up. Yeah. Here I can give you my card. One sec. Um, let me look in the bag. Hmm. See, what did I say? The zipper stuck again. Uh, here's my card. Oh. Don't be scared of our firm's name. Oglethorpe and Hudson. It sounds stuffy, but it totally isn't. After Helen downloads, Chase's resume, Alice launches her ransomware attack and takes Ogle, Thorpe and Hudson hostage for $350,000.
Her plan works. She gets her money and her financial issues are behind her, but Alice has a new problem. She never told Genie how much she was actually asking for.
Genie: How much did you ask for 350 grand?
Alice: I have $350,000 coming my way.
Genie: Why did you do that? What? I told you to only ask for like 15,000. That, that's [00:11:00] my second rule. Don't get greedy.
Alice: Listen Genie, it's gonna be fine. All right. I'm on top of this and I'm gonna let you know how things go. And then Alice discovers that Helen has been forwarding Chase's resume to people outside of Vogel, Thorpe and Hudson.
That means that Alice's malware is also spreading. And Alice discovers she is inside the servers of Robert Sky, A massive food conglomerate. This is a big opportunity or is it unsure of what to do? Alice turns to Genie for advice.
Genie: You need to delete everything and get out of that system. You need to erase every trace of--
Alice: No, but what if I just like ask for---
Genie: What if you just what?
Alice: Try to hack them. What if I just ask for 15 grand?
Genie: Like you said, Alice, I have three rules and you've already broken one. Attack Robert Sky and you'll break another. Don't try to spear a big fish. Rule number three, it will pull you off the boat all the way to the [00:12:00] ocean floor.
Alice: I mean, what's the harm in just seeing if I can pull it off? You know what I'm saying?
Genie: Alice, you wanna swim with the sharks, but you just learned to swim yesterday. You need to wake up. This is going to your head.
Alice: It is not going to my head. I'm. I'm good at that. You said I'm good at this. I am good at this genie. I know, and that's what scares me.
Genie: Alice, just forget about all that for a second. Even if you never intended to get into Robert's sky, I could get into so much trouble, but you know, whatever it is, it's not just me though, Alice, so could your brother. He gave you the money that you used to start all of this. You used your roommate's wifi. If you get caught, you can make their lives. Hell, Alice, you're my friend and I care about [00:13:00] you, but you're scaring me. You have to stop. You made your money. You can do anything you want, but not this.
Alice: Yeah, you're right. I won't. I won't do it. Thank you.
But Alice can't resist. She decides she's going to make her mark instead. She leaves New York City and moves to Lake Placid where she focuses on pulling off her biggest hack.
Alice: Yet I rented a cabin behind the general store from a nice old guy named Arthur, and I got to work. I knew if I was gonna hit Robert Sky, it meant hitting just Robert Sky. No one else could be collateral. My MO is simple rule one. I don't put anyone else at risk. Only my neck goes out on the line. Rule two, inflict maximum damage on my target. And rule three, leave no trace. I attacked Oglethorpe and Hudson for the money [00:14:00] now. I was hacking for a cause to give Robert Sky a taste of the chaos they'd made. Their business model that wasn't going to be easy. And I had no idea how long it would take. I spent most of my days doing reconnaissance and enumerating inside Robert Sky's systems to put it in English. I was mapping their end points looking for where I could attack next, listening to what their computers told me. A hack of this magnitude could take months to prepare. I had to know Robert Sky's servers better than they knew him themselves. Of course you can't do that all day. So I spent my morning snowboarding. I worked to skill up as a hacker. I listened to hours of podcasts. I read the message boards on the dark web. I'd never been more focused. I'd never been better, but I was lying to Jeanie, and even though I'd never met him in person, he was one of my best friends. And to make [00:15:00] things worse, he lived two hours away in Burlington, Vermont. Twice we made plans to hang out and twice I canceled. I told him I was too busy with piano, but third time's a charm. I couldn't put it off any longer. I hated keeping my secret, but if I wanted to keep my friend, I didn't have a choice.
With the help of Herra tech support line, she discovered something huge about her target. It's vulnerable to log four J a real life vulnerability. We incorporated into season one cybersecurity experts called it the Pearl Harbor of Cybersecurity. But Alice also has to finish the job before Jeannie comes to visit her for their first ever in-person meeting.
Tech support. Come on. Hello.
Alice: Hey, I have a big problem and I really need your help right now.
Tech Support: [00:16:00] Nice to talk to you too, Able10, but I must caution you. The idea of unquote right now is an illusion. Our perception of time is completely subjective.
Alice: Okay. Yeah. We all live in a simulation and wear giant meat sacks on Europa and nothing is real, but in the simulation we're living in right now, I need to finish exploiting log four J in my target before my friend who thinks that I've left hacking behind, comes over in two hours. Hello? Hello. Time is objectively limited at the moment, dude.
Tech Support: Did, did you say your target is still vulnerable to log four J?
Alice: Yes, they their internet-facing systems, but not their internal ones.
Tech Support: Yes. And here, I thought you were having an issue with your reconnaissance kit like you did last week. This is, yeah, it's a kill switch if I can exploit it.
Alice pulls off the hack right before Genie arrives. The [00:17:00] two have an awesome weekend. Alice teaches Genie to snowboard. They give their gaming Buddy Blue Falcon dating Advice, and they play a bunch of warzone too. But then everything goes wrong. It turns out that Alice's kill switch is a lot more effective than she ever realized it could be.
News Report: And now for today's news, as the fallout from the ransomware attack on multinational food conglomerate, Robert Sky Foods continues for shoppers. This means grocery stores will not be able to restock many of their favorite items. Robert Sky Foods, which owns more than. 200 foods brands ranging from frozen pizzas to pet food has said it will not be able to supply vendors until the hack is resolved. Meanwhile, the FBI believes a rogue nation state is responsible for the hack and is working closely with Interpol to try.
Alice: It wasn't a rogue nation state, it was me.
It's also Alice's landlord, Arthur's birthday. Alice plays Arthur, his favorite piano [00:18:00] piece as a gift. But he also shares some news that Alice does not want to hear.
Alice: It's your birthday and I think you could use a little music. No, this is too much. Just, just listen.
Arthus: Yeah, [00:19:00] it means a lot that you remember.
Alice: Happy birthday.
Arthur: Thank you. You know, you are the second person to come in and tickle the ivory today.
Alice: Really?
Arthur: Yep. A few hours ago, this guy in a suit walks out of a black government U V. Looked like the feds. He got some cold cuts and played heart and soul not well. While I prepped his order. You know, ask me if I'd seen anyone strange in town other than him. I mean, come on. I wonder what someone dressed like that is doing here. You know, the government is always watching. I was probably drugs. I mean, it always is. You know, I was never into anything but grass myself. The simple stuff, you know, stuff that grows out of the ground now, you probably see him around since small town like this. Alice. Alice, are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost.
Alice: Um, I just, I left my [00:20:00] wallet in the truck. I think, um, I'll be right back. Just one, just one sec. Yeah.
The news only gets worse. Breaking news from Washington, the FBI has announced there is new evidence in the Robert Sky Foods attack showing that the hack originated from within the United States. Further details are currently shit. Okay. It okay? It's fine. It's fine, it's fine. Oh God. That better not be another voicemail.
Stranger: Oh God. Hello Alice. I hear you're in trouble. Who is this [00:21:00] A friend. What? You don't sound like a friend. Don't believe everything you see in the news. Yeah, that's not on you yet. But if it was this easy for me to find you, don't find you soon. Abel10.
Alice: I don't know what you're talking about.
Stranger: I can help you because that's what friends do. Think about it. You have one hour into song, I'll be in touch. Vis doesn't know who the man that is calling her is, and she's running out of time. She makes the drive from Lake Placid to Burlington, Vermont to find Genie and confesses to him what she did.
Alice: I'm scared, Genie, there's all this stuff on the news. And then this guy called me on signal. He knew who I was. He knew my handle. He said, he's not the FBI or the police, he's somebody else. I think he's maybe another hacker. And he's tried to call himself my friend and be like, I can help you. And he's like, really creepy.
Genie: Stop talking. Stop talking. I can't hear any of this.[00:22:00]
Alice: I just don't get it. I don't, how does he know who I am? Genie, I covered my tracks. I did everything right. You need to go now. Genie. I really need your help. And besides, you're the one who got me into all of this. I didn't get you into this. Okay. I know, but you're the one who saw something in me. You told me you thought that I was good enough and you were right. I'm really good at this. Do you know how long I've waited to be good at. Something again. Look, I know I took it way too far, but I don't know what to do.
Genie: If I was in a difficult [00:23:00] situation after a ransomware attack went south, I would get a fake passport on the dark web, and I would leave the country ASAP because I would know that I could make a good living in a. Third world country doing whatever it is I wanted to do on the dark web. Oh my God. How am I even supposed to do that? I don't know anything about this stuff. You just said you're good at this. Figure it out.
Alice has lost her best friend. But at the least he's given her an idea for an escape plan. She begins driving back to Lake Placid.
Alice: All right, when you get back to Lake Placid, you need to call Beth. You can bring her the truck late tonight. Maybe you can crash at her place. [00:24:00] Oh my God. That's him. Just don't answer. Just don't answer. Wait, what is that fan? What the hell? Hey dude, stay in your lane. Stay in your--
Five days later, Alice wakes up in the hospital. She receives another call from the man who calls himself her friend. He explains to Alice how he caught her with a spear phishing attack, and then he offers Alice a deal.
Stranger: The truth is, I think we're kindred spirits. Once you are inside Robert's sky, you could have made money a hundred different ways. Instead, you locked the door and you threw away the key because you wanted to be the good guy. You wanted to take a stab. So let me tell you about myself. I run with people in the tech world by call. A consultancy [00:25:00] service and we work with governments from around the world, only the good guys. And if it makes you feel any better, we get paid like the bad guys. So I'll tell you what, we're way past the deadline, and I know you got banged out pretty badly. So here's what I'm thinking. In 24 hours, I'll release an anonymous tip to the FBI with your IP address. It won't take long for them to retrace your steps, so just let me know if you'd like to be friends, unless you've decided now.
So now that you're caught up, we hope you're excited to see where Alice's adventures. Take her next, make sure you subscribe to The Hacker Chronicles if you haven't, wherever you listen to podcasts so that you don't miss a single episode. We'll see you July 14th.