Here are our top five security and privacy podcasts for regular people (‘non-techies’) who want to get better at securing their personal data and digital assets. This shortlist is drawn from our own personal favourites. We’ve selected a mix of long-form and short-form (English language) podcasts that should appeal to a global audience with different attention spans. If you have a favourite security or privacy podcast which isn’t on our list, please share in the comments below.
Why these five security and privacy podcasts?
For regular people, improving our personal digital/cyber hygiene can sometimes be an abstract or nebulous concept, one which we know we need to do but never really make time for….that is until we become victims of cybercrime…then we usually pay attention.
You know you need to clean up your passwords and transition to a password manager. You know you need to lock down your privacy settings on social media. You know you need to get better at spotting phishing scams…or perhaps you did not.
At a time when most people are stuck indoors or experiencing disruptions to daily routines due to city/country-wide stay-at-home measures, perhaps now is a good time to take action and to improve our awareness about our personal security and privacy in general.
Taking action to improve your cyber hygiene is the outcome we hope to see by encouraging our readers to include these five security and privacy podcasts in their listening routine.
We’ve selected podcasts that are less than an hour-long (because…short attention spans). These podcasts either have more than one host or have guests who bring multiple perspectives (always a good thing) and some banter. We don’t think their content is too heavy (i.e., filled with technical buzzwords and jargon). We hope that people who do not work in the security and privacy industry can find the content relatable.
Finally, some of these podcasts are action-oriented and provide you with D-I-Y tips and useful tools and resources to help you improve your cyber hygiene.
Here are our top five security and privacy podcasts for regular people in no particular order…
Podcast #1: Talking Tech by USA Today
Frequency: Daily
Hosted by: USA Today
Twitter handle: @jeffersongraham
Average episode length: 5 minutes
Why we like this podcast:
This is the tech podcast for people who don’t do tech podcasts.
Strictly speaking, this podcast isn’t dedicated to security or privacy. Lead host Jefferson Graham, a veteran tech columnist and podcaster, presents daily news about consumer technology (from social media to smart TVs and everything in between).
In less than five minutes, you also get breaking tech news, reviews of the latest gadgets and quick soundbites about how the latest tech innovations affect you. This is where security and privacy come in.
The Talking Tech hosts often highlight the ways that we could be vulnerable to data loss/theft, online attacks and online fraud from our daily interactions with technology. Totally worth listening to this one while you make your morning coffee.
Three episodes to sample from this podcaster:
- March 27, 2020 | Turn off your Alexa if you’re working at home (2 mins)
- Jan 21, 2020 | Dating apps: How to avoid hackers and marketers (3 mins)
- Jan 1, 2020 | 6 Tips for a stronger digital you (4 mins)
Podcast #2: The Shared Security Podcast
Frequency: Mostly weekly
Hosted by: Tom Eston and/or Scott Wright (and occasionally a guest)
Twitter handle: @SharedSec
Average episode length: 20 minutes
Why we like this podcast:
Save for a few outliers, Tom and Scott try to keep their podcast short and punchy.
“News that you can use” is their motto. They present breaking news, views and security tips in an easy-to-follow and conversational format with minimal technical jargon. The (sometimes) robotic-sounding news delivery can be a bit distracting but we’re OK to put up with it in exchange for the nuggets of wisdom from the Shared Security Podcast.
Check out their three-minute interactive self-assessment which tests your awareness of phishing scams and ability to spot suspicious emails. PS: You have to register your email address to use it.
Three episodes to sample from this podcaster:
- Episode 110 | You’ve Been Hacked, Now What? (15 mins)
- Episode 101 | Top 10 Cybersecurity and Privacy Resolutions (8 mins)
- Episode 086 | Amazon Alexa Recordings, Facebook Malware Campaign (11 mins)
Podcast #3: Smashing Security
Frequency: Weekly
Hosted by: Graham Cluely and Carole Theriault (and a guest)
Twitter handle: @SmashinSecurity
Average episode length: 50 minutes
Why we like this podcast:
Veterans Graham Cluely and Carole Theriault keep it light-hearted, witty and insightful. We especially like the variety of lifestyle content presented in this award-winning podcast. One week they’re talking about Twitter scams, and the next, they’re on Elon Musk submarine scams and baking brownies.
The (almost) hour-long format of Smashing Security is simple. Each host picks a topic (e.g., a security breach that’s trending in the news) and discusses it for a few minutes with the other hosts.
At the end of the discussion segment, there is a quick round where each host shares a random ‘Pick of the Week’ – usually something of interest from the digital world (not necessarily related to security or privacy).
Three episodes to sample from this podcaster:
- Episode 155 | Juice Jacking, YouTube hacking, password slacking (50 mins)
- Episode 146 | Password secrets and baking brownies (38 mins)
- Episode 062 | Tinder spying, Amazon shoplifting and petrol pump malware (44 mins)
Podcast #4: Hacking Humans
Frequency: Weekly
Hosted by: Dave Bittner and Joe Carrigan
Twitter handle: @HackingHumansCW
Average episode length: 30 minutes
Why we like this podcast:
Hacking Humans delivers quick and concise security news and education. Presenters Dave Bittner and Joe Carrigan do a good job of providing ‘plain-English’ explanations of the security lingo and industry terms they use (very helpful). They also try to avoid the fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) approach common in security discussions.
The ‘Catch of the Day’ segment is a chance to hear from listeners about a security problem they’ve seen or experienced. Hearing about the experiences of regular people who may have fallen victim to cybercrime is good learning. However, listening to Dave and Joe’s analysis, insights and prevention advice is even better!
Although the content tends to lean more towards listeners in the USA (this might put off a more global audience), the basic principles and lessons-learned are universal.
Three episodes to sample from this podcaster:
- Jan 9, 2020 | Ransomware is a reality (29 mins)
- Aug 29, 2020 | Securing your SMS (24 mins)
- Nov 21, 2019 | Security has to be friendly (27 mins)
Podcast #5: Caveat by Cyberwire
Frequency: Weekly
Hosted by: Dave Bittner and Ben Yelin
Twitter handle: @CaveatCW
Average episode length: 40 minutes
Why we like this podcast:
While all of the tech and security podcasts we’ve listed earlier often intersect with the world of privacy, it is challenging to find dedicated podcasts that talk about privacy from a civil liberties and human rights perspective in a way that non-privacy professionals can relate to.
Firstly, there is the challenge of sifting through deep academic conversations about privacy laws and regulatory compliance on one hand and borderline conspiracy theories on the other.
Then there is the personal nature of privacy. One person’s view of privacy may be for society to achieve the highest level of confidentiality possible while another person’s interpretation could lean more towards the freedom-of-information philosophy. Finding the balance in that spectrum is tricky.
So it is somewhat refreshing to find Caveat, a podcast co-hosted by Ben Yelin (Attorney and Adjunct Law Professor, University of Maryland) and Dave Bittner from Hacking Humans. They approach privacy laws and principles from a consumer technology and lifestyle perspective. The downside? The content is USA-focused.
Three episodes to sample from this podcaster:
- Mar 24, 2020 | Can smart surveillance keep us safe? (46 mins)
- Jan 14, 2020 | Cell-phone tracking and the future of data value (45 mins)
- Oct 29, 2019 | Privacy and biometric data (36 mins)
Security and Privacy Podcasts for Regular People
We think podcasts are a great way to learn (even if most of us listen to them while doing something else). They are accessible and feel personal. These five security and privacy podcasts for regular people are available across multiple podcasting platforms. We hope they help you learn at your own pace and that the information you (hopefully) retain, may spur you towards taking some type of action to improve your cyber hygiene.
Do you have any other podcasts you enjoy that fit the profile? Share with us in the comments section below and perhaps we will feature them in the next version of this article.
