Podcasts about two nerds

Being funny is a skill, and Andrew Tarvin has the data showing most of us never practice it. He studied computer science and engineering, managed projects at Procter & Gamble, and joined his first improv group only because his best friend needed someone organized enough to run the meetings. He was terrible at it.Today he runs Humor That Works, has trained 250+ organizations and his TEDx talk on the skill of humor has passed 16 million views. Somewhere between those two points is a method, and this episode walks through it.I opened this one with a confession. I have a physics and computer science background, I tinker with tech all day, and I truly cannot remember the last time I made someone laugh. So I asked Drew to treat me as the test case.In this conversation, we get into:The eight separate skills hiding inside "being funny", and why you probably already have at least two of themThe one habit Andrew's own assessment shows only 30% of people keep, and what it changes about how you see your dayThe three reasons a joke breaks trust at work, and why the joke itself is rarely the problemWhy AI is the worst possible audience for your humor, and the one job it is actually good forAndrew's Humor Intelligence model treats humor as eight competencies you can measure, practice, and point at real problems, instead of a personality trait you were born with or without. If you have ever been told you are not funny or you stay quiet in meetings because a bad joke feels riskier than silence, this episode gives you a place to start this week.

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about examples of cyber resistance and whether they achieve their goals. This epsiode is also available on YouTube. Show notes The Record on the Belarus Cyber Partisans BTN6, How Ukraine could use its IT army

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about whether hacker culture is inherently anti-authoritarian and how different states get their country's hackers to work for the state. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Daily NK, North Korean elite hacking ring busted North Korean smartphone hacking

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss how important people are to cyber power and whether the rise of AI is changing that. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Hugging Face incident OpenAI release Security review cost from Vercel

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss what mainland Chinese analysts think about Russia's use of cyber operations in the war in Ukraine. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Cyber Lessons from Russia's War in Ukraine

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss just how important exploits are for cyber operations using data published in a new paper authored by two members of Ukraine's cyber security agency. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Exploits were never the point Rethinking Exploitation in Cyber War: Reassessing the Role of Software Exploits in Wartime Max Smeets' chapter 5 from "No Shortcuts": The Elements of an Offensive Cyber Capability

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about why we haven't seen an explosion of devastating hacks even though AI has been used to discover lots and lots of bugs. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Jerry Gamblin | X Cyber: Ignore the Penetration Testers Phineas Fisher's hacking team write up Phineas Fisher

In this edition of Between Two Nerds, Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss whether cyber organisations should actually be separated from Signals Intelligence organisations. The Grugq argues that having cyber expertise subordinate to intelligence collection means that many opportunities are never explored. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes All the Shah's Men - Wikipedia

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss the idea that the People's Republic of China has mobilised its influence operations against the construction of US data centres and its build out of AI capacity. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Red Rap Two Sessions Get on the Beers

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about how NATO is set up to deter conventional conflict, and how that approach is fundamentally unsuited for ongoing, everyday cyber operations that are intended to confound adversaries. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq speak at the NATO CyCon conference on Cyber Conflict in Tallinn, Estonia. The pair discuss how cyber operations complement conventional military operations and the past, present and future of cyber conflict. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Australia's Offensive Cyber Capability

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about the ways in which intelligence agencies are just like cults. This episode is also available on YouTube Show notes

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq look at Department 4 of Bauman Moscow State Technical University where students learn how to hack for the state. Its curriculum is extremely explicit about how the hacking and propaganda operations are relevant to state operations. They discuss whether this is an advantage for Russia's cyber program and look at what Western intelligence agencies do instead. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes The GRU's Hogwarts Vlodymyr Styran's substack BTN92 with Alex Joske, how the MSS became a cyber juggernaut

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss why it makes even more sense for criminal organisations to adopt AI as compared to regular businesses. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Microsoft's 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report Cybersecurity Looks Like Proof of Work Now On the Hunt for FIN7

Fun Fact! 2. Overnight News, 3. Are We Nerds? 4. Music For A Sushi Restaurant... 5. Callum's Gone Delulu??? 6. Generation Fresh - Top 15! The ONLY way to wake up in Adelaide is with your best brekkie mates Tom & Callum on Fresh 92.7 Keep up to date on our socials. Instagram - @fresh927 Facebook - Fresh 92.7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss the breakdown of cyber norms. What would have been an unthinkable cyber operation just a few years ago is now a regular occurrence. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Fast16 analysis by SentinelOne Fast16 malware Zero Day on the wiper targeting Venezuela's state oil company

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss what the North Korean hack of Drift can tell us about the future of hacking. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Drift Protocol incident update on X Cointelegraph coverage CredShields incident post-morten

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq take a deep dive into how a single hacker used OpenAI and Anthropic's tools to help hack nine Mexican government organisations in quick time. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Gambit security report

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss how the rise of AI, which is very good at vulnerability and exploit development, will change the cyber security industry and competition between states. This episode is also available on YouTube Show notes The Grugq on X: People are freaking out about an impending flood of 0days Patrick Gray with former NSA and CIA cyber leaders

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss how Iran's cyber forces have been used during the ongoing war so far. Show notes The Financial Times on the plan to kill Ali Khamenei Israel National News, 50 companies wiped

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about hacking and scams. While hacking is disappearing as a threat for most people, it is a new golden age for scammers. Even Tom has been scammed! This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes We Are All Targets, How Renegade Hackers Invented Cyber War and Unleashed an Age of Global Chaos The $1.25 million scam

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss how Google just keeps on finding iOS exploit kits. Is iPhone security busted? And why are Russian state hackers after crypto? This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Google on Coruna Google on DarkSword iVerify on DarkSword Lookout on DarkSword Coruna deep dive

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss how bombing Iran changes incentives for Iranian hacker groups. Destroying other ways that Iran might project power could force it to double down on cyber capabilities. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Zetter Zero Day on the Stryker hack BTN on the evolution of Iranian hackers with Hamid Kashfi

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about why an internet shutdown won't stop US cyber operations in Iran. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Srsly Risky Biz: The Four Hour Cyber War on Iran The Thing listening device IBM Selectric bug CIA compromise in Iran

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq how the use of cyber operations in the war in Ukraine has evolved over time. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Russia using cyber espionage to direct grid missile strikes The Spectator article on US-UK relations BTN72 on the Taurus missile leak

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about how ‘professional' Five Eyes cyber espionage agencies like NSA will use AI. These agencies place a premium on stealth and won't yolo AI. This episode is available on Youtube. Show notes How AI-powered espionage will favour China Google's AI threat tracker, February 2026

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss whether middle powers should be investing in military cyber capabilities. This episode is also available on Youtube Show notes The Record on Iranian air defences Max Smeets No Shortcuts RunZero sponsor interview

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about why the world is destined to be perpetually insecure. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Hunterbrook's Ubiquiti investigation Trail of Bits sponsor interview

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss the recent Russian attack on Polish electricity infrastructure. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes ESET's first report ESET's update report CERT-PL report Dragos report The Insider 'Hidden Bear' investigation BTN 124, How Russia's sabotage team got into hacking BTN 145, Russia's cyber war on wheat

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss how getting pinged hurts state hackers by introducing uncertainty. Publishing technical reports on the hack can actually improve the situation by removing uncertainty about how attackers were detected. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes BTN 36, The culture of the Snake

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about what information warfare even is, revisit a 30-year-old paper and examine why Western governments struggle with the concept. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes What is Information Warfare by Martin Libicki Human Rights in China Leaked conversation on Youtube, in Mandarin Rebecca Black, Friday

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq about the role of cyber operations in the US capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Maduro's fall puts US cyber power in the spotlight Trump suggests US used cyberattacks to turn off lights in Venezuela during strikes Venezuela strike marks a turning point for US cyber warfare Power outages, but not cyber (from Oleg Shakirov) NYTimes Inside 'Operation Absolute Resolve' Spec Ops by William McRaven

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq wonder whether it is possible to deter states from cyber espionage with doxxing and other disruption measures. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Department 40 exposed Charming Kitten exposed

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about the differences between telcos and cloud companies. Does the nature of the business force cloud companies to be better at security? This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes FCC looks to torch Biden-era cyber rules sparked by Salt Typhoon mess Netflix's Chaos Monkey Brian in Pittsburgh BTN145 Ultra

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about the strategic “logic” of Russian wiper attacks on the Ukrainian grain sector. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes ESET report Soesanto and Gajos at Lawfare

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss how cyber criminals and even state actors are being dumb about using AI. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Google's AI Threat Tracker Script framework

ANOTHER NEW PODCAST from Jezmina, this one with Manny. Listen to the first episode here, and if you like it, head over to A Most Interesting Monster wherever you get podcasts and subscribe for more. Support the show

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss the futility of using aggressive cyber operations to send messages between states. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes The Record, Volt Typhoon was not successful Sand in the gears: Sabotage in world politics by Joshua Rovner, Rory Cormac and Lennart Maschmeyer

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq dissect a recent Chinese CERT report that the NSA had hacked China's national time keeping service. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes MSS Weixin post CN-CERT technical analysis Global Times on X BTN110: The NSA's nine to five hacking campaign

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about how different cybercriminal groups are after insiders to provide network access. This episode is available on Youtube. Show notes Nebulock sponsor episode Scattered Spider insiders tweet BBC's Joe Tidy approached by ransomware gang

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about the 0day mass exploitation of SharePoint and Exchange. This type of widespread hacking appears to be increasingly common… but is it? This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes X post | Brian in Pittsburgh

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss the power of cyber. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Narrow windows of opportunity: the limited utility of cyber operations in war RUSI's UK cyber effects network RUSI call for abstracts The fate of nations BTN discussion UK National Cyber Force's Responsible Cyber Power in Practice Sponsor interview on the importance of resilient IdPs

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq look at a new Center for Strategic and International Studies report: A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes CSIS Playbook

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about the limits of a state's cyber power. This episode is also available on YouTube Show notes Dave Aitel's CyberSecPolitics post on cyber power metrics Lawfare Post BTN 117, The fate of nations BTN 120, Should US spies steal Chinese commercial secrets

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about the trend toward outrageously complicated exploits and what it means for hacking and cyber espionage. This episode is also available on YouTube Show notes

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about how cyber threat actors are using AI tools to fill in resource and skills gaps that they have. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Anthropic's August 2025 Threat Report BTN episode 50

In this edition of Between Two Nerds, Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about how the teenage hacking groups Scattered Spider, Lapsus$ and Shiny Hunters are collaborating. They examine whether this is bad news and what will it take to slow these wrecking crews down. Plus, how teenage hackers are like goldfish. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes The Register, Three notorious cybercrime gangs appear to be collaborating Between Two Nerds episode 103 Sponsor interview with Brett Winterford from Okta

SHOW US SOME LOVE BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PATREON! patreon.com/KeepingUpWithTheNerds   We partnered with Dubby to bring you your new favorite energy drink!  Check out dubby.gg and use code "KEEPUPNERD" for 10% off your next order.   This week is all about showcasing the scaled-down versions of some of our favorite franchises.  Two Nerds go out on a date to watch Nobody... 2... the movie Nobody 2... that's what it's called.  The film The Nerds may be likened to a John Wick on a vacation.  While two Nerds spend their time at the movies, the other two stay at home to watch Alien Earth.  Were these two worth a watch?  Short answer, yes.  Why?  For that you'll have to listen!    This Issue is Brought to You by: Bryan Quevedo, Rene Bravo, Sean Rodriguez & Nick Valero   Podcasts can also be found here! YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y6luw7uq Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/y4q64run Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y4ztkn2o   Follow us on our socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keepingwiththenerds/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeepitNerds Ask us questions and leave us a like and comment! Don't forget to subscribe and leave a follow!

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq talk about whether the cyber industry and intelligence agencies focus too much on technical details and ignore the bigger picture. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Director-General ASIO speech on Counting the Cost of Espionage