Episode
#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
2:42:33
Published: Sat May 02 2015
Description
Samy Kamkar is one of the most innovative and notorious computer hackers in the United States. He’s also a well-known whistleblower. If you want how Samy hacks everything from online dating to car alarms, this episode is for you. He is best known for creating the fastest spreading virus of all time, a MySpace worm named “Samy.” He got raided by the United States Secret Service for that one. More recently, he’s created SkyJack, a custom drone that hacks into any nearby drones, allowing him (or any operator) to control a swarm of devices; and Evercookie, which appeared in top-secret NSA documents revealed by Edward Snowden. He also discovered illicit mobile phone tracking by Apple iPhone, Google Android and Microsoft Windows Phone mobile devices, which were transmitting GPS and Wi-Fi information to their parent companies. His research and findings led to a series of class-action lawsuits against these companies and a privacy hearing on Capitol Hill. To see Samy help me hack my online dating, check out the “Dating Game” TV episode here: http://itunes.com/timferriss Here is Samy’s site (http://samy.pl/), his outstanding YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4m2G6T18_JcjwxwtwKJijw), and his Twitter (https://twitter.com/samykamkar). This episode is brought to you by two companies I use myself: 99Designs — http://99designs.com/tim Mizzen & Main — http://mizzenandmain.com/collections/tim Enjoy!***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
In this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, Tim deconstructs Sammy Kamkar, a notorious computer hacker and expert in cybersecurity.
00:00 - 05:13 (05:13)
Summary
In this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, Tim deconstructs Sammy Kamkar, a notorious computer hacker and expert in cybersecurity. Sammy shares his experience and insights on ethical hacking, privacy and internet security.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The 2007 Girl Tech IM-me Wireless toy, designed for teenage girls to text their friends securely, has a powerful wireless chip that has been found to have many potentially dangerous applications.
05:13 - 11:16 (06:02)
Summary
The 2007 Girl Tech IM-me Wireless toy, designed for teenage girls to text their friends securely, has a powerful wireless chip that has been found to have many potentially dangerous applications. It can transmit on a wide range of frequencies and could be used to unlock car doors and access certain luxury vehicles.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The host shares their experience with breaking into cars and highlights the ease of breaking into higher end Japanese vehicles.
11:16 - 17:46 (06:30)
Summary
The host shares their experience with breaking into cars and highlights the ease of breaking into higher end Japanese vehicles. They also mention a computer gifted to them by someone who worked two jobs.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how they learned to write software through gaming and packet sniffing, including how it helped them locate players on a map.
17:46 - 21:09 (03:23)
Summary
The speaker discusses how they learned to write software through gaming and packet sniffing, including how it helped them locate players on a map.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses his approach to problem solving, which involves examining inputs and outputs, and gives an example of how memory can be retrieved using nitrogen.
21:09 - 25:24 (04:14)
Summary
The speaker discusses his approach to problem solving, which involves examining inputs and outputs, and gives an example of how memory can be retrieved using nitrogen.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his experience of learning to drive stick and talks about the different types of keys used in cars.
25:24 - 30:43 (05:19)
Summary
The speaker shares his experience of learning to drive stick and talks about the different types of keys used in cars.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Researchers have found that a Mattel toy can be used to listen to a wide range of frequency bands, providing access to data that used to cost thousands of dollars to obtain; the toy can recognize the frequency and tune of sounds like bird songs which can trigger responses in other devices.
30:43 - 35:38 (04:55)
Summary
Researchers have found that a Mattel toy can be used to listen to a wide range of frequency bands, providing access to data that used to cost thousands of dollars to obtain; the toy can recognize the frequency and tune of sounds like bird songs which can trigger responses in other devices.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, host Sam Harris talks about the security flaws of smart devices and how the ban on them affects daily life.
35:38 - 39:54 (04:15)
Summary
In this episode, host Sam Harris talks about the security flaws of smart devices and how the ban on them affects daily life. He also discusses how hackers can exploit the vulnerabilities and the possible implications of deploying jamming systems and other methods to incapacitate cars over an extended period of time.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about how companies can use flash cookies to track user data even if regular cookies are deleted, as well as his experience with online dating many years ago.
39:54 - 46:50 (06:56)
Summary
The speaker talks about how companies can use flash cookies to track user data even if regular cookies are deleted, as well as his experience with online dating many years ago.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses a social experiment he conducted where he created a female online dating profile to gather data and find ways to improve the online dating experience for himself and others.
46:50 - 50:41 (03:50)
Summary
The speaker discusses a social experiment he conducted where he created a female online dating profile to gather data and find ways to improve the online dating experience for himself and others.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares some tips for writing engaging online dating profiles, including using hot or not-like sites to measure physical appearance, and making sure the profile showcases your interesting qualities.
50:41 - 57:50 (07:09)
Summary
The speaker shares some tips for writing engaging online dating profiles, including using hot or not-like sites to measure physical appearance, and making sure the profile showcases your interesting qualities.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker suggests paying extra for the analytical features of some online dating services to improve read and open rates on dating profiles as well as continuously making small changes to optimize the profile.
57:50 - 1:01:35 (03:45)
Summary
The speaker suggests paying extra for the analytical features of some online dating services to improve read and open rates on dating profiles as well as continuously making small changes to optimize the profile. Additionally, personalizing conversation openers based on the match's profile increases the chances of a successful match.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker appears to jump between unrelated topics, including environmentalism and personal style advice.
1:01:36 - 1:05:34 (03:58)
Summary
The speaker appears to jump between unrelated topics, including environmentalism and personal style advice.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares how he converses with people through emails, asking non-common questions that help him learn interesting things about them, thereby building better relationships.
1:05:34 - 1:08:30 (02:56)
Summary
The speaker shares how he converses with people through emails, asking non-common questions that help him learn interesting things about them, thereby building better relationships.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker suggests that automated online dating can be compared to playing cards, where you can stack the deck yourself and have someone help you automate the process of swiping right on profiles that match your specifications by posting a project request on freelancing sites like Elance.
1:08:30 - 1:13:01 (04:31)
Summary
The speaker suggests that automated online dating can be compared to playing cards, where you can stack the deck yourself and have someone help you automate the process of swiping right on profiles that match your specifications by posting a project request on freelancing sites like Elance.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses how computer vision algorithms can be used on dating app Tinder to screen through potential matches by creating a hot or not filter.
1:13:01 - 1:17:28 (04:26)
Summary
The podcast discusses how computer vision algorithms can be used on dating app Tinder to screen through potential matches by creating a hot or not filter. They suggest finding someone who can develop web crawlers, backend web software, and basic analytics software to execute this idea.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The importance of providing value in business relationships and the negative effects of not doing so are discussed, along with an example of how to devalue a service to illustrate the concept.
1:17:28 - 1:20:52 (03:24)
Summary
The importance of providing value in business relationships and the negative effects of not doing so are discussed, along with an example of how to devalue a service to illustrate the concept.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about how he found a way to make people add him as a friend and as a hero on Myspace, as well as adding the code to their profile.
1:20:52 - 1:25:41 (04:48)
Summary
The speaker talks about how he found a way to make people add him as a friend and as a hero on Myspace, as well as adding the code to their profile.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The terms viruses and worms are often used interchangeably, but viruses are usually perceived as being malicious while worms simply spread quickly.
1:25:42 - 1:30:23 (04:41)
Summary
The terms viruses and worms are often used interchangeably, but viruses are usually perceived as being malicious while worms simply spread quickly. However, most things that spread quickly online - like worms - do so with some level of malicious or self-serving intent.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about being interviewed for various web websites and feeling overwhelmed when opening the browser 900,000 and seeing how many people were on their MySpace page.
1:30:23 - 1:35:08 (04:45)
Summary
The speaker talks about being interviewed for various web websites and feeling overwhelmed when opening the browser 900,000 and seeing how many people were on their MySpace page.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The host recounts how a hacker he knew managed to avoid a raid of his server room, saving several companies that depended on their phone systems.
1:35:08 - 1:41:30 (06:21)
Summary
The host recounts how a hacker he knew managed to avoid a raid of his server room, saving several companies that depended on their phone systems. The hack used some magic to prevent agents from confiscating their servers, but the exact method remains unknown.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker recounts how they fought with the District Attorney for six months after being charged with a crime and even forged emancipation documents to be able to live independently.
1:41:30 - 1:45:18 (03:48)
Summary
The speaker recounts how they fought with the District Attorney for six months after being charged with a crime and even forged emancipation documents to be able to live independently. The DA was threatening to take away their computer use for life.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
After three years of being prohibited from using computers, a person went back to court to argue that they were like a model computer and won, allowing them to use computers again.
1:45:18 - 1:50:48 (05:29)
Summary
After three years of being prohibited from using computers, a person went back to court to argue that they were like a model computer and won, allowing them to use computers again.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares about his experience of learning and building a business from the information and connections available on the internet.
1:50:48 - 1:55:36 (04:47)
Summary
The speaker shares about his experience of learning and building a business from the information and connections available on the internet.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker receives advice from both their brother and mother regarding salary negotiation tactics, including suggesting a high base expectation and giving a low starting number when asked about salary during an interview.
1:55:36 - 2:00:23 (04:47)
Summary
The speaker receives advice from both their brother and mother regarding salary negotiation tactics, including suggesting a high base expectation and giving a low starting number when asked about salary during an interview.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses two entrepreneurs, Richard Branson and Pablo, who have a passion for learning, having fun, and building relationships with people.
2:00:23 - 2:05:49 (05:26)
Summary
The podcast discusses two entrepreneurs, Richard Branson and Pablo, who have a passion for learning, having fun, and building relationships with people.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the concept of script kiddies and the lack of security in the digital world, while emphasizing the importance of ethical hacking to protect oneself and others.
2:05:49 - 2:12:01 (06:11)
Summary
The podcast discusses the concept of script kiddies and the lack of security in the digital world, while emphasizing the importance of ethical hacking to protect oneself and others.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
A former subcontractor for a company that worked with the FBI recounts his experience tracking down a group of credit card thieves who had penetrated a gateway.
2:12:01 - 2:16:04 (04:02)
Summary
A former subcontractor for a company that worked with the FBI recounts his experience tracking down a group of credit card thieves who had penetrated a gateway. They discovered that many hackers are located in countries where they are less likely to face consequences for their actions and that governments themselves can be potential buyers of stolen credit cards.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast discusses the importance of using password managers to protect yourself from hacks and online identity theft.
2:16:04 - 2:21:33 (05:29)
Summary
This podcast discusses the importance of using password managers to protect yourself from hacks and online identity theft. It also stresses the vulnerability of using the same password for every website.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
An audit of TrueCrypt has been completed to ensure security as it has been deemed necessary by many people who use TrueCrypt, which has a significant user base of smart users who understand cryptography and want to protect their information.
2:21:33 - 2:26:18 (04:44)
Summary
An audit of TrueCrypt has been completed to ensure security as it has been deemed necessary by many people who use TrueCrypt, which has a significant user base of smart users who understand cryptography and want to protect their information. TrueCrypt is known for having an interesting feature of applying two passwords to an encrypted drive, however, there is a concern regarding gag orders issued by the NSA.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
China's certificate agency gave out a fake certificate for Google.com allegedly by accident.
2:26:18 - 2:30:30 (04:12)
Summary
China's certificate agency gave out a fake certificate for Google.com allegedly by accident. It raises concerns over online privacy and security.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast episode, the speaker talks about how to use music to build relationships and make friends, emphasizing the importance of reciprocity in maintaining friendships.
2:30:30 - 2:34:06 (03:36)
Summary
In this podcast episode, the speaker talks about how to use music to build relationships and make friends, emphasizing the importance of reciprocity in maintaining friendships. They recommend electronic dance music such as Infected Mushroom for its ability to foster a sense of community and shared experiences among listeners.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
A frustrated individual talks about the poor quality of navigation software from companies like Apple and Google, and their struggle to easily navigate around town.
2:34:06 - 2:38:32 (04:25)
Summary
A frustrated individual talks about the poor quality of navigation software from companies like Apple and Google, and their struggle to easily navigate around town.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares their passion for teaching people how to hack, code, and reverse engineer, while also encouraging regular consumers to learn how to protect themselves.
2:38:35 - 2:41:31 (02:55)
Summary
The speaker shares their passion for teaching people how to hack, code, and reverse engineer, while also encouraging regular consumers to learn how to protect themselves.
Episode#74: How a Computer Hacker Optimizes Online Dating, Opens Locked Cars, and Hijacks Drones
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
A conversation with Sammy Kamkar, the creator of SkyJack, OwnStar, and many other security tools.
2:41:31 - 2:42:27 (00:55)
Summary
A conversation with Sammy Kamkar, the creator of SkyJack, OwnStar, and many other security tools. He also shares about his life outside of tech and his passion for making and creating things.