15.9M views · Nov 27, 2017 · 1:03:20 · 8 HN recommenders · 15 mentions · discussed 2018–2023
Frank Abagnale, the real subject of Catch Me If You Can, speaks at Google about his life as a con man turned FBI fraud and cybersecurity expert, including advice on fraud, breaches and credit cards.
Why Hacker News points people here: Praised as a charismatic, engaging talk with practical security lessons, like why credit cards protect you better than debit cards.
“One of the best google talks I have seen.”HN comment, 2019
“Its well worth watching the whole thing”
Abagnale's life story plus his FBI view of the Equifax breach.
I bumped into this talk today: Frank Abagnale: "Catch Me If You Can" this video He became an FBI agent and works with data breaches. So after entertainingly describing his life story he does mention the Equifax breach at the 37m mark. He paints a very negative picture of Equifax. Its well worth watching the whole thing, and not just skipping to his FBI Agent opinion of Equifax.
“Great talk by the way, he's an incredibly charismatic and well spoken story teller”
Charismatic storytelling on how likability enables social engineering.
He did a talk at Google where he asserted basically the same thing: this video Great talk by the way, he's an incredibly charismatic and well spoken story teller, also a consultant for the FBI and a successful businessman - which makes you think about just how important likability and charisma are both to being a successful social engineer and being successful in-general. People will let you stray pretty far from reality if they like you - Holmes, Abagnale, and apparently Troy Woody (at least to this poor girl). Eventually reality catches up, one way or another.
“One of the best google talks I have seen.”
Interesting full lecture, among the best Google talks.
Offtopic, Frank Abnegale ( Catch me if you can fame ) also says the same thing in his [1] lecture at Google. The whole lecture is also pretty interesting. One of the best google talks I have seen. [1]: this video
“his talk at Google is one of the best ones I've heard [1]”
One of the best talks the commenter has heard.
Frank Abnagale's Comments on the movie and book (2002) [0]. I don't know if his story is true or not. But regardless of his story, his talk at Google is one of the best ones I've heard [1]. > I was interviewed by the co-writer only about four times. I believe he did a great job of telling the story, but he also over dramatized and exaggerated some of the story. That was his style and what the editor wanted. He always reminded me that he was just telling a story and not writing my biography. This is one of the reasons that from the very beginning, I insisted the publisher put a disclaimer in the book and tapes. [0] link [1] this video
“the entire video/talk is great”
Abagnale comments on the Equifax breach around the 37 minute mark.
* not in current use according to Equifax. I'm hesitant to take their word at face value, as they've tried to mitigate the entire situation via PR already and claim many users [who were affected] were not affected. However the site was still live, and exposed to the public web. It's only unrelated to the specific event in the United States, but clearly indicative of a pattern of negligence. I also wanted to add that the software in question that was compromised was a free and open source solution[0], not some top-dollar security program. And it was breached by relative simple XSS attack that even may have been carried out automatically. Beyond that it could just as likely have been a script kiddie who caught wind of the vulnerability on a message board somewhere and went hunting. I wouldn't call that highly sophisticated. XSS protection is the very baseline of internet data security... I'd also like to point to a video posted by another user upthread (willfarvar): this video FBI's Frank Abagnale speaks to the Equifax breach at ~37m (as willfarvar says, though, the entire video/talk is great) --- [0] link
“Technically not a tech talk but since it was at Talks at Google, this one”
Suggested as a best talk, though not technical.
Technically not a tech talk but since it was at Talks at Google, this one: Frank Abagnale: "Catch Me If You Can" | Talks at Google - YouTube this video
“This is among the most important learnings you can get from Frank Abagnale's talk at Google”
Teaches why credit cards protect you better than debit cards.
very sorry to hear that. Debit cards are convenient etc, but they don't offer much in terms of fraud protection. The general suggestion is to always use a credit card instead so that you don't expose your own money to theft, but the bank's. This is among the most important learnings you can get from Frank Abagnale's talk at Google ( this video )
“This is an interesting talk by Frank Abagnale (the real life person the story was based on) at Google.”
Talk by the real person behind Catch Me If You Can.
This is an interesting talk by Frank Abagnale (the real life person the story was based on) at Google. this video
Abagnale's account of his father and divorce, giving insight into his life.
Frank Abagnale's ("Catch Me If You Can" protagonist) take on divorce gives some insight into his life story [1], and is an interesting counterpoint. A transcript for those who hate watching videos. The transcript starts from the link and transcribes 132 seconds of his speech, up to the 23:57 mark. --- BGN --- I was one of those few children that got to grow up in the world with a daddy. Now, the world is full of fathers. But there are very few men worthy of being called daddy by their child. I had a daddy; loved his children more than he loved life itself. Steven Spielberg told Barbara Walters the more I've researched Frank's youth, without having met Frank, I couldn't help but put his father in the film through the likes of Christopher Walken. My father was a man who had four children---three boys and a daughter. Every night at bedtime, he'd walk into your room. He was 6'3". He would drop down on one knee, kiss you on the cheek, pull the cover up, and he'd put his lip up on your earlobe. And he'd whisper deep into your ear, "I love you. I love you very much." He never, ever , missed a night. As I grew older, I sometimes fell asleep before he got home. But I always woke up the next morning, knew he had been at my bedside. Years later, my older brother joined me in my room, temporarily; he was in the Marine Corps. He was 6'4". He played semi-pro football for Buffalo. But my father would walk around to his bed, hug him, kiss him, whisper in his hear he loved him. When I was 16
“technology makes it easier for the fraudster to come up with the right details”
Abagnale says technology makes it easier for fraudsters to get details right.
FWIW, Frank Abagnale Jr (the guy depicted in the movie "Catch Me If You Can") was asked whether he thought it'd be harder for him to do what he did with technology as it is today. this video He suggested that technology makes it easier for the fraudster to come up with the right details, whereas he often had to bluff when he was defrauding people.
Abagnale's FBI work and reformed status.
Frank Abagnale has worked for the FBI for 40 years now. He still has an Ego, but he has turned down several offers of pardons for his past crimes and is now very much on the light side of the force. this video
“Here is an FBI employee explaining the difference between the two when a breach happens”
Explains credit versus debit exposure when a breach happens.
Here is an FBI employee explaining the difference between the two when a breach happens: this video A more general article: link
Supports using credit cards to keep a buffer from your bank money.
If I buy coffee, I buy it on a credit card. Every daily purchase uses a credit card. Why? I want a buffer between me and the purchaser. I don't want them to be able to take money from my bank. this video Now, if I shop online, I used to put it on a credit card. Now I generate a virtual debit card using an online service and pay with that. The logic is the same.
“He did a Google talk in 2017”
2017 Google security-month talk by Abagnale.
He did a Google talk in 2017 this video "For Google's Security and Privacy Month, we are honored to present the real Frank Abagnale, Renowned Cybersecurity And Fraud Prevention Expert, Bestselling Author & Subject of Catch Me If You Can. His transformation from one of the world’s most notorious con men to an international cybersecurity expert trusted by the FBI has been mythologized in film and literature – but the takeaways he shares are the real deal." ...
“Abagale would make a perfect US politician, major league bullshitter who sticks to his stories for gain.”
Abagale would make a perfect US politician, major league bullshitter who sticks to his stories for gain. this video
