The Secure Family Podcast

Host Andy Murphy shares a formula that will help you see and prevent crime in your life. Believe it or not, criminals don't always need elaborate plans. Sometimes, they just need the right opportunity. In this episode, Andy reveals a fascinating crime prevention theory that could change how you protect your family.

Through three surprising scenarios, you'll discover how criminals find opportunities, why security cameras aren't always enough, and how simple changes can help prevent crime.

You don't need to be a detective to outsmart a criminal. Sometimes, you just need to think one step...

Host Andy Murphy responsibly reviews an alleged kidnapping case in Dallas where a lost 14-year-old girl accepted a ride from a man who later allegedly held her captive, assaulted and threatened her.

Andy looks at this developing case and stresses stranger abductions are rare. He shares practical family lessons: like teaching kids what to do if they become lost, how to recognize red flag behaviors and how kids navigate interactions with "strangers".

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Andy Murphy hosts the Secure Family Podcast and warns about scams that may (or may not) involve AI voice cloning. He breaks down a Florida case where a mom was pressured into handing over $15,000 in cash showing how scammers build a believable story and manipulate victims. Plus he shares the red flags families need to spot so they can identify the scam and hang up.

Protect your senior parents from scams with this free video series. It will share why older Americans are being targeted as well as break down today's scams so you know the red...

On this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, Andy Murphy welcomes human behavior and experts Greg Williams and Brian Marren. Together they unpack how AI, deepfakes, and expanding surveillance are shaping trust, perception, and everyday decisions. The conversation dives into automated license plate readers (Flock): major benefits like recovering stolen vehicles and locating missing kids, but also risks like misuse, privacy concerns, lack of governance.

Learn more from Greg Williams and Brian Marren at https://www.arcadiacognerati.com/

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Andy Murphy hosts the Secure Family Podcast and explores the future of "connected surveillance networks," including automated license plate readers, facial recognition, store cameras, and home security footage shared into larger systems.

He raises concerns about sloppy or abusive searches, unclear accountability, and whether cameras actually prevent crime. He also discusses risks if a major camera company is sold or changes hands, and what that means for the future.

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In this episode, Andy talks with Deric Knight, owner of ZBM2 Industries, about his incredible journey from Navy radioman to successful entrepreneur.

Deric also makes radio communication practical and approachable for everyday families. You'll discover how radios can give kids greater independence, help families stay connected when cell service fails, and provide reliable communication during road trips, outdoor adventures, concerts, wildfires, and other emergencies.

Plus, Deric explains GMRS, ham radio, Meshtastic, MeshCore, mobile radios, and the easiest ways for beginners to get started. Whether you're a radio enthusiast or simply want another way to protect...

10 Years of The Secure Dad: Behind the Scenes with Andy Murphy

Andy Murphy celebrates 10 years of The Secure Dad on a special episode of The Secure Family Podcast. Andy is interviewed by content creator and privacy watchdog Dylan Schmidt.

Andy shares how the mission began in 2016 while building a platform to write a book, the early turning point that validated his work, and how the podcast evolved from an aggressive early approach into a calm, trusted voice focused on readiness.

Follow Dylan Schmidt on Instagram: https://instagram...

Do you know what to do if a loved one experienced a severe medical emergency?

Host Andy Murphy talks with veteran firefighter and emergency medical responder Brad Newbury. Together they discuss how families can prepare for a medical emergency whether at home, on the road, or on the baseball diamond.

Brad gives great tips for making a fire escape plan that everyone can remember in a time of crisis. He also shares real-life stories from his book "The Saved Effect" (which he co-authored with his daughter) which is an amazing look...

Life in the Dark: What to Do Before and After the Lights Go Out

Andy Murphy hosts the Secure Family Podcast and explains how families can stay comfortable, protected, and informed during extended power outages. Long lasting outages are becoming more common. He outlines steps to take before an outage and what to do the moment the lights go out. From lighting your home, to cooking, to home defense, Andy shows us that our families can thrive and survive.

Get your free copy of my Family Disaster Preparedness Guide: https://www...

Self-Defense Mindset with Dr. Jeremy Butler

Host Andy Murphy interviews self-defense expert Dr. Jeremy Butler about practical personal safety for families. Dr. Butler explains that personal safety is a life skill and recommends investing in three areas: firearms training (when appropriate and trained), self-defense/martial arts with a true protection focus, and holistic safety measures such as home security and ongoing education.

He argues for studying violence through videos for observational learning while protecting mental health. Butler teaches "Practicing the ARTS" (Avoid, Run, Talk, Strike), emphasizing awareness, escape, verbal de-escalation, distance...

Spotting Grooming: Predatory Behavior and Red Flags

Host Andy Murphy discusses how parents can recognize grooming by understanding common predatory patterns and red flags. He highlights a Kentucky case involving a middle school teacher arrested under a new anti-grooming law (House Bill 4), which targets manipulation, trust-building, secrecy, and boundary violations before abuse escalates.

Andy explains six typical grooming stages and what behaviors to look for. He advises parents to raise confident kids, watch for private communication and repeated boundary violations, talk with children with compassion, and teach "good secret vs. bad...

What to Do When a Loved One Is Arrested

Host Andy Murphy interviews veteran bail agent and PBUS president David Stuckman about what happens after an arrest and how families can bond a loved one out safely. David explains booking and jail processing, how families should verify incarceration directly with the jail or its website to avoid bail scams, and how bondsmen typically get paid.

The conversation covers failures to appear, forfeiture consequences, when bounty hunters are used, red flags for reputable bondsmen, and a sample DUI timeline including separate DMV...

How Someone Might Track You and How to Protect Yourself

Andy Murphy explains common ways people may track someone or their child and how to respond safely. Using a real case where an automotive technician found a GPS tracker on a woman's car, Andy breaks down how you could be tracked.

He covers physical vehicle tracking methods like magnetic GPS units, OBD-II plug-in trackers, hardwired devices, and built-in connected car services. Plus, he recommends inspection areas inside and outside a car.

He also discusses technology-enabled stalking through...

Protecting Kids From Online Grooming and Sextortion with Laura Parker of The Exodus Road

Andy Murphy hosts the Secure Family Podcast. Today he interviews Laura Parker, CEO and co-founder of The Exodus Road, a global nonprofit fighting human trafficking. She explains how exploitation has moved online, enabling predators to groom and extort many children quickly through platforms like Instagram, Roblox, and apps with disappearing messages.

They discuss the signs of grooming like "love bombing." Laura emphasizes frequent micro-conversations, building trust so kids report problems without fear, and steps after an image...

Protect your car with these simple habits

Andy Murphy of The Secure Family Podcast explains how to keep someone from stealing your car from your driveway. Car theft is not a simple smash and grab anymore. Andy shares how thieves have gone high-tech to steal everything from luxury cars to daily drivers. Simple habits, as he explains, will go a long way into keeping your car and family safe.

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Burglary Tourism: How Theft Groups Target Homes and How to Defend Yours with Mike O'Rourke of Advanced Operational Concepts

Andy interviews security expert Mike O'Rourke the CEO of Advanced Operational Concepts about "burglary tourism." These are gangs who enter the U.S. to conduct targeted burglaries of affluent homes.

O'Rourke details their tradecraft: OSINT/"Google casing," people-search sites, county records and Zillow, social media exploitation, vehicle follows, illegal trackers, hidden cameras to build patterns of life, and illegal Wi‑Fi/cellular jammers to defeat cloud-based security.

Together th...

Did We Accidentally Build a Surveillance Network?

Andy Murphy discusses automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, explaining how they work, the positive change they bring and the negatives of constant surveillance.

He also covers expanding capabilities such as audio/distress detection, cybersecurity concerns about publicly accessible cameras, and emerging device-signal tracking like Leonardo's SignalTrace, arguing communities may have approved "plate readers" that evolved into broader surveillance systems.

Take control of your data with DeleteMe. Because they sponsor the podcast you can get 20% off a privacy plan from DeleteMe with promo code...

Inside AI-Powered Imposter Scams with Patrick Coughlin

Host Andy Murphy interviews cybersecurity veteran Patrick Coughlin, CEO of Savvy Security and creator of the free ScamWise tool, about the modern scam economy and how AI is accelerating fraud. Patrick recounts how his mother was targeted by a spoofed-phone impersonation/kidnapping scam using a voice that sounded like his sister and a demand for $1,200 for her safe return.

Together they discuss why scams overwhelm even savvy people, how shame drives underreporting, and why seniors are targeted due to concentrated wealth. Coughlin outlines today's...

Be ready for the next big emergency and it won't be a disaster.

Andy of The Secure Family Podcast shares practical ways he prepares his family for likely disasters using lessons from Hurricane Helene to show how fragile modern infrastructure can be. He emphasizes planning ahead to reduce chaos, starting with a family communication plan and adding backup communications beyond smartphones.

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AI: Navigating Trust, Data Risks, and the Future with Rick Alonzo

Andy Murphy hosts a high-level conversation with Rick Alonzo (Rickonomics), a former US Army intelligence analyst and strategic business intelligence founder, about how AI is reshaping society, business, and parenting.

They discuss the post-honeymoon reality of AI adoption, trust and terms-of-service risks, and how data collection, especially through consumer tech and AI-enabled toys, can affect families, including teens using AI for companionship. They cover the importance of human judgment, humility, skepticism, and real-world social bonds, plus emerging threats like attackers...

Protect Yourself from the Next Data Breach

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, Andy explains why data breaches are a serious, ongoing reality. These are not to be ignored as they can lead to all sorts of issues including identity theft for you, your children and your aging parents.

Be ready for the next natural disaster. Download The Secure Dad Family Disaster Preparedness Guide for free. Get your copy here.

Protect your business and your peace of mind. Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/dad-biz. When you use that link, you'll...

Eyes Wide Open: Staying Safe in "Safe" Places with David Lashley

Andy Murphy hosts the Secure Family Podcast and interviews David Lashley, a courthouse law enforcement professional and Director of Courthouse Security with 25+ years protecting judges, juries, and victims.

David explains how "safe places" like courthouses, restaurants, churches, and schools can become dangerous when people grow comfortable and complacent, especially in familiar environments or when distracted by phones.

Read David Lashley's book: https://amzn.to/3R2V4h9

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Andy marks the 375th episode of the Secure Family Podcast by breaking down the wave of fake DMV and toll road scam texts that surged. He explains how the scam uses urgent messages about unpaid tolls, traffic fines, or license suspension to trigger panic. He fully breaks down the scam and then shares how you can protect yourself. Plus he gives people direction on what to do if a loved one has fallen victim to one of these scams. 

Take control of your data with DeleteMe. Because they sponsor the podcast you can get 20% off a privacy pl...

Travelcraft: Practical Family Travel Safety Tips with Boris Milinkovich

Host Andy Murphy welcomes returning guest Boris Milinkovich, founder of True North Tradecraft. Together they discuss how families can be safe and still have fun while traveling. They also discuss Boris' new bookTravelcraft: The Art of Safe and Secure Travel.

For more from Boris and True North Tradecraft: http://truenorthtradecraft.ca/

Take control of your data with DeleteMe. Because they sponsor the podcast you can get 20% off a privacy plan from DeleteMe with promo code: DAD.

...

Safety Awareness: Behavior over stereotypes

On this episode of The Secure Family Podcast host Andy Murphy argues that family safety comes from calm awareness, not fear. Andy discusses criminogenic thinking (minimizing harm, entitlement, blaming others), how different crimes reflect different skills and motives, and the role of family influence in normalizing illegitimate problem-solving. He recommends watching behavior like pressure, manipulation, urgency, boundary violations, inconsistent stories, and ignoring "no" over stereotypes, and emphasizes protecting family by seeing intent and patterns clearly.

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On this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, host Andy Murphy sits down with former FBI undercover operative and cybersecurity expert Eric O'Neill for a fascinating conversation about how modern scams really work. Eric explains why today's cybercriminals don't think like hackers—they think like spies, using deception, pressure, impersonation, and psychology to target everyday people.

Andy and Eric break down the fake DMV and toll road text scams that hit millions of phones, how criminals gather personal data to make attacks feel believable, and why AI deepfakes are making scams more dangerous than ever. Th...

Why do so many people say, "He came out of nowhere" after a crime happens? The truth is, most threats don't appear out of thin air, they were there the whole time. We just didn't see them.

In this episode, Andy breaks down practical situational awareness skills that can help you stay safer in public, make better decisions faster, and avoid becoming an easy target. You'll learn why watching only the front door can limit your awareness, how time of day changes the safety of any environment, why multitasking and smartphones can make you vulnerable, and how...

Andy sits down with Joe Scalone of Yubico to break down why passwords are no longer enough to keep your family safe online and what's replacing them.

Joe explains how passkeys and physical security keys are changing the future of cybersecurity, why hackers are moving faster than ever (thanks to AI), and what that means for everyday families.

The conversation also dives into parenting in a digital world from managing kids' online identities to building trust, communication, and smart guardrails at home.

They also tackle the controversial rise of age verification, digital IDs...

Home Security on a Budget: Practical, Low-Cost Upgrades for Families

In this episode, Andy shares inexpensive, practical ways to improve home security amid rising costs. He points out that safety is a personal responsibility and that effective security is often low-tech. The tips he shares can be for families who rent or own their homes as many ideas don't require permanent installation.

Take control of your data with DeleteMe. Because they sponsor the podcast you can get 20% off a privacy plan from DeleteMe with promo code: DAD.

Defend your home with...

CSM Bart Womack on Surviving Betrayal and Practicing Proactive Situational Awareness

Host Andy speaks with retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Bart Womack about his book, "Embedded Enemy," recounting the March 2003 Camp Pennsylvania insider attack in Kuwait.

Womack describes the chaos of responding in darkness with limited ammo and visibility, coordinating security, casualty collection, evacuation and ultimately identifying and apprehending Sgt. Hasan Akbar.

He shares how the incident reshaped his concept of trust and outlines proactive situational awareness strategies—trust analysis, observe/listen/report, "listen don't ju...

How Your Data Is Collected, Sold, and Used—and What You Can Do About It

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, Andy explains how a vast personal data economy collects, combines, and sells information about people - fueling targeted marketing and enabling scams, stalking, and harassment.

He cites examples and reporting on government agencies purchasing access to location data and the expansion of vehicle-tracking databases, and recounts cases where people-search sites were used to target victims. He also warns that old real-estate listing photos can expose home layouts and ex...

The Waffle House Index and Other Ways to Know You're In Trouble

In this episode, Andy talks with preparedness expert Sam Amyett of MAD Gear, who emphasizes true preparedness as making realistic plans rather than simply collecting gear.

They discuss balancing preparedness with anxiety through calm family leadership, normalizing drills, and using confident language. This way when things go wrong, everyone feels confident they can do their part. And then they talk about Waffle House.

Find out more about Sam and MAD Gear: https://madgear.shop/

No Bars, No Fees, No Problem: Understanding Meshtastic

Andy from The Secure Family Podcast sits down with Sam Amyett from MAD Gear for an unfiltered bonus conversation about one of the nerdiest, coolest, and occasionally most frustrating communication tools around: Meshtastic.

This isn't a polished tutorial. It's two guys who love radios, preparedness, and experimenting with gear talking honestly about what makes Meshtastic awesome and what makes you want to throw your node across the yard.

If you've ever wondered why grown adults get excited about little antennas talking to each...

Roblox and Online Safety: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Andy Murphy of The Secure Family Podcast discusses Roblox as a popular, user-generated gaming universe that offers creativity and learning but carries serious online safety risks, including harmful content, cyberbullying, and documented patterns of grooming and exploitation.

He also raises concerns about age verification methods (facial estimation/ID checks), including coercion and bypass loopholes, and emphasizes ongoing parent-child conversations and digital boundary discussions.

This is episode 365 of The Secure Family Podcast. You could listen to a different...

Privacy, AI, and Surveillance with Matt Sailor

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, host Andy Murphy chats with Matt Sailor, founder and CEO of IC Realtime, about privacy realities in modern home surveillance.

They discuss a key misconception: with many DIY Wi‑Fi cameras, footage and usage data are processed offsite, meaning consumers may not truly control their data. The conversation covers deceptive opt-in/opt-out practices for data sharing, freemium models that charge users who opt out, and the difference between 'not selling' data versus sharing or trading access, in...

AI Scams: Protecting Your Family

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, Andy discusses how artificial intelligence is being used by scammers to target unsuspecting individuals and families. The episode details a recent scam in which AI-generated images were used to trick a couple into believing their lost dog needed emergency surgery.

Andy explains the advanced techniques being used, such as AI-generated voices and personalized messages, and provides practical steps to verify emergencies, protect digital data, and educate elderly family members about these threats. The episode underscores the importance of...

Navigating Tough Conversations

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, host Andy discusses the vital role of parents in safeguarding their families and emphasizes the importance of having open, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations with children. Special guest Jeff Hittner, founder of Ambitious Dads, shares his insights from over 25 years of coaching leaders and fathers.

Jeff discusses how modern fatherhood involves succeeding at both work and home, and the necessity of continuous dialogue with children. Key topics include overcoming discomfort in discussing difficult subjects, the impact of parental anxiety on kids, and...

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, Andy focuses on empowering parents with practical advice for parking lots. He covers the importance of parking lot awareness, identifying habitual and transitional spaces, practical tips for reducing distractions, and strategies for safe vehicle entry and exit.

Andy also discusses how to make a car less attractive for a criminal, information you need in advance if your car is stolen, and the best practices for handling children while loading up.

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"Prepare for a Disaster, and You'll Never Experience One." - Disaster Patrick

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, host Andy is joined by Disaster Patrick, an emergency preparedness expert, to discuss family disaster preparedness. They talk about the importance of involving all family members in preparedness, the innovative projects Patrick is working on, such as building the first FEMA-rated hurricane shelter from Lego blocks, and practical strategies like using a disaster backpack instead of traditional written plans.

Patrick emphasizes the significance of treating preparedness as a fun and empowering...

Parenting in 2026: Security, Technology, and Resilience

In this episode of The Secure Family Podcast, host Andy Murphy empowers parents to protect their families through security tips and thoughtful parenting strategies for the year 2026. He emphasizes the importance of digital life management, emotional resilience, and healthy boundaries.

He explores three main areas: technology use, building emotional resilience, and setting boundaries. Key points include responsible screen time, the implications of AI, fostering independence, and the significance of boredom for creativity. Andy also underscores the need for continuous discussions about AI and its ethical...