You've Been An Absolute Joy To Hack - Everyday Cyber Security For Everyone

What If You Lost Your Email Tomorrow?

Most people think of email as somewhere messages arrive.

But what happens if you suddenly can’t get into it?

Your email is connected to far more than your inbox. It can be the recovery point for your shopping accounts, social media, cloud storage, subscriptions, work systems, travel bookings, financial services, and much more.

In this episode, Joe looks at what could actually happen if you lost access to your email, and why protecting it properly matters more than most people realise.

In...

Hurry Up and Let Me Scam You

Scammers love one thing almost as much as your money: urgency.

The faster they can get you to act, the less time you have to stop, question what is happening, and verify whether it is real.

In this episode, Joe looks at why pressure is such a powerful part of scams and cybercrime, and how criminals use fear, authority, emotion and fake deadlines to push people into making decisions they would normally question.

We also look at why even people who know what phishing...

Can You Believe What You See Online Anymore?

We've all heard the phrase, "Seeing is believing." But is that still true?

With AI-generated images, deepfakes and manipulated content becoming increasingly convincing, many people are asking how they can tell what's real. But perhaps that's the wrong question.

In this episode, we explore why trying to spot AI might not be the best defence, how our relationship with online content is changing, and the simple habit that could protect you better than any detection trick.

In this episode:

- Has...

Can You Trust What You Hear Anymore?

Do you know how much of your own voice is already out there?

Have you ever wondered how convincing an AI-cloned voice could actually sound?

Would you know what to do if you got a call that sounded exactly like someone you trust?

In this episode of You've Been an Absolute Joy to Hack, Joe Hormenoo and Mark Wakeley explore how AI voice cloning has gone from a Hollywood concept to something that takes just seconds to pull off.

Starting...

Can You Really Hide From The Internet? (with free download)

Have you ever thought about deleting social media and disappearing from the internet?

Would it actually work?

Or is your digital footprint much bigger than you realise?

In this episode of You've Been an Absolute Joy to Hack, Joe Hormenoo explores one of the biggest misconceptions about online privacy: that deleting your social media accounts means you've disappeared.

Through a real-world conversation, Joe explains why our digital lives extend far beyond Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, and why much of...

What Would A Hacker Notice About Your Life In 5 Minutes?

Most people think hacking starts with technology.

In reality, it often starts with observation.

If someone spent just five minutes looking at your digital life, what could they learn?

More importantly...

What assumptions might they make about you?

In this episode, Joe Hormenoo explores how ordinary online behaviour can reveal far more than most people realise.

From usernames and online accounts to the...

Why Your Smart Home Isn't as Smart as You Think

Smart TVs.

Smart doorbells.

Smart speakers.

Smart pet feeders.

Our homes are becoming smarter every year.

But does "smart" automatically mean secure?

In this episode, Joe Hormenoo explores one of the biggest assumptions people make about connected devices: that because they're convenient, they're also safe.

From smart gadgets to connected appliances, most people never stop to ask an important question:

Who else can interact with this device?

<...

“I’d Never Fall for a Scam” - Famous Last Words

Most people think scams only happen to other people. 

Older people.
Less technical people.
People who “don’t know better.”

Until it happens to them.

In this episode, Joe Hormenoo shares real stories about confidence, assumptions, and the everyday decisions that quietly make people vulnerable online.

From helping someone buy something safely online and ending up getting scammed himself… to people challenging him to find information they believed was impossible to discover… this episode explores why overconfidence is...

You Knew Better, But You Did It Anyway

Most people don’t get hacked because they didn’t know better.

They get hacked because something felt easier to ignore.

In this episode, Joe Hormenoo explores one of the biggest hidden problems in cybersecurity:

The gap between knowing… and doing.

Because most people already know the basics.

Use strong passwords.
 Update your devices.
 Be careful what you click.

So why do we still delay updates, reuse passwords, and click “remind me later”?

Using a...

You wouldn’t recognise a hacker if you met one.

Most people think hackers are easy to spot.

Someone in a hoodie. Sitting in the dark. Clearly “different.”
But that’s not how it works in real life.

In this episode, I share a real experience from an authorised security assessment, where I was asked to test how far I could get into a highly secure building without access.

The building had strong systems.
Strict controls.
On paper, it was locked down.
But instead of trying to break in...

The Everyday Habits That Make You an Absolute Joy to Hack

Most people think cyber attacks happen because of one big mistake.

But they usually don’t.

In this episode Joe Hormenoo breaks down why the small things we do every day are often what make us easier to target. Not because we’re careless. Because we get comfortable.

Clicking “remind me later” on updates. Reusing the same password because it’s easier. Downloading random free apps. Letting everyone use your main WiFi. Over time, those little habits quietly open more and m...

Why Being "Too Small to Hack" Is Hackers' Favourite Belief

"We're too small to hack."
It's one of the most common things people say. And one of the most dangerous things to believe.
In this episode Joe Hormenoo breaks down why the "too small to hack" mindset is exactly what attackers are counting on - and why size has nothing to do with who gets targeted.

Because here's the truth. Hackers don't think in terms of importance. They think in terms of effort. And the moment you assume you're invisible online, you become...

 Why "You've Been an Absolute Joy to Hack"

Let's start with the title.

It's not an insult. It's actually a wake-up call.

If you run a business, manage a household, own a smart device, or you're the person everyone calls when their phone stops working — from a hacker's point of view, you've been an absolute joy to hack.

In this episode, Joe Hormenoo - Certified Ethical Hacker and author — breaks down exactly what that means, who this podcast is for, and why cybersecurity isn't just a business problem. It's a hum...

Welcome to You've Been an Absolute Joy to Hack.

Most people think cybersecurity isn't for them. That hackers target someone else. Someone more important. Someone with more to lose.

But the truth is simpler than that.

You don't get hacked because you're important. You get hacked because you're human. And small, everyday habits are quietly opening the door without you ever noticing.

This podcast exists to change that.

Every two weeks, Certified Ethical Hacker and author Joe Hormenoo breaks down the habi...