Girls Talk Cyber

23. The Dark Web and Cyber Crime - LIVE Podcast with Federal Agent and Cyber Intel Expert

Girls Talk Cyber

Show Notes

Crime as we know it is changing and the kids are keeping up, faster than we are. In this episode, GTC is on stage at the SXSW conference, discussing how the average age of cyber criminals is becoming younger and younger. Joined by our panelists AFP Federal Agent, Amy Phelps and Cyber Intelligence Expert Leah Pinto, we unpack how the dark web is fuelling cyber crime - including hiring violence “as a service” and ransomware toolkits. But it’s not all doom and gloom, the AFP is hacking back, taking down dark web marketplaces and implementing prevention programs in schools. So tune in, and learn more about the dark web and the cyber crime it’s facilitating. For more information about you can act secure online, visit https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/cyber-security/strategy/act-now-stay-secure Links mentioned: AFP Reboot program: https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/reb00tcmp-inspires-next-generation-cyber-champions

Where to find us Follow the Girls Talk Cyber Instagram account for all your cyber tips and tricks: https://www.instagram.com/girlstalkcyber/?hl=en Join the Girls Talk Cyber Facebook community to share your cyber security stories and let us know how you’re feeling about the content covered in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/groups/828589538834261/

More from Girls Talk Cyber

Aug 23, 2026

Have you heard of the ACSC? It's Australia's national cyber agency dedicated to defending and disrupting against cyber crime and helping to build resilience against cyber threats. In this episode we’re lucky enough to sit down with Stephanie Crowe, the Deputy Director General and Head of the ACSC who is running this show, and ask her about the capabilities built by the organisation to help protect Australia and its communities. We also ask Steph to unpack her latest joint statement with Five Eyes countries on AI, hear about her journey to where she is today and get some personal cyber tips from Steph herself. We hope you enjoy this episode! Links mentioned below: ASD website: https://www.cyber.gov.au/ ASD Cyber Security Partnership Program: https://www.cyber.gov.au/asds-cyber-security-partnership-program ASD Career pathways: https://www.asd.gov.au/careers Five Eyes statement: https://www.cyber.gov.au/about-us/view-all-content/news/five-eyes-cyber-security-agencies-statement Protect yourself: https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself Australia Cyber Security Hotline (ACSH): 1300CYBER1 GTC Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlstalkcyber/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/girlstalkcyber Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/828589538834261/ ASD Socials: ASD X: https://x.com/ASDGovAu ASD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cybergovau/ ASD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asd.gov.au/?hl=en ASD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/australian-signals-directorate

Jul 19, 2026

Fraud files is back in a big way! Our own co-host Jules almost got done by a scam call. But theres no shame in the scam game - and we know that sharing these stories is the only way we can learn and avoid them from happening to ourselves and broader community. So tune in and find out how these sophisticated phone calls are becoming harder and harder to detect, and what you can do to redefine how you respond - and how they might even end up ghosting you too. For more information about how you can act secure online, visit https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/cyber-security/strategy/act-now-stay-secure Helpful resources: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/australian-victims-warned-over-rising-cryptocurrency-exchange https://www.cyber.gov.au/scams https://www.binance.com/en/blog/tag/33

Jun 17, 2026

Can you name six different careers in cyber security? If not - that's totally ok - it's a mysterious world with unusual roles but let us walk you through a couple with our Cyber In Real Life (IRL) chat. We presented this talk at the Australian Federal Police re_BOOTCMP event, hosted at Fortress Melbourne earlier this year. It was a day filled with activities and talks to show kids what the world of cyber looks like outside of committing cyber crimes! While our audio may not be the best, we still thought it's too good not to share. We also have a very special guest, Nick Scheckenbach, an Executive Director from CyberCX who has built his career through building connections and saying yes to opportunities (and that does include saying yes to being a get away driver in a physical pen test). The result? He now manages a 150 million pipeline, travels the world and works with a team to secure organisations against cyber threats. We hope you like this episode as much as we do! Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlstalkcyber/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/girlstalkcyber Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/828589538834261/

May 10, 2026

Cyber criminals are using fake CAPTCHAs to trick people into downloading malware. Sounds impossible right? Well unfortunately it’s becoming more and more common. So what are CAPTCHAs, and how can you spot a fake? Tune in to our latest episode to find out!

Apr 7, 2026

After the Women In Cyber Security Summit, we had collected a couple of incredible interviews with high school students. We just couldn’t keep these conversation to ourselves so we’ve collated and shared them here in this bonus ep for you! For more information about how you can act secure online, visit https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/cyber-security/strategy/act-now-stay-secure Socials: Follow the Girls Talk Cyber Instagram account for all your cyber tips and tricks: https://www.instagram.com/girlstalkcyber/?hl=en Join the Girls Talk Cyber Facebook community to share your cyber security stories and let us know how you’re feeling about the content covered in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/groups/828589538834261/

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