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Podcasts

Darknet Diaries

Editorial pick

Hosted by Jack Rhysider

Narrative true-crime stories from the cybersecurity world.

Narrative Biweekly 30–60 min· ~160 episodes· Started 2017
Level
Beginner, no security background needed
Status
Active, last episode
Who's behind it
Independent, Jack Rhysider sourceAd-supported; an ad-free Darknet Diaries Plus feed is sold separately.
Last verified
Transcripts for every episode

Listed underThreat intel and newsOffensive security

Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeRSS Show website

Editorial take

The podcast that introduced cybersecurity stories to a non-technical audience and didn't dumb them down. Jack Rhysider's storytelling discipline, pre-interviews, scripting, sound design, is closer to NPR's Serial than to a standard tech podcast. Each episode is a self-contained narrative about a hack, a hacker, or an investigation. It's the show you recommend to friends who are curious but not in security.

Last hand-checked 2026-09-30.

Listen if you …

  • you like long-form narrative non-fiction, think This American Life for hacking
  • you want to share an episode with a non-technical friend or family member
  • you appreciate sound design and editing as a craft

Skip if you …

  • you want technical depth, this is narrative storytelling, not threat research
  • you find dramatized retellings off-putting (some episodes use voice actors)

Start with these 3 episodes

  1. 01

    6: The Beirut Bank Job

    · 29 min · Beginner

    Jayson E. Street's physical pentest of a bank; shows the format in under 30 minutes.

  2. 02

    54: NotPetya

    · 57 min · Beginner

    The show at full strength: how the 2017 attack on Ukraine spilled into companies worldwide.

  3. 03

    59: The Courthouse

    · 86 min · Beginner

    Two pentesters jailed during an authorized test; essential listening on scope and authorization.

About the show

Jack Rhysider's narrative cybersecurity podcast. Each episode tells a story, a hack, a heist, an investigation, a hacker's biography, with original interviews and full production values.

It's the show that proved cybersecurity stories travel beyond the industry. The audience is broader than 'security professionals'; the show is a frequent crossover hit on general-podcast charts.

Notable guests

  • Mudge
  • Brian Krebs
  • Kevin Mitnick

Pairs with

If Darknet Diaries works for you, these likely will too.