Risky Business Podcast
January 07, 2026
How the World Got Owned Episode 1: The 1980s
Presented by
Producer and Editor
CEO and Publisher
In this special documentary episode, Patrick Gray and Amberleigh Jack take a historical dive into hacking in the 1980s. Through the words of those that were there, they discuss life on the ARPANET, the 414s hacking group, the Morris Worm, the vibe inside the NSA and a parallel hunt for German hackers happening at a similar time to Cliff Stoll’s famous Cuckoo’s Egg story.
This podcast features the memories of:
- Jon Callas, former principal software engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation
- Mark Rasch, Morris Worm prosecutor
- Timothy Winslow, former 414 hacker
- Greg Chartrand, author of Cracking the Cuckoos Egg and
- Tony Sager, former NSA
How the World Got Owned is produced in partnership with SentinelOne.
Brought to you by SentinelOne
Advanced Enterprise Cyber Security AI Platform
Show notes
1988 Federal sentencing guidelines manual
Computer Intruder is put on probation and fined $10,000 | The New York Times
Computer Intruder is found guilty | The New York Times
The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage | Clifford Stoll
Computer Buffs Tapped NASA Files | The New York Times
Young Computer Bandits Byte off More than They Could Chew | The Washington Post
‘Hacker’ is used by Mainstream Media, September 5, 1983 | EDN
Neal Patrick to testify before congressional committee
Wargames official trailer, 1983
CBS News Segment on Robert Morris Computer Hacker
The Fall of the Berlin Wall | Sky News
I Hacked a Nuclear Facility in the 1980’s. You’re Welcome | CNN