This week on Disarming Data, we’re speaking with former Secret Service Agent Rich Latulip, who shares his unique experience in understanding cybersecurity threats from the inside as an undercover agent tasked with building relationships with known cyberterrorists.

He tells us about staying at Thai beach resorts with cyber criminals so he can meet them in person—not on-line. He discusses the underground world of buying and selling credit card data and the challenges of conducting business as an undercover agent working with international law enforcement agencies.

Rich also shares some of the obstacles undercover agents have to overcome and how they maintain trust with their targets while gathering important information. Rich has some amazing stories and please have a listen.

Computer crimes are financial crimes.” - Rich LaTulip

“I found myself in the Secret Service because I always had an interest in serving my country and protecting people.” - Rich LaTulip

“Our goal was moving the digital world into the real world.” - Rich LaTulip


This Week on Disarming Data:

• Why Rich decided to join the Secret Service and what agents really do when they’re undercover
• How Rich’s unique experience in law enforcement and cybersecurity help him in his current role at Resolve Systems
• Some of the key online threats that businesses need to protect themselves from in 2023
• Skills that helped Rich move up in his career in federal law enforcement and cybersecurity
• Rich shares his story of living and pursuing cyber criminals in Estonia
• Difficulties in building trust with cyber criminals online, the importance of creating rapport, and how that helps security forces bring them to justice
• The underground world of skimming, buying, and selling credit card data, and the challenges of identifying and apprehending individuals involved
• How the bureaucracy involved in pursuing people engaged in illegal activities in non-extraditable countries makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to bring criminals to justice
• Rich’s interest in computer forensics and ways investigators can improve the quality of digital evidence reports

Connect with Richard LaTulip:

• Richard LaTulip on LinkedIn
• Resolve Systems

Connect with Decrypted Unscripted:

• Perkins Coie LLP
• David Biderman on LinkedIn
• Andrew Pak on LinkedIn