The average person has around 255 passwords, and logging in has never been harder. Somehow nothing has ever felt less secure, either. In episode eleven of Breaking the Build, Tim and James take on computer security: why passwords fail, why passkeys can’t agree on where they live, and how AI is making both attacks and defenses better at the same time.

Topics covered: password security, password managers, passkeys, two-factor authentication (2FA), social engineering, phishing, AI deepfakes and voice cloning, AI in cybersecurity, data breaches, smart home and IoT security, encrypted messaging and Signal, privacy vs usability.

This casual tech podcast looks at why security is lopsided: defenders have to be perfect and attackers need one mistake. It also asks why most people will trade privacy for convenience every time. Along the way: why the old-people password book is more secure than it looks, AI as a $25-a-month protection racket, how Independence Day beat the aliens with malware, which smart appliance you’d want on your side in an AI war, and a would-you-rather that falls apart over whether good bagels should be toasted.

Perfect for: tech professionals, developers, IT and security folks, anyone who has helped a parent reset a password, and anyone who has typed a one-time code just to order a pizza.