Decoded: Nerd Thoughts – The Neverending Phish

There was a time when we were true warriors of the net.
No fancy dashboards. No AI copilots. No “cyber resilience platforms.” Just us, a keyboard, and the constant buzz of dial-up lines, BBS boards, and IRC channels.

Back then, if you wanted access, you had to earn it. Social engineering was an art:

• pretending to be a clueless newbie (“hey guys, what’s this BNC thing?”)
• playing the preppy girl looking for someone to “teach her the ropes” (and there was always a dude eager to show off – and I mean, REALLY!)
• running “op wars” for channel control, tricking people out of their bots, snatching op status with a mix of patience and manipulation

It wasn’t about ransomware payouts or billion dollar breaches. It was about shells, access, and reputation.
And yes, loyalty was sacred. Within your crew, you never betrayed the bond. That code was iron.

From BBS to phishing kits: what changed, then?

Fast-forward to 2025 and the game looks… different.
Phishing has become industrialized:

• prepackaged phishing kits available for pocket change
• AI tools cranking out “perfect English” scam mails
• whole criminal groups running “as-a-service” models

But here’s the paradox: less skill, more damage.
Back then, you had to sharpen your mind, learn the tricks, memorize every IRC command. Today, you just download a kit, copy-paste a template, and hit send. The barrier to entry has collapsed, and so has the ethics.

The underground I knew had rules (sometimes twisted, but still rules). Today, it’s a free-for-all of greed, faceless and massive.

The Neverending Story

Here’s the real kicker: we’ve lost the muscle of vigilance.
When you had no tools, you relied on your instincts, your wits, your training. You had to stay present, always.
Now, surrounded by automation and resources, people rely on the tools. They trust filters, they trust systems, they forget to question the little details.

That’s why phishing still works, and will always work. Because humans are human (#TeamAsteroid here, in case you were wondering).
And as long as we let our guard down, there will always be someone out there, ready to drop a hook into the digital waters.

Phishing is, in the end, a neverending story.

✍️ Decoded: Nerd Thoughts is my monthly playground, where retro vibes meet today’s threats. This edition kicks off September’s theme: phishing. From basics to AI-powered lures, we’ll dive deep all month. And don’t miss our wrap-up, The Catch #1 – Phishing Edition, dropping end of September, Bruce approved.
GLHF 😉