How Cybercriminals Exploit Old Vulnerabilities and Use Past Scams to Target Us

Explore how cybercriminals leverage outdated security vulnerabilities and recycle proven scam techniques to target modern victims in this 30-minute conference talk from BSides San Antonio 2025. Learn about the persistent threat landscape where attackers capitalize on unpatched systems and exploit human psychology through time-tested social engineering methods. Discover the patterns cybercriminals follow when repurposing historical attack vectors, understand why legacy vulnerabilities remain attractive targets, and gain insights into how past scams are adapted for contemporary digital environments. Examine real-world examples of how threat actors combine old exploitation techniques with new delivery mechanisms to maximize their success rates against unsuspecting users and organizations.