Data Brokers, Doxxing & Digital Privacy with Yael Grauer | The Cyber Mettle Podcast S1E26

What happens when cybersecurity, investigative journalism, hacker culture, and privacy rights collide? Yael Grauer joins ‪@TheCyberMettlePodcast‬ to unpack data brokers, surveillance tech, OSINT culture, online privacy, hacker paranoia, and why your personal information is far more exposed than most people realize. In this episode of The Cyber Mettle Podcast, Omar Sangurima and Alyson Laderman sit down with journalist, cybersecurity educator, and privacy advocate Yael Grauer for a wide-ranging conversation covering: The reality of modern data brokers and why removing your information online is so difficult The overlap between hacker culture and investigative journalism Doxxing, OSINT, digital privacy, and online safety The ethics of public records and personal information Surveillance technology and the expanding privacy landscape in the United States Why journalists and hackers often misunderstand each other Social engineering, trust, and online investigation culture MMA, jiu-jitsu culture, and surprisingly relevant cybersecurity lessons Yael also shares insights from her investigative reporting career, including collaborative reporting work tied to award-winning journalism projects and her experience helping people better understand how exposed their data really is online. This episode blends cybersecurity, law, journalism, privacy, and human behavior into a candid and practical discussion about the digital world we all navigate every day. If you work in cybersecurity, privacy, journalism, tech, law, investigations, OSINT, or risk management — this conversation is packed with insight. Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of cybersecurity, business, law, technology, and human resilience. #Cybersecurity #Privacy #DataBrokers #OSINT #DigitalPrivacy #Journalism #CyberMettle #InfoSec #HackerCulture #onlinesafety CHAPTERS 00:00 — Intro & Meet Yael Grauer 01:05 — From MMA Journalism to Cybersecurity 03:24 — Jiu-Jitsu, Injuries & Hacker Culture 07:30 — Why Hackers and Journalists Clash 10:41 — Trust, Sources & Media Relationships 15:14 — Building Credibility in Cyber Journalism 19:08 — Award-Winning Investigative Reporting 23:47 — Surveillance Tech & Data Brokers 24:51 — Getting Doxxed & Why Privacy Matters 27:52 — The Legal & Ethical Gray Areas of Data Collection 30:10 — Public Records, Online Exposure & Digital Footprints 35:50 — OSINT, Investigative Skills & Ethical Boundaries 38:08 — Online Dating, Trust & Digital Verification 39:52 — Why Human Instinct Still Matters 42:02 — Upcoming Speaking Engagements & Future Work 44:26 — Jiu-Jitsu Hygiene, Essential Oils & Closing Laughs