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@THISHOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA

How to Protect Devices from Hacking; Obama/NFL Summit to Try to Stop Concussions; Storm Chaser Videos Getting Struck by Lightening; Dick Smothers Talks About "The Sixties."

Aired May 29, 2014 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: I don't want to make light of this, but a lot of you watching us right now were likely hacked in the last 12 months. Yeah, according to new research, 110 million Americans, about half the adults in our nation, had personal information exposed on your iPhone, your laptop or through corporate hacking.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Half of our viewership. And today thousands of Australians woke up to their iPhones and iPads asking them to pay a ransom to unlock their devices. That's nuts.

Joining us to talk about this is Kevin Mitnick. He knows hacking because he was one of the FBI's most-wanted. Thankfully, now a security consultant to fortune 500 companies.

Kevin, you hear that number, 110 million people hacked. To me that sounds insane. But is it?

KEVIN MITNICK, CEO, MITNICK SECURITY: I don't know if that number is accurate, but I can tell you that -- well, what do they actually mean by "hacked"? Does that mean your credit card information was stolen? What does that really mean? But it's really a problem because for a living, companies hire me to test their security. And we have 100 percent success rate. So every time we're asked to break in, we actually succeed. So if we succeed, the bad guys succeed, too.

PEREIRA: That is upsetting, Kevin Mitnick. Now, talk to me, then, give us some advice on this side. How do we protect our information? How do we protect our devices?

MITNICK: Well, one thing is password management. For example, maybe hacked with the iPhone in Australia. There's a few possibilities. One was iCloud was hacked. Another is that a hacker was able to steal the Apple I.D. credentials to log in to people's accounts, which seems to be a little bit unlikely, but people are really bad at choosing passwords. So what I recommend to my friends and family is to use a password manager. There's KeePass, K-E-E- pass, which is free. You can download it and then generate a random password for each site you use and protect it with one single password, which is like a pass phrase, something really hard to guess. And that way you're not using the same or similar password at every site you use, which a lot of people do. BERMAN: It sounds like good advice, but at the same time you just told us that even if we do that, the experts like you could still hack into it.

So let me try something different here.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: We just said 170 million Americans have been hacked. Well, hang on. 110 million Americans have been hacked. But 110 million of us haven't had people stealing our identity. 110 million of us aren't having people vacation around the world under our names using our credit cards. What's being done with this information?

MITNICK: Well, it's being bought and sold. So usually the criminal- based hackers are stealing bank account numbers, credit card credentials and selling that in the underground markets. You know, you could buy a valid credit card for probably $1 each, and then can you go out and use it online. So there's definitely a market. So what hackers do is they break into large companies, steal their databases, which unfortunately contain uncorrupted passwords on some occasions, or the hacker is able to decrypt the database because the company puts the encryption keys onto the server itself. So there's many different problems. Like when I bank online, when I use my -- when I'm doing banking, when I'm doing credit card transactions, I actually use a separate computer. I use a Google Chromebook. They're about 200 bucks. And that is completely separate from what I'm doing day to day on my computer. So if my computer gets compromised, they're never going to get into the Chromebook, which is used to manage my banking transactions.

PEREIRA: So basically what he's saying is that we all need a pint- sized Kevin Mitnick we carry around with us at all times.

(LAUGHTER)

Kevin, thanks for joining us. Hopefully, you've given folks an idea what they need to keep their digital imprint, if you will, a little more protected. Ahead @THISHOUR, afraid your children or grandchildren are getting hit too hard on the football field? President Obama is currently holding a summit with the NFL talking about preventing concussions in all sports. We're going to talk to a former NFL defensive end about protecting our kids next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There are too many gaps in the understanding of the effects and treatment for concussions. Researchers are still learning about the causes and consequences of these injuries. Communities are wondering how young it is to start tackle football, for example. Parents are wondering whether their kids are learning the right techniques or wearing the best safety equipment, or whether they should sign up to have their kids participate in any full-contact sports at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That was President Obama -- obviously, speaking just minutes ago at the White House -- and the NFL are teaming up for a summit today to help kids stop them from getting concussions while playing sports. This, I've got to tell you, it's a huge concern for parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts --

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: I was just going to say, the whole family. It really is being called a public health crisis. 250,000 emergency room visits by young athletes every year.

`Joining us is former NFL defensive end, Tim Greene. He's also author of many best-selling books including "Football Genius."

It's really a pleasure to have you here with us once again on our program.

We know that part of the summit today, NFL is voicing its commitment to give $25 million to get more athletic trainers on high school football sidelines. I think it was shocking to me, I don't know about you, Tim, that half of schools don't have them. I would imagine they're kind of the first line of defense, are they not?

TIM GREENE, FORMER NFL DEFENSIVE END & AUTHOR: Yeah, they are. Especially when you have contact sports and you have kids who are out there not just football, but any other sport. And if a kid does have a concussion, a lot of times those kids don't know. You don't know if you have a concussion. That happens quite frequently. Not every concussion is a knockout where you're blacked out. Sometimes you're disoriented. Sometimes, you know, your vision is blurred. Sometimes you're amnesiac. You need a professional who's able to diagnose to say we've got to get this athlete off the field.

BERMAN: Tim, I know you're a dad. I am, too. I've got two 7-year- old boys. I stand on the soccer and lacrosse sidelines every weekend talking to other parents about this subject. One dad told me one town can no longer have a football team because so many kids have pulled out of football. Is this trend now irreversible?

GREENE: Well, I don't think it's irreversible. I think football is getting a bad rap. People need to be better educated because honestly in youth sports, the incidence of injuries and head injuries in soccer and in lacrosse and in hockey and certainly they are commensurate with football. And then there are other activities we let our kids do all the time, ride their bike, ride a skateboard, downhill skiing, which are all activities that are much more dangerous where your kids are much more likely to have a head injury. So football is getting a hard knock right now when it comes to these concussions.

PEREIRA: I'm going to push back a little bit because obviously --

GREENE: OK. PEREIRA: -- we see that hockey and football are ones where kids are going to be hurt in more repeated fashion, especially when you talk about the aggression that is used in football. And look, trust me, I love the game. I'm a supporter of athletics. Here's the concern. When you hear about the numbers and you hear about the reaction, I think there is a worry that people are going to throw the baby out with the bathwater, to use a cliche. Is there a way to easily stem this danger for our kids without overreacting? Do you see where I'm going?

GREENE: Well, Michaela, the thing about football is there's a lot more contact, a lot more impacts, but you have a helmet to protect your head. In basketball -- I mean, baseball, I guess you have a helmet. In hockey, the helmets aren't quite the same. And in cheerleading, and like I said, just normal activities for kits where they don't have head protection, those activities are more dangerous statistically than football. Yeah, but are there some things we could also be doing? I think the president's initiative here -- and it is very comprehensive -- when you read it, they talk about cheerleading. They talk about soccer. It's not just football. So to talk about educating parents, health care people to get our kids, once they have a concussion, get them off the field, wait till they're healthy before they can return. And I think there are some rules that youth football, high school football and NCAA football need to follow the NFL. They need to protect the quarterbacks better because they're in defenseless positions a lot of times. You could pick a quarterback up in high school, many high school leagues, and dump him on his head, and that's legal. In the NFL, that's not legal. So I think a lot of the helmet-to-helmet contacts and the rules changes in the NFL need to be adopted by our youth leagues, our high schools and our colleges.

PEREIRA: Tim, we appreciate you joining us, as always. Having a great conversation with you. We'll keep talking about it and hopefully you'll join us again, OK?

GREENE: Well, thanks, Michaela.

John, let those kids play ball and make sure they're reading some good books.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: Yeah. They're reading a lot. I'm their dad, so I'm not sure they're going to be giants --

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: Come on, you're gigantic.

GREENE: -- and fast and good. The reading is more important. Pick up "Football Genius," OK?

PEREIRA: There you go. All right.

BERMAN: Thanks so much, Tim.

Ahead for us @THISHOUR, take a look at this coming up here in this picture. There it is.

PEREIRA: Oh, my goodness.

BERMAN: There is the gash in the pavement. That was made by lightning!

PEREIRA: Wow!

BERMAN: That's not the only place it struck. It hit a guy! And he lived! And we're going to talk to him, next.

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: We do the "Hot Flash" segment, stories that get us talking. Well, this next story is literally a "Hot Flash" caught on camera. Storm chaser, Scott Sheppard, was stalking severe weather in South Dakota when he stuck his video camera and his full arm out of his vehicle's window.

PEREIRA: That's when this happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(THUNDER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: So that was the moment a lightning bolt struck Scott Sheppard's arm, passed through his vehicle and hit the road. He survived, and he recorded the whole scary scenario.

Scott joins us from Williston, North Dakota, via Skype.

You're a sight for sore eyes, my friend. How did this feel?

SCOTT SHEPPARD, STORM CHASER: It didn't tickle, I can tell you that.

PEREIRA: Was it painful?

SHEPPARD: It was -- it was a little painful, yes. My good friend, Tim Vogel, was in the passenger's seat. And what he felt was a pretty big shock wave, like his whole body being punched. I think that happened to me as well. But what overwhelmed that was a jolt of electricity throughout my body, but primarily in that arm that I had foolishly dangled out the window to catch the video. It actually felt like my iPhone had exploded out of my hand.

PEREIRA: My goodness.

BERMAN: I think the question a lot of people have right now is, after being struck by lightning, what superpowers do you now have?

PEREIRA: I'm going to hit you.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: No. What kind of damage did the lightning do to the area there?

SHEPPARD: Sure. So the vehicle that we were in was completely disabled. The pavement right next to the vehicle and around the car exploded, you know, really high in the air, rained debris down on us. The car was actually passing by us as well, and that car was disabled. And on the video, you see like a brown puff of dust or smoke. And Tim and I have been talking about that. We didn't see that with our own eyes because I think we were looking at each other, trying to make sure we were both OK. And we have no idea what that is.

PEREIRA: Can you -- because I'm a sharer and a carer, not worried about your superpowers. Can you lift your arm? Is your arm OK?

SHEPPARD: The arm is fine. It was painful for about a day. I think it's pretty clear that I did not get hit with a direct bolt. I don't know if a little bit jumped off the car into my arm. I'm not sure. But, you know, I had a sore arm and some weird nerve sensations for about 24 hours, but here we are a day and a half later and I'm perfectly fine.

PEREIRA: Wow!

BERMAN: We're glad to hear you're OK. You've been struck by lightning now and survived.

PEREIRA: That's rarefied error.

BERMAN: Does that change your perspective? Are you living your life now differently than you were before?

SHEPPARD: Well, I was already out tracking a severe thunderstorm, wasn't I?

PEREIRA: Yeah. Good point. Are you going to continue?

SHEPPARD: Yes. Yes. I mean, we chase pretty conservatively. We stay away from the tornado-producing regions, hail-producing regions. That's what we were doing. We were pulled over waiting for the last storm to pass that had hail when we got hit.

PEREIRA: Scott Sheppard, you have quite a tale to tell, my friend, and I'm sure you'll be doing it this weekend and hopefully somebody will buy you a round of drinks. Take care of yourself, my friend, and stay safe to you and your pal that was in the car with you. Thanks for sharing your story here @THISHOUR.

BERMAN: Thank you. Glad you're doing well.

PEREIRA: No x-ray vision.

BERMAN: No x-ray vision but --

(CROSSTALK) BERMAN: Let us know what you think. Send comments on our Facebook page. Visit us @THISHOUR, like the page. Tell me if I was crazy to ask about super powers. You know you were thinking about it.

PEREIRA: Crazy.

Ahead @THISHOUR, we will talk about "The Sixties," a decade that certainly changed America and the world. We have quite the TV icon of the '60s with us this morning, Mr. Dick Smothers, who will tell us more about his time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: We are very excited here. "The Sixties" premieres tonight on CNN, a decade of huge changes, and television brought it right into the living room.

PEREIRA: Think about the Beatles, the Vietnam War, the civil rights and JFK's assassination, the moon landing. All of this became about ordinary people's lives. And shows like "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" used the platform for social and political commentary.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK SMOTHERS, COMEDIAN & SINGER: Our government is asking us, as citizens, to refrain from traveling to foreign lands.

TOMMY SMOTHERS, COMEDIAN & SINGER: OK. All you guys in Vietnam, come on home.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DICK SMOTHERS: The times were changing so quickly in the 60s. And we didn't change them. We --

TOMMY SMOTHERS: We just reflected them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK SMOTHERS: I can't hear you. What are you doing?

TOMMY SMOTHERS: I'm getting ready to go college.

(LAUGHTER)

DICK SMOTHERS: CBS gave "The Smothers Brothers" that show because they were clean-cut folk satirists. They wore blazers. They could sing well. They were funny.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY SMOTHERS: Mom liked you best! DICK SMOTHERS: You lower your voice.

TOMMY SMOTHERS: Mom liked you best.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(LAUGHTER)

PEREIRA: And without further ado, let's bring in Dickie Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers themselves.

Really a pleasure to speak with you. Your brother, Tom, please send our love to him. We'll ask you about him in a moment.

I was thinking about this. We're living in this Twitterosphere age, age of the Internet, the different time it is, but you guys were so in the moment with your show, reflecting what was going on in the world every night.

DICK SMOTHERS: That's what we told CBS we were going to do. We had just got out of an innocuous half-hour comedy show and it reflected nothing. They took away the music, timing, songs, audience. It was a one-camera show. When they offered us to fill in against "Bonanza" the last-rated spot in television, but the most important hour of the week and do variety and get our audience back, we said we want something that reflects what's going on outside the studio. Nothing was going on outside that we were aware of, but we wanted to have the ability to tape the show on a Friday so we could be current. That's all we were thinking, current.

And then we were at the --

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: Go ahead.

DICK SMOTHERS: Go ahead.

(CROSSTALK)

DICK SMOTHERS: It was going to say, he was too much on CBS. You were current on race, current on Vietnam and current on social issues, and it was too much for the network. I think that speaks to the conflict of "The Sixties."

DICK SMOTHERS: It definitely was. But, you know, so easy now, looking back at the dots to say, yeah, we planned all this. No, we were working just from moment to moment, incident to incident. When things happened, they had given us, we feel, permission, to reflect what was going on outside the studio. And we did. I don't think anybody else was in place that they could have put in our spot. Carol Burnett was ready to go on and they signed us two weeks before she said she wanted a show. Had she done the show, she would have been as brilliant as she was then. One of the best shows ever. But she wasn't a political nature.

PEREIRA: Right.

DICK SMOTHERS: We were just the right personalities to do it. Jack Paar tried to do little bits and pieces at the beginning of the '60s. He walked off the show because he couldn't say "water closet," for crying out loud. It reflected a toilet. Oh, my gosh, you can't say "toilet." But it was incremental. We were there. When you're young and you don't take any prisoners. And Tommy had -- he filled every writing spot except a couple really great old veterans, the rest were young writers. The third season, we got Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. They didn't form the show. They were just the second guys that came in that, had we stayed on, they would have made it further. Some of the guys made my brother --

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: Do you like what you see on TV? It's easy to look back and see the humor and think, man, those were the good old days. Do you look at TV and enjoy it now, what is this I'm watching with the housewives and the scandals?

(LAUGHTER)

DICK SMOTHERS: I think it is magnificent. I don't agree with people saying it is not as good as it used to. It is just like it used to be. There are channels you can get and see exactly what you saw in "The Sixties" if you wish it.

PEREIRA: Interesting.

DICK SMOTHERS: Its sort of like going to -- Italian restaurant is my favorite. Sometimes they have 10 pages of menus with 20 lines of page. You can't make up your mind. When we were on, it was appointment television. You said, OK, we have three choices, our public television and maybe independent. If you wanted to see new shows, it was three choices. So easy then. Now, it's hard. You have to pick and choose. I have great time watching streaming things, streaming stuff, Netflix, movies.

PEREIRA: More options now.

DICK SMOTHERS: And new stuff. You have to know that all comes from television.

PEREIRA: Yes, that's true.

DICK SMOTHERS: Television before, you did it once, and it was gone. You couldn't see it ever again. I just love it.

BERMAN: We are so glad you did it. And don't let him sell it short because what you and your brother did was revolutionary.

PEREIRA: Say hello to Tom for us. BERMAN: And it changed television forever. And we thank you for it.

Dickie Smothers, thank you so much for being with us.

Don't forget to watch "The Sixties" at 9:00 p.m. eastern and pacific. Here's a quick look at what you can expect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(SHOUTING)

(SINGING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So many things happened in the sixties.

DAN RATHER, FORMER NEWS ANCHOR: You wouldn't have recognized what the decade had become.

UNIDENTIFIED NEWS ANCHOR: There has been an attempt on the life of President Kennedy.

UNIDENTIFIED NEWS ANCHOR: The president has been hit.

SALLY STRUTHERS, ACTRESS: And everyone was dropping out and doing god knows what else. I wasn't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were legends in their own time.

NEIL ARMSTRONG, ASTRONAUT: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was tremendous anxiety and fear.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whatever must be done --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever the president does, he risks nuclear war.

(SINGING)

UNIDENTIFIED NEWS ANCHOR: 330 Americans were killed in combat last week in Vietnam.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, ACTIVIST: Let freedom ring!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The entire culture changed.

(SINGING)

ANNOUNCER: "The Sixties" series premier tonight at 9:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Got chills. 9:00 tonight. Set your DVR and watch it live. PEREIRA: Thanks for joining us @THISHOUR. I'm Michaela Pereira.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman.

"LEGAL VIEW" with Ashleigh Banfield starts now.