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Digital Deception: What Lies Ahead with Perry Carpenter

Release Date: 11/27/2024

Human Side of Fraud: Empathy, Education, & Evolution

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Identity Is The New Security Perimeter

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Your Car Is Spying On You What It’s Collecting and Who It’s Telling

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Why Everyone’s A Target

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Child Exploitation Cyber Investigations

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Technology is a double-edged sword. It can empower us, connect us, and solve problems, but it can also be used to exploit, manipulate, and harm. When it comes to protecting children online, that line gets especially thin. Digital forensics, AI-powered image classification, and global law enforcement collaboration are now essential tools for keeping families safe in a world that moves faster than most of us can keep up. Debbie Garner knows this world intimately. She’s a retired Special Agent in charge with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and former commander of the state’s Internet...

Reclaiming the Internet

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We may not always understand the evolution of the internet and how tech monopolies exist, but having digital freedom fighters is vital to making conscious change. Today's guest is Cory Doctorow. Cory is a science fiction author, activist, and journalist. He is the author of many books and most recently, Picks and Shovels, The Bezel, and The Lost Cause, a solar punk science fiction novel of hope amidst the climate change emergency. His most recent nonfiction book is the internet con How to Seize the Means of Corruption, a big tech disassembly manual. Other recent books include Red Team...

Security Gaps Hackers Exploit

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Scammers aren’t just phishing your inbox anymore—they’re impersonating your voice, your face, and even your coworkers. Deep fakes and social engineering have moved beyond clever tricks and become powerful tools that bad actors are using to infiltrate businesses, breach accounts, and dismantle trust at scale. What used to take a hacker hours and expensive tools can now be done in minutes by anyone with a Wi-Fi connection and a little malicious intent. Our guest today is Aaron Painter, CEO of Nametag, a company leading the charge in next-generation identity verification. Aaron’s...

Cyber Warfare

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Cyber warfare is no longer something that happens behind closed doors or in some far-off digital corner. It's happening now—and reshaping the rules of conflict in real time. Drone strikes controlled by apps, ransomware attacks on hospitals—today's battleground is just as likely to be online as on the ground. That science fiction scenario is now a critical, constant threat-the kind that affects us all globally. I'm really excited to introduce you to Dr. Chase Cunningham. He's a retired Navy chief cryptologist with a wealth of experience in cyber operations for the NSA, CIA, FBI—and more....

DDoS Attacks

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Safe AI Implementation

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Red models associated with AI technologies highlight real-world vulnerabilities and the importance of proactive security measures. It is vital to educate users about how to explore the challenges and keep AI systems secure. Today’s guest is Dr. Aditya Sood. Dr. Sood is the VP of Security Engineering and AI Strategy at Aryaka and is a security practitioner, researcher, and consultant with more than 16 years of experience. He obtained his PhD in computer science from Michigan State University and has authored several papers for various magazines and journals. In this conversation, he will shed...

More Episodes

Creating habits of healthy skepticism when receiving texts or emails can prevent you from clicking on phishing links. Everybody is vulnerable online, especially when distracted or in a hurry. But cultivating critical thinking and self-awareness can enhance protection against manipulation.

Today’s guest is Perry Carpenter. Perry is an award-winning author, podcaster, and speaker with over two decades in cybersecurity, focusing on how cyber criminals exploit human behavior. As the Chief Human Risk Management Strategist at KnowBe4, Perry helps build robust, human-centric defenses against social engineering-based threats. His latest book FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions, tackles AI’s role in deception.

Show Notes:

[1:02] - Perry shares his background and what his career has entailed.
[4:01] - Regardless of how much people say, spend, or do on security-related issues, the people side of things is hard to control.
[5:25] - Perry has always been interested in deception and misdirection.
[6:59] - Even as a security professional, Perry has experienced enough distraction to click a phishing email.
[9:43] - It is easier to be distracted and not follow usual healthy security habits than being on a computer.
[12:24] - We fall into habits easily, especially when the behavior is simple and easy.
[16:00] - Technology based deception is more available to anybody than in any other time in history.
[18:10] - Security professionals and often pushed in the roles of giving advice.
[19:40] - Reflection questions like “Why is this in front of me?” might prevent someone from falling victim to a scam.
[26:58] - Everybody is vulnerable. Even though cybersecurity professionals know more on the topic than some others, it is still possible for them as well.
[30:40] - Pig butchering and crypto scammers sometimes actually do send money back as a tactic to earn trust and increase hope.
[34:42] - We have to have a healthy skepticism of the information environment that we live in.
[36:39] - There are very few situations in life where you won’t benefit from slowing down and thinking things through.
[38:41] - Perry suggests a family activity that will help boost understanding of pressure tactics.
[40:17] - The narratives or tells that work for someone might raise a red flag to others.
[43:25] - As a society, we’ve gotten to a point where we don’t like to introspect.
[45:59] - Perry discusses the content of his most recent book and how it is information without the “easy way out”.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

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