Former FBI counterintelligence operative Eric O’Neill, who helped capture double agent Robert Hanssen, joins Steve Durbin to explore why people, not technology, decide most cyber security outcomes. They discuss insider threats, fake remote employees recruited by North Korea, the social engineering behind the MGM ransomware attack, and why AI has not changed the fundamentals of espionage.
Cyber criminals are identical to spies in the way they attack.
Key takeaways:
- Dark web cybercrime is estimated at over 12 trillion dollars, larger than most national economies, yet many organisations still have not budgeted for it.
- The same three recruitment methods used on Cold War spies, ideology, bribery and coercion, still work today, alongside newer risks like fabricated remote hires.
- Attackers increasingly log in rather than break in, exploiting trust rather than code, which means people need training as much as technology.
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Follow along with our podcast transcript and discover related ISF resources.
