For years, cybersecurity professionals have warned that people are the weakest link. We click things we shouldn't, reuse passwords, and sometimes make decisions before stopping to think. But as AI becomes more deeply connected to the systems we use every day, there may be another weak link emerging, one that can move much faster than any human.

Today's guest is Richard Hummel, Vice President of Threat Intelligence and Research at Security Scorecard. Richard has spent nearly two decades in cybersecurity, working on everything from nation-state threats and malware analysis to intrusion detection and network security. Over the years, he's watched cybercrime change from relatively simple attacks into a much more organized and fast-moving industry.

We talk about what AI is adding to that mix, how quickly new attacks can develop, and why giving AI too much access inside a company can create problems of its own. We also get into AI-powered phishing, non-human identities, and a real example from Richard's own experience where an AI assistant opened something it probably shouldn't have.

• [01:04] Richard Hummel shares his background in threat intelligence and nearly two decades of work tracking nation-state actors, cybercriminals, and other online threats.
• [03:03] Attackers who are motivated by disruption rather than money can be especially difficult to predict and defend against.
• [04:30] Ransomware remains a major threat even as older attacks like point-of-sale malware and website defacement have become less common.
• [06:54] Cybercrime now operates more like a business, with specialists handling phishing, malware, infrastructure, payments, and other parts of an attack.
• [13:17] AI-powered attacks may look familiar to defenders, but they can move much faster than traditional cyberattacks.
• [18:10] Security teams need to pay attention not only to threats coming into a network but also to what AI and other systems may be sending out.
• [19:43] AI could become the new weakest link when organizations give it broad access without the same controls they place on human users.
• [21:47] Just-in-time privileges can limit what an AI system is allowed to access and how long it keeps those permissions.
• [23:33] AI tools can expose sensitive information when companies capture prompts, screens, and internal work in the name of productivity.
• [29:32] Threat intelligence teams monitor underground communities to understand how cybercriminals are adopting and using AI.
• [33:28] DDoS tools are beginning to add AI on top of automation to help attackers choose, adjust, and refine their attacks.
• [37:09] Agent-driven traffic may soon outpace human traffic and change how websites, infrastructure, and online businesses operate.
• [45:23] A personal example shows how an AI assistant can create risk when it opens an attachment without enough restrictions in place.
• [48:13] Security awareness training can reduce risk, but people still make mistakes and need a plan for what happens when they do.

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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Most of us give out the same phone number and email address without thinking twice. But when that information gets combined with everything else available online, it can reveal a surprising amount about who we are, where we live, and the people around us. And with AI making it easier to pull those details together, scammers can create attacks that feel much more personal and believable than they used to.

My guest today is Arjun Bhatnagar, the co-founder and CEO of privacy and security company Cloaked. Arjun has spent more than 20 years in technology, starting out as a programmer at a young age and later working as a CTO and leading engineering teams. His work now focuses on helping people take back more control over their personal information and digital identities.

We talk about how AI is changing scams, why reusing the same contact information can make us easier to track, and what he calls "data poisoning" or using aliases and alternative information to make that tracking more difficult. We also discuss why privacy doesn't have to be all or nothing, and some practical ways to make yourself a harder target without giving up the technology you use every day.

• [01:51] Arjun Bhatnagar explains how his interest in privacy began with using fake names and unique email aliases online.
• [05:05] Privacy and data protection matter to everyone, not just celebrities, executives, or other high-profile targets.
• [07:17] AI has made scams cheaper to create, easier to personalize, and much more convincing.
• [10:10] Public attitudes toward privacy have shifted as people have become more aware of how their information is collected and used.
• [12:43] Privacy is about having control over personal information rather than trying to remain completely anonymous.
• [15:05] Data poisoning can make it harder for companies and scammers to build an accurate profile of someone.
• [18:27] Alias phone numbers, email addresses, and other identifiers can protect personal information without disrupting everyday communication.
• [21:23] Cloaked uses different types of phone numbers to reduce tracking without creating an unnecessary shortage of available numbers.
• [26:14] Reusing the same username across multiple platforms can make separate accounts easier to connect.
• [29:41] Deepfakes, voice cloning, and highly personalized phishing attacks are becoming increasingly difficult to recognize.
• [37:21] Individuals are often expected to manage cybersecurity risks that companies are better equipped to handle.
• [40:39] Keeping multiple privacy tools in one service raises security concerns and requires careful protection of user data.
• [43:43] A phone number can reveal a surprising amount of personal information through data brokers and public sources.

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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