Breaking Down the Human Side of Advanced Cyber Attacks and Social Engineering with Margaret Cunningham

To The Point - Cybersecurity

Welcome back to To the Point Cybersecurity Podcast! In this week’s episode, hosts Rachael Lyon and Jonathan Knepher are joined by the brilliant Dr. Margaret Cunningham, Technical Director for Security and AI Strategy at Darktrace. With a PhD in Applied Experimental Psychology and multiple patents to her name, Dr. Cunningham is a leading voice in human-centered security, behavioral analytics, and the ever-evolving intersection of people and technology.

Together, the trio dives into the fast-changing landscape of AI-driven threats—think voice cloning, deepfakes, and sophisticated social engineering attacks that challenge every notion of trust and identity. From the real-world dangers of phone scams using cloned voices, to high-profile incidents like the Coinbase insider threat and the rise of groups like Scattered Spider, you’ll hear stories that illuminate both the risks and solutions shaping today’s enterprise security.

They explore the future (and limits) of authentication, the importance—and pitfalls—of data collection, and why behavioral analytics are more crucial than ever in spotting anomalies. Dr. Cunningham also shares insights on transparency, industry responses, and the human factors that make cybersecurity so complex and fascinating.

For links and resources discussed in this episode, please visit our show notes at https://www.forcepoint.com/govpodcast/e350