

8th Layer Insights
Perry Carpenter | N2K Networks
Get ready for a deep dive into what cybersecurity professionals often refer to as the "8th Layer" of security: HUMANS. Welcome to 8th Layer Insights (8Li). This podcast is a multidisciplinary exploration into how the complexities of human nature affect security and risk. Author, security researcher, and behavior science enthusiast Perry Carpenter taps experts for their insights and illumination. Topics include cybersecurity, psychology, behavior science, communication, leadership, and more.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 29, 2022 • 1h 3min
[Holiday Replay] The Battle for Truth: Disinformation, Misinformation, & Conspiracies
Get ready for those 'fun' holiday dinner conversations with friends and family. You know the ones...In the spirit of the holidays, I thought we'd revisit Season 1, Episode 2. This is an episode about the battle for truth. As disinformation, misinformation, malinformation, and conspiracy theories seem to be hitting epidemic levels, how can we help each other determine what is real and what is fake? How can we help people who are falling down conspiracy rabbit holes? And what roles do technology companies, governments, and ordinary citizens play?Perry Carpenter speaks with acclaimed cybersecurity expert, Bruce Schneier, disinformation experts, Samantha North and Allie Wong, and conspiracy theory researcher, Mick West. In this episode, we also hear from Peter Leyden from Reinvent and Eli Periser, author of The Filter Bubble.Learn more about our guests here:
Bruce Schneier - Internationally renowned security technologist, author, and speaker. You can find Bruce's website here.
Allie Wong - VP of Mis/dis/mal-information, Response and Resiliency, Limbik; Consultant, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. (LinkedIn)
Samantha North - Disinformation researcher and consultant. (LinkedIn) Co-Founder: North Cyber Research (website)
Mick West - Skeptical investigator and retired video game programmer. Creator of the websites Contrail Science (website) and Metabunk (website). Author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect (link). Personal website (link).
Special thanks to Reinvent for allowing use of audio.References:
http://reinvent.net/events/event/how-we-can-pop-the-filter-bubble-with-eli-pariser/
https://reboot-foundation.org/study-social-media-poor-judgment/
https://reboot-foundation.org/is-there-a-fake-news-generation/
Recommended Books:
Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect by Mick West.
Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World by Bruce Schneier.
The Filter Bubble: How the New Personalized Web Is Changing What We Read and How We Think by Eli Pariser.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.
Why Are We Yelling?: The Art of Productive Disagreement by Buster Benson.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt.
Perry's Books
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 15, 2022 • 50min
Spycraft: A Behind the Curtain Look into the Intelligence Community
There is something about a good spy story that seems to really resonate with people in the cybersecurity world. We love watching the moves and the counter moves, and the sneaking around, and the social engineering, and hacking, and all of the gadgets and toys, and car chases, and fights and double crosses and triple crosses. Yeah, you get the point. But how much of that is real and how much can be chalked up to an author's creative license? And what's life and work like for real people in the intelligence industry?This episode features two guests: ex-CIA agent Peter Warmka and Andrew Hammond, historian and curator at the International Spy Museum.Guests:
Peter Warmka (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Website)
Andrew Hammond (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Website)
Books and References:
Confessions of a CIA Spy: The Art of Human Hacking, by Peter Warmka
The CIA Guy & CIA Spy Podcast, Peter Warmka and Robert Siciliano
Peter Warmka Videos
International Spy Museum website
SpyCast Podcast, hosted by Andrew Hammond
INTEL.gov
The Evolution of Espionage in America, INTEL.org
Perry's Books
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 1, 2022 • 1h 8min
8th Layer Insights and the Quest for Security Culture
For this week, we are revisiting a previous episode that first aired as Season 1 Episode 10. In this episode, we discuss the concept of security culture -- specifically, the difficulty that security leaders have in defining what a security culture actually is. Luckily, we can draw on learnings from organizational culture management and culture transformation experts.Guests for this episode include, David Sturt, Executive Vice President of the O.C. Tanner Institute, author of Great Work: How to Make a Difference People Love and Appreciate: Celebrating People, Inspiring Greatness., Dr. Jessica Barker (co-CEO and Co-Founder, Socio-Technical Lead at Cygenta; author of Confident Cyber Security and co-author of Cybersecurity ABCs), Kai Roer, Chief Research Officer at KnowBe4, creator of the Security Culture Framework, author of Build a Security Culture, and Michael Leckie, founding partner at Silverback Partners, LLC and author of The Heart of Transformation: Build the Human Capabilities that Change Organizations for Good.Guests:
David Sturt
Dr. Jessica Barker
Kai Roer
Michael Leckie
References, Resources & Books:
Security ABCs Part 1: Make Awareness Transformational, 8Li Season 1, Episode 9
4 Ways to Build a Thoughtful Security Culture, by Perry Carpenter
7 Tips for Building a Strong Security Culture, by Perry Carpenter
Appreciate: Celebrating People, Inspiring Greatness, by David Sturt
Build a Security Culture, by Kai Roer
Confident Cyber Security: How to Get Started in Cyber Security and Futureproof Your Career, by Jessica Barker
Culture Rules! The 10 Core Principles of Corporate Culture, by John R. Childress
Cybersecurity ABCs: Delivering awareness, behaviours and culture change, by Jessica Barker, Adrian Davis, and Bruce Hallas
Great Work: How to Make a Difference People Love, by David Sturt
The Heart of Transformation: Build the Human Capabilities that Change Organizations for Good,, by Michael Leckie
The Importance Of A Strong Security Culture And How To Build One, by Perry Carpenter
Perry Carpenter's (ISC)2 Info Security Professional Journal 4 episode series on Security Awareness (Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4)
Security Culture and Credential Sharing, KnowBe4 Research
Security Culture Report 2021: A Global Security Culture Perspective During a Pandemic, KnowBe4 Research
Seven Dimensions of Security Culture, KnowBe4 Research
Perry's Books
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 18, 2022 • 34min
Social Engineering and Breaking into Stuff with Jenny Radcliffe
On this episode, Perry sits down with Jenny Radcliffe (a.k.a. The People Hacker). Jenny is a well-known speaker, podcaster, professional social engineer, and physical penetration tester… in other words, she’s a social engineer who specializes not only in tricking people into doing things they shouldn’t do… but she also specializes getting into places she shouldn’t be and finding things she shouldn’t be able to find. Her job is to embody the criminal mindset and use the skills of a criminal to find the vulnerabilities that a criminal would find.In this interview, Jenny talks shop about her path to becoming a full time social engineer, the realities of penetration testing, inherent vulnerabilities in buildings and humans, and how to continuously improve at anything.Guests:Jenny Radcliffe (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Website)Books and References:
Bruce Schneier blog about the Security Mindset
Video -- Jenny Radcliffe: How I Fooled A £2mil Security System
Jenny's interview on the Jordan Harbinger Show
Jenny's interview on Darknet Diaries
Jenny's interview on the Security Mastermind's Podcast
The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security by Kevin Mitnick
Harvard Business Review article on the Principles of Persuasion
A blog series Perry did on Deception (Part 1), (Part 2).
Perry's Books
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 4, 2022 • 45min
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT): The Data We Leak
Over the past few years, there's been a lot of talk about the value of understanding Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). But, even with so much talk, relatively few cybersecurity professionals have had the time to take a deep dive into the topic. In this episode, Perry sits down with social engineer, OSINT investigator, and member of the OSINT Curious project, Christina Lekati to get an overview of the value of OSINT as well as some basic techniques. After that, we hear from Chris Kirsch (co-founder and CEO of runZero). Chris is a former black badge winner at DEF CON's social engineering competition and served as a judge in the most recent competition. He recently released an interesting report analyzing the top OSINT sources and vishing (voice phishing via phone) pretexts from that competition.Guests:
Christina Lekati (LinkedIn) (Twitter)
Chris Kirsch (LinkedIn) (Twitter)
Books and References:
Top OSINT sources and vishing pretexts from DEF CON’s social engineering competition, research by Chris Kirsch referenced in this episode
YouTube video by Christina Lekati: Protecting High-Value Individuals: An OSINT Workflow
YouTube video: DEF CON 27 Recon Village presentation by Chris Kirsch: Using OSINT for Competitive Intelligence
YouTube Playlist from the 2022 SANS OSINT Summit
YouTube video by The Cyber Mentor: Learn OSINT in 4.5 Hours
The OSINT Curious project
DEFCON Social Engineering Community
15 top open-source intelligence tools, CSO Online
Top 25 OSINT Tools for Penetration Testing, SecurityTrails
WebMii.com
Hunter.io
Wigle.net
Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill-Chain: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/cyber/cyber-kill-chain.html
Threat Modeling: Designing for Security by Adam Shostack
What is Threat Modeling: https://securityintelligence.com/posts/what-is-threat-modeling-and-how-does-it-impact-application-security/
12 Methods of threat Modeling: https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/threat-modeling-12-available-methods/
The Art of Attack: Attacker Mindset for Security Professionals by Maxie Reynolds
Perry's Books
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 20, 2022 • 43min
The Secrets to Consistently Creating Great Content
In this episode, Perry talks about the value of storytelling and provides 7 tips for anyone who faces the fear associated with staring at a blank screen, wondering how they can begin to create fresh content. This is adapted from a presentation Perry recently gave at the 2022 SANS Security Awareness Summit.Books & Resources:
Overview of "The Iron Triangle"
Visual Summary of Perry's SANS Security Awareness Summit presentation
YouTube Video: You are not a storyteller - Stefan Sagmeister @ FITC
Security is Alive: 8th Layer Insights, Season 2, episode 6
Creativity for Non Creatives: 8th Layer Insights, Season 2, episode 10
Igniting and Sustaining Creativity: 8th Layer Insights, Season 2, episode 1
Unleashing Trojan Horses for the Mind: 8th Layer Insights, Season 1, episode 1
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative, by Austin Kleon
Show Your Work: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered,, by Austin Kleon
MasterClass -- Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing
"Everything is Alive" Podcast
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 6, 2022 • 47min
If It's Smart, It's Vulnerable: a Conversation with Mikko Hyppönen
In this episode, Perry sits down with Mikko Hyppönen for a wide ranging discussion about the history, current state, and future of cybersecurity. We also discuss Mikko's new book, the title of which is derived from Hyppönen's Law: If It's Smart, It's Vulnerable.Guest:Mikko Hyppönen (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Web)Books & Resources:
If It's Smart, It's Vulnerable, by Mikko Hyppönen
Mikko's TED Talks
Daemon, by Daniel Suarez
Internet of Things and data placement, by Dell Technologies
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 23, 2022 • 44min
Finding Your Path: Mid-Career Moves into Cybersecurity
This is a follow-up to Season 2, episode 4 –Bridging the Cyber Skills Gap. Many listeners contacted me saying that they loved the episode, but wished that I’d put more focus on people trying to find a career in cybersecurity later in life. So, consider this episode a Bridging the Cyber Skills Gap Part 2.We’ll hear the stories of several people who’ve come to cybersecurity a bit later in life. This episode features interviews with Alethe Denis, Tracy Z. Maleeff (a.k.a. InfoSec Sherpa), Phillip Wylie, Lisa Plaggemier, Naomi Buckwalter, and Alyssa Miller.Guests:
Alethe Denis (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (LinkTree)
Tracy Z. Maleeff (a.k.a. InfoSec Sherpa) (LinkedIn) (Twitter)
Phillip Wylie (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Medium)
Lisa Plaggemier (LinkedIn) (Twitter)
Naomi Buckwalter (LinkedIn)
Alyssa Miller (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Website)
Books & Resources:
The Cybersecurity Career Guide, by Alyssa Miller
The Pentester BluePrint: Starting a Career as an Ethical Hacker, by Phillip Wylie
The Hacker Factory Podcast | With Phillip Wylie
Building the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Professionals, LinkedIn Learning course from Naomi Buckwalter
8Li: Fun and Games: Lock Picking, Capture the Flag Contests, Simulations, and More
How to Break Into Cybersecurity, article by Katlyn Gallo
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 9, 2022 • 45min
Cyber Mindfulness
You've probably been hearing the term 'mindfulness' a lot these days. And for good reason. We humans seem to be busier and more stressed out than ever before, and mindfulness practices seem to offer positive benefit. But how does mindfulness intersect with cybersecurity? What practices can we learn and promote to decrease human risk in our organizations and live safer digital lives?In this episode, we explore the topic of cyber mindfulness. And to do so, we'll be hearing from Anna Collard, Michael Davis, and Yvonne and Jasmine Eskenzi.Guests:
Anna Collard (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Company Site)
Michael Davis (LinkedIn) (Company Site)
Yvonne Eskenzi (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Company Site)
Jasmine Eskenzi (LinkedIn) (Twitter) (Company Site)
Books & Resources:
The Zensory App
Research Paper: The current state of mind: A systematic review of the relationship between mindfulness and mind-wandering
Research Paper: Training to Mitigate Phishing Attacks Using Mindfulness Techniques
Research Paper: Understand the mistakes that compromise your company's security
University of Dayton's Cyber Mindful program overview
The Human Firewall: 3 Mindfulness Techniques Your Team Can Use to Prevent Phishing
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 22, 2022 • 27min
Lockpicking, Physical Penetration Testing, and More with Deviant Ollam
On this bonus episode, Perry sits down with physical penetration tester, lock picking guru, and Board Member of The Open Organization of Lockpickers (TOOOL), Deviant Ollam. They discuss lockpicking, physical penetration testing, locksport, and the ethics of teaching these skills.Guest:Deviant Ollam (Twitter) (YouTube) (Website)Books & Resources:
8th Layer Insights S2E8: Fun and Games: Lock Picking, Capture the Flag Contests, Simulations, and More
Lockpicking Resources from Deviant Ollam
Keys to the Kingdom: Impressioning, Privilege Escalation, Bumping, and Other Key-Based Attacks Against Physical Locks, by Deviant Ollam. (Amazon affiliate link)
Practical Lock Picking: A Physical Penetration Tester's Training Guide, by Deviant Ollam. (Amazon affiliate link)
TOOOL US -- The Open Organization of Lockpickers
TOOOL US instructional videos on YouTube
The Official TOOOL Slides
The Lockpicking Lawyer on YouTube
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter (Amazon affiliate link)
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer (Amazon affiliate link)
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices