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The Man Behind the Hollywood Movie Breach: Cyber Lessons from a Real FBI Ghost

  • 1.  The Man Behind the Hollywood Movie Breach: Cyber Lessons from a Real FBI Ghost

    Posted 2 days ago
    Dear Colleagues:

    Greetings!
    What can cybersecurity leaders learn from one of the most extraordinary spy operations in U.S. history?
    In Episode 96 of the Cybersecurity Readiness Podcast, https://ericoneill.net/. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="NotApplicable" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fericoneill.net%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdave.chatterjee%40DUKE.EDU%7Ce5d85f9cd00444cf626108de30edb42e%7Ccb72c54e4a314d9eb14a1ea36dfac94c%7C0%7C0%7C639001995006103322%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=V8X9%2BV07X8lZEzKF9o%2FxRmjOsHpJFkG9USsIzyztChQ%3D&reserved=0" data-linkindex="0">Eric O'Neill - former FBI ghost (undercover operative), renowned spyhunter, bestselling author, and the real-life inspiration behind the film Breach, takes us inside the high-stakes world of counterintelligence: how he helped expose Robert Hanssen, why spies and cybercriminals think alike, and how the tactics of the physical world now map directly onto digital deception, insider threats, and AI-powered social engineering at scale.
    We explore practical, actionable insights every leader needs today:

    🔍 Why you must hunt the threat before the threat hunts you
    🎭 How AI-driven deepfakes are weaponizing emotion and trust
    🛡️ The rise of "virtual insiders" and human-centric vulnerabilities
    ⚡ The national cyber readiness gap across critical infrastructure
    🧠 His PAID framework (Prepare–Assess–Investigate–Decide)
    🏛️ The strategic imperative of leadership, culture, and disciplined execution - reinforced through my CPD framework
    Eric also shares powerful guidance for families, youth, and everyday users facing a wave of synthetic voice and video scams - a reminder that cybersecurity is no longer just an organizational challenge, but a human one.
    Memorable takeaways:
    đź’¬ "Deepfakes exploit our psychology-not our systems."
    đź’¬ "Whether it's a spy in cubicle 3B or a criminal using your identity-the damage looks the same."
    Podcast video: https://youtu.be/BUSn7v3AYq4?si=gSx7OG8yZ7Ov2xrT. Click or tap if you trust this link.">https://youtu.be/BUSn7v3AYq4?si=gSx7OG8yZ7Ov2xrT
    Podcast audio: https://www.cybersecurityreadinesspodcast.com/episode-96-thinking-like-a-spy-counterintelligence-lessons-for-cybersecurity-readiness/. Click or tap if you trust this link.">https://www.cybersecurityreadinesspodcast.com/episode-96-thinking-like-a-spy-counterintelligence-lessons-for-cybersecurity-readiness/
    Podcast summary with discussion highlights - https://www.dchatte.com/episode-96-the-man-behind-the-hollywood-movie-breach-cyber-lessons-from-a-real-fbi-ghost/. Click or tap if you trust this link.">https://www.dchatte.com/episode-96-the-man-behind-the-hollywood-movie-breach-cyber-lessons-from-a-real-fbi-ghost/
     
     
    Sincerely,
    Dave


    ------------------------------
    Dave Chatterjee
    Adjunct Associate Professor
    Duke University
    Durham NC
    ------------------------------


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