#122 - John Caballero | Hacking the Human Mind – Cybersecurity, AI & Psychology

About this episode

In this episode, Samir Azizi interviews cybersecurity expert John Caballero about the intersection of psychology and modern cyber threats.

Can your mind be hacked? In this gripping episode of the Azizi Podcast, Samir Azizi sits down with cybersecurity veteran John Caballero – an expert with over two decades of experience securing IT/OT infrastructures and educating Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and even the Department of Defense. This conversation goes beyond firewalls and phishing—it dives deep into the human factor and the psychology behind modern cyber threats. 💡 From social engineering and zero trust frameworks to AI deepfakes, linguistic hacking, and the FOG model of behavioral manipulation, John shares how threat actors exploit language, emotion, and psychology to breach systems—and how we can fight back. 🚀 With an astonishing career spanning high-temp superconductors, LEO satellite development, and even a stint producing for Star Trek, John bridges the worlds of tech, defense, entertainment, and cybersecurity like few can. 🔐 Topics Covered: What is Cyber-Psychology and why it matters How hackers use language and psychology against us Why Zero Trust is more than a buzzword—it’s a mindset How AI is being weaponized through deepfakes & misinformation Real-world stories of email security…

People in this episode

Host: Samir Azizi

Guest: John Caballero

Topics covered

• Cybersecurity
• AI
• Psychology
• Social Engineering
• Zero Trust
• Deepfakes
• Behavioral Manipulation

Keywords

• Cyber-Psychology
• AI Ethics
• Human Factor
• Email Security
• Business Email Compromise
• Psychological Tactics
• Cybersecurity Culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Department of Defense, NSA

Books & works: Star Trek

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