Episodes

  • Ep. 315 - The Doctor Is In Series - Love at First Sight, Is it Possible?

    Ep. 315 - The Doctor Is In Series - Love at First Sight, Is it Possible?
    Aug 4 2025
    Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Doctor Is In Series – where we will discuss understandings and developments in the field of psychology. In today’s episode, Chris and Abbie explore the complexities of attraction and the concept of love at first sight. They discuss the biochemical responses associated with attraction, the importance of understanding cognitive biases, and the role of familiarity in relationships. [Aug 4, 2025] 00:00 - Intro 00:35 - Dr. Abbie Maroño Intro 01:15 - Intro Links - Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ - Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/ - Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/ - Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/ - Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb - CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ - innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/ 03:14 - The Topic of the Day: Love at First Sight 03:22 - Pulling Apart the Fairy Tale 04:26 - Knowledge is Power 05:49 - Why Can't This Be Love? 07:12 - More Than a Feeling 09:28 - May Impair Your Ability 10:59 - The Rickety Bridge Study 13:20 - Head or Heart? 15:04 - Cognitive Biases 16:16 - The Halo Effect 17:19 - Prototypical Matching 18:51 - I Want You to Want Me 21:54 - Retrospective Bias 23:34 - Feels Like Home 28:44 - Keep One Eye Open 30:32 - A Responsibility to Self-Awareness 32:53 - Wrap Up 33:11 - Next Month: Intuition 33:31 - Outro - www.social-engineer.com - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org Find us online: - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd - Instagram: @DoctorAbbieofficial - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy References: Dutton, D. G., & Aron, A. P. (1974). Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30(4), 510–517. Fisher, H. E., Aron, A., & Brown, L. L. (2006). Romantic love: A mammalian brain system for mate choice. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 361(1476), 2173–2186. Fletcher, G. J. O., Simpson, J. A., & Thomas, G. (2000). The measurement of perceived relationship quality components: A confirmatory factor analytic approach. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(3), 340–354. Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524. Marazziti, D., & Canale, D. (2004). Hormonal changes when falling in love. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29(7), 931–936. Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). The halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(4), 250–256. Sprecher, S., & Metts, S. (1989). Development of the "Romantic Beliefs Scale" and examination of the effects of gender and gender-role orientation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6(4), 387–411. Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119–135. Zeki, S. (2007). The neurobiology of love. FEBS Letters, 581(14), 2575–2579. Zsok, F., Haucke, M., De Wit, C., & Barelds, D. P. (2017). What kind of love is love at first sight? An empirical investigation. Personal Relationships, 24(4), 869–885.
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    34 mins
  • Ep. 314 - The 4th Monday Series - What Can You Do If Your Accounts Are Hacked? with Congressman Darren Soto

    Ep. 314 - The 4th Monday Series - What Can You Do If Your Accounts Are Hacked? with Congressman Darren Soto
    Jul 28 2025

    Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The 4th Monday Series with Chris Hadnagy and Mike Holfeld. Chris and Mike will be covering cutting edge global news to help people remain safe, secure and knowledgeable in a world where it is hard to know what is real and what is fake news.

    Today Chris and Mike are joined by Congressman Darren Soto. Darren Soto is the representative for Florida’s Ninth Congressional District, covering Osceola and parts of Orange and Polk Counties. He currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Natural Resources. Additionally, Darren is the Deputy Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a proud member of the New Democrat Coalition, Future Forum Caucus, Problem Solvers Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, LGBTQ Equality Caucus, and others. [July 28, 2025]

    00:00 - Intro

    00:34 - Mike Holfeld Intro

    01:32 - Today's Guest: Rep. Darren Soto

    02:55 - The Shield Act

    06:24 - The Take It Down Act

    08:34 - A Duty of Care

    12:03 - A Cat and Mouse Chase

    13:12 - Violating Terms of Service

    14:55 - Bad Nation States

    16:02 - The Pendulum Swings

    17:34 - Adjusting to the Evolution

    19:08 - The SunPass Scam

    20:07 - Protecting Our Seniors

    22:53 - Millions a Second

    24:41 - It's About Disclosure

    26:40 - A Vulnerable Future

    28:15 - Find Rep. Darren Soto Online

    - https://soto.house.gov/

    29:53 - Wrap Up

    30:27 - Next Month: Bobby Knost

    31:08 - Outro

    - www.social-engineer.com

    - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org

    Find us online:

    - Chris Hadnagy

    - Twitter: @humanhacker

    - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy
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    31 mins
  • Ep. 313 - Security Awareness Series - The Importance of Securing Virtual Events With Trent Waterhouse

    Ep. 313 - Security Awareness Series - The Importance of Securing Virtual Events With Trent Waterhouse
    Jul 21 2025
    Today on the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Security Awareness Series, Chris is joined by Trent Waterhouse. Trent is the CMO of GlobalMeet, a leading virtual event technology company with a scalable, flexible, and secure hybrid event streaming platform built and supported by experienced event experts. Trent has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation with 35 years of expertise leveraging a field sales marketing model that aligns sales, marketing, and R&D to think like a customer, act like a partner, and measure success through customer satisfaction and net promoters. Built for growth, Trent’s unique blend of technology understanding and B2B marketing skills have been proven to help companies grow revenue profitably, improve customer experiences, build new partnerships, and expand opportunity pipelines. [July 21, 2025] 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Intro Links: - Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ - Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/ - Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/ - Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/ - Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb - CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ - innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/ 02:30 - Trent Waterhouse Intro 03:11 - Starting Out Pre-Video 04:53 - A Brave New World 08:07 - Going Public 10:21 - Rise of the DeepFakes 13:03 - Video Watermarking 15:23 - A Simple Warning Will Do 19:11 - Staying Up to Date 21:22 - Insider Threat 23:42 - Find Trent Waterhouse Online - Website: https://www.globalmeet.com/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalmeet/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentonwaterhouse/ 24:44 - Book Recommendations - Pattern Breakers - Mike Maples, Jr, Peter Ziebelman 27:16 - Wrap Up & Outro - www.social-engineer.com - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org
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    28 mins
  • Ep. 312 - Human Element Series - Having a Hunger to Serve with Doug Thorpe

    Ep. 312 - Human Element Series - Having a Hunger to Serve with Doug Thorpe
    Jul 14 2025

    Today we are joined by Doug Thorpe. Doug is an experienced leadership coach, business advisor, and speaker who focuses on helping small to mid-size business owners and executives develop their leadership capabilities. With decades of experience in banking, finance, and business management, Thorpe transitioned to coaching and advisory services to help others navigate their professional growth journeys. [July 14, 2025]

    00:00 - Intro

    00:16 - Intro Links

    - Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/

    - Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/

    - Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/

    - Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/

    - Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb

    - CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/

    - innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

    01:35 - Doug Thorpe Intro

    02:20 - Consulting to Coaching

    04:18 - Student of Leadership

    07:40 - A Hunger to Serve

    09:12 - Respond Rather Than React

    12:11 - Controlling an Emotional Response

    17:06 - Choosing the Right Club

    22:43 - Thinking About Legacy

    25:57 - Find Doug Thorpe Online

    - Website: https://dougthorpe.com/

    - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougthorpe/

    - Instagram: https://instagram.com/dougthorpe_com

    - Business Website: https://headwayexec.com

    - YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dougthorpe

    26:54 - Mentors

    30:17 - Book Recommendations

    - Lincoln on Leadership - Donald T. Phillips

    32:06 - Guest Wrap Up & Outro

    - www.social-engineer.com

    - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org
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    33 mins
  • Ep. 311 - The Doctor Is In Series - The Scientific Keys To Happiness with Dr. Paul Zak

    Ep. 311 - The Doctor Is In Series - The Scientific Keys To Happiness with Dr. Paul Zak
    Jul 7 2025

    Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Doctor Is In Series – where we will discuss understandings and developments in the field of psychology.

    In today’s episode, Chris and Abbie are joined by Dr. Paul J Zak. Dr. Zak is in the top 0.3% of most cited scientists. For over two decades Paul’s research has extended the boundaries of behavioral neuroscience and that has taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 500 boardrooms to the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Besides his academic appointment, he is a 4-time tech entrepreneur.

    In 2017 he founded Immersion Neuroscience, a software platform that allows anyone to measure what the brain loves in real-time, that is used to improve outcomes in entertainment, education, advertising, and emotional health. He is a regular TED speaker and has appeared on many news programs and TV Shows. His newest book is The Little Book of Happiness and he’s here today to discuss more about that. [July 7, 2025]

    00:00 - Intro

    00:23 - Dr. Abbie Maroño Intro

    01:11 - Dr. Paul Zak Intro

    02:06 - The Little Book of Happiness

    - pauljzak.com/books

    04:52 - High-Value Experience

    06:35 - Neuroscience x Stoicism

    08:50 - We Are Interdependent

    14:10 - We Can Adapt

    16:41 - Single Rider Experience

    21:29 - Out of the Comfort Zone

    23:30 - It's the People

    26:46 - The Hotel Hack

    32:00 - Bring the Fun!

    34:11 - Absorbing the Vibe

    35:18 - We Don't Have to Suffer Alone

    37:22 - Find Dr. Zak Online

    - Website: getimmersion.com

    - App: your6.com

    - Email: paul@pauljzak.com

    37:47 - Wrap Up

    38:35 - Next Month: Love at First Sight

    39:10 - Outro

    - www.social-engineer.com

    - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org

    Find us online:

    - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd

    - Instagram: @DoctorAbbieofficial

    - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy
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    39 mins
  • Ep. 250 - Human Element Series - Rationalize Minimalize and Project with Agent Brad Beeler REPLAY

    Ep. 250 - Human Element Series - Rationalize Minimalize and Project with Agent Brad Beeler REPLAY
    Jun 30 2025
    REPLAY (Original Air Date March 11, 2024) Today we are joined by Agent Brad Beeler. Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge Brad Beeler has been with the United States Secret Service for the past 25 years. He currently serves as instructor and Secret Service liaison at the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Over the past 8 years in this role, he has trained agents throughout the federal law enforcement and intelligence community in credibility assessment and elicitation techniques. Prior to arriving at NCCA, he was a polygraph examiner in the Chicago and St. Louis Field Offices and served on the permanent protection detail of former President George HW Bush and numerous foreign heads of state. Over the past 17 years as a federal polygraph examiner Special Agent Beeler has secured hundreds of confessions on high-profile investigations, often leading to the identification of previously unknown victims of serial offenders of both child exploitation and homicide investigations. Agent Beeler holds a master’s degree in criminology and was previously selected as the U.S. Secret Service - Special Agent of the Year for his involvement in combating crimes against children. Widely considered a communications expert in the U.S. federal law enforcement community, Agent Beeler has provided countless domestic and international presentations to law enforcement and intelligence agencies seeking to enhance their interviewing programs. [March 11, 2024] 00:00 - Intro 00:21 - Intro Links - Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ - Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/ - Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/ - Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/ - Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb - CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ - innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/ 03:05 - Agent Brad Beeler Intro 05:05 - Part of a Team 07:58 - One of Lincoln's Final Acts 08:52 - Dual Mission 11:45 - The Broadband Effect 14:38 - Team Effort 17:35 - Worst of the Worst 21:13 - Common Ground 23:36 - Letting Them Be Heard 25:51 - Lyrics, Songs and Dance 28:49 - Mental Health Mandates 35:11 - Mentors - Mrs. Bertran - Teacher - Brian Leary - DHS Program Manager 37:21 - Book Recommendations - The Interrogator - Hanns Scharff - Spy the Lie - Philip Houston - Captivate & Cues - Vanessa Van Edwards 39:24 - Find Agent Brad Beeler online - Website: www.usajobs.gov - Website: www.secretservice.gov - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bradbeeler1865/ 40:47 - Guest Wrap Up & Outro - www.social-engineer.com - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org
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    44 mins
  • Ep. 310 - The 4th Monday Series - Are You Ready for the Storm? with Lisa Miller

    Ep. 310 - The 4th Monday Series - Are You Ready for the Storm? with Lisa Miller
    Jun 23 2025

    Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The 4th Monday Series with Chris Hadnagy and Mike Holfeld. Chris and Mike will be covering cutting edge global news to help people remain safe, secure and knowledgeable in a world where it is hard to know what is real and what is fake news.

    Today Chris and Mike are joined by Lisa Miller, a former Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Florida who is a disaster insurance and recovery expert. She consults with insurance companies that represent about a quarter of Florida’s six million personal and commercial residential policies.

    Her Tallahassee, Florida-based firm, Lisa Miller & Associates, produces a twice-monthly newsletter on all these subjects. Lisa also hosts the Florida Insurance Roundup podcast. She also helped launch the Hurricane Claims Mediation Program, an initiative that has helped consumers expedite the settlement of residential and commercial insurance claims [June 23, 2025]

    00:00 - Intro

    00:43 - Mike Holfeld Intro

    01:07 - Today's Guest: Lisa Miller

    01:57 - It's Hurricane Season!

    04:32 - Assurance of Insurance

    07:23 - The Reasons for Rising Rates

    10:52 - Know Your Agent

    12:30 - In Come the Floods

    14:45 - Openings & Roofs

    18:24 - Hurricane Supply Tax Break

    18:49 - Know Your Home

    21:59 - Hanging Your Shingle

    25:13 - Strapping the Roof

    26:56 - Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

    - www.floir.com

    28:04 - Don't Answer the Door

    29:18 - Find Lisa Miller Online

    - lisamillerassociates.com

    30:12 - Next Month: Congressman Darron Soto

    30:28 - Outro

    - www.social-engineer.com

    - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org

    Find us online:

    - Chris Hadnagy

    - Twitter: @humanhacker

    - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy
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    31 mins
  • Ep. 279 - Security Awareness Series - Dodging Turkeys and Security Awareness with Stacey Edmonds REPLAY

    Ep. 279 - Security Awareness Series - Dodging Turkeys and Security Awareness with Stacey Edmonds REPLAY
    Jun 16 2025
    REPLAY (Original Air Date Oct 21, 2024) Today on the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Security Awareness Series, Chris is joined by Stacey Edmonds. Stacey is a multi-disciplinary EdTech innovator and Digital Safety Pioneer, driven by a commitment to democratizing knowledge. Stacey's expertise, encompassing social science, education, EdTech, and multi-platform screen production, culminated in the founding of Lively, which we will hear all about on this podcast. Since 2002, Stacey has been designing and delivering enterprise-wide cyber safety upskilling programs. In 2023, embodying her mission to make knowledge accessible, Stacey launched 'Dodgy or Not?' – a social enterprise offering an engaging approach to digital safety education. She continues to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and practical education, driving innovation in AI ethics and digital literacy - she is also known for deepfaking herself. [Oct 21, 2024] 00:00 - Intro 00:19 - Intro Links: - Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ - Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/ - Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/ - Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/ - Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb - CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ - innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/ 03:00 - Stacey Edmonds Intro 04:18 - Teaching, Trains & Turkeys 08:43 - Toilets vs Videos 11:16 - Dodgy or Not? 15:15 - Social Engineering for Good! 17:46 - Pause for the Cause 20:17 - Training in Real Time 24:11 - Real Time Threat Detection 27:49 - Culture is Everything 30:33 - Find Stacey Edmonds online - LinkedIn: in/staceyedmonds/ 31:28 – Mentors - Carolyn Breeze - Chris Hadnagy - Janine Thompson - Steve Rowe - Shane Bell 33:58 - Book Recommendations - Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - 1984 - George Orwell - Man-Made – Tracey Spicer 35:51 - Wrap Up & Outro - www.social-engineer.com - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org
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    37 mins