![<description><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "TextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">Today </span><span class= "NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW119813906 BCX8">on</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Security Awareness Series, Chris Hadnagy is joined </span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">by</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> Jo</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">sten </span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">Pena for an in-depth discussion on cognitive biases and their impact on cybersecurity. Together, they explore how inherent mental shortcuts</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">can increase susceptibility to social engineering attacks. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing and owning these biases, rather than trying to </span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">eliminate</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> them, and highlights practical mitigation strategies like hands-on training and fostering critical thinking.</span></span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">[Feb 16, 2026]</span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props= "{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">00:00 – Intro</span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">00:47 – Meet the Co-Host: Josten Pena</span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props= "{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="0" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">01:38 – Intro Links:</span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><a class= "Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "http://www.social-engineer.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">Social-Engineer.com</span></a><span class= "TextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> - http://www.social-engineer.com/ </span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span></span><span class= "EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">Offensive Security Vishing Services - </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.social-engineer.com%2Foffensive-security%2Fvishing%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71f08b578cc4babb1d008de126bc0e2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638968451166287612%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NXq0Bl03cTcJ9v241KDulliLiORyyzXl2KzzlYgYEiM%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/vishing/</span></a><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "TextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">Offensive Security </span><span class= "NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW119813906 BCX8">SMiShing</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> Services - </span></span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.social-engineer.com%2Foffensive-security%2Fsmishing%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71f08b578cc4babb1d008de126bc0e2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638968451166308476%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=DxB3413PhERNnL8jfS7bqn4SR2K8a91Xd1mgdp4I6uI%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/</span></a><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "TextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">O</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">ffensive Security Phishing Services - </span></span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.social-engineer.com%2Foffensive-security%2Fsmishing%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71f08b578cc4babb1d008de126bc0e2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638968451166318797%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=189JBtHVKoEadOdMEEC5jgfys8%2BYKeuLtGuc6lmGJOw%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/</span></a><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">Call Back Phishing - </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.social-engineer.com%2Foffensive-security%2Fcall-back-phishing%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71f08b578cc4babb1d008de126bc0e2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638968451166328468%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=C%2FttWKvmWgXSpgeB9DJ29fBzVKATgcsEdrPPoZO26Uc%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/call-back-phishing/</span></a><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">Adversarial Simulation Services - </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.social-engineer.com%2Foffensive-security%2Fadversarial-simulation%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71f08b578cc4babb1d008de126bc0e2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638968451166340710%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CqdidOE8%2FFrhVu3xln47vizcVspZBGqCExPImdQP3rs%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/adversarial-simulation/</span></a><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">Social Engineering Risk Assessments - </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.social-engineer.com%2Foffensive-security%2Fsocial-engineering-risk-assessment%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71f08b578cc4babb1d008de126bc0e2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638968451166352842%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=daatLzSDbbo32qUTEfe7VDURN1oT4XE%2FsJ2nxH5LnjY%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/social-engineering-risk-assessment/</span></a><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><a class= "Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://socialengineer-my.sharepoint.com/personal/josten_social-engineer_com/Documents/Social-Engineer%20channel%20on%20SLACK" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">Social-Engineer channel on SLACK</span></a><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> - </span><a class= "Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb</span></a><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="20" data-list-defn-props= "{"335551671":0,"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Calibri","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"-","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><a class= "Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "https://socialengineer-my.sharepoint.com/personal/josten_social-engineer_com/Documents/CLUTCH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">CLUTCH</span></a><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> - </span><a class= "Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href="http://www.pro-rock.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">http://www.pro-rock.com/</span></a><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><span class= "EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW119813906 BCX8"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">02:26 – Innocent Lives Foundation & Music</span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">03:36 – Diving into Cognitive Bias</span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">06:42 – Cognitive Bias in Cybersecurity</span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">09:26 – Real-World Examples & Practical Solutions</span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8">18:59 – Recap, Final Thoughts & Outro</span><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><a class= "Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "http://www.social-engineer.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">www.social-engineer.com</span></a><span class= "LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW119813906 BCX8"><span class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8"> </span><br class= "SCXW119813906 BCX8" /></span><a class= "Hyperlink SCXW119813906 BCX8" href= "http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle= "Hyperlink">www.innocentlivesfoundation.org</span></a><span class= "EOP SCXW119813906 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div></description>](https://us-central1-podcastguru-217d6.cloudfunctions.net/gcf_get_image?image_url=https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts115/v4/f0/bf/32/f0bf3237-1888-9763-75c2-97779271ec53/mza_14830325324776736707.png/600x600bb.jpg&width=300&height=300&api_key=xqFmUFX5BHLBTA)
The Social-Engineer Podcast
Social-Engineer, LLC
Ep. 341 - The Security Awareness Series - Cognitive Bias in InfoSec with Josten Pena
FEB 16, 202621 MIN
Ep. 341 - The Security Awareness Series - Cognitive Bias in InfoSec with Josten Pena
FEB 16, 202621 MIN
Description
Today on the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Security Awareness Series, Chris Hadnagy is joined by Josten Pena for an in-depth discussion on cognitive biases and their impact on cybersecurity. Together, they explore how inherent mental shortcuts can increase susceptibility to social engineering attacks. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing and owning these biases, rather than trying to eliminate them, and highlights practical mitigation strategies like hands-on training and fostering critical thinking. [Feb 16, 2026] 00:00 – Intro 00:47 – Meet the Co-Host: Josten Pena 01:38 – Intro Links: Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ Offensive Security Vishing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/vishing/ Offensive Security SMiShing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/ Offensive Security Phishing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/ Call Back Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/call-back-phishing/ Adversarial Simulation Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/adversarial-simulation/ Social Engineering Risk Assessments - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/social-engineering-risk-assessment/ Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ 02:26 – Innocent Lives Foundation & Music 03:36 – Diving into Cognitive Bias 06:42 – Cognitive Bias in Cybersecurity 09:26 – Real-World Examples & Practical Solutions 18:59 – Recap, Final Thoughts & Outro www.social-engineer.com www.innocentlivesfoundation.org