Your Awareness Training Is Already Obsolete: Social Engineering in the Age of AI
AI has fundamentally changed social engineering, and most awareness programs have not kept up. This talk maps the threat landscape and delivers a practical framework for closing the gap.
Security awareness programs built on spotting typos, suspicious links, and broken English are no longer sufficient. AI-generated phishing is polished and personalized. Voice cloning replicates trusted voices with minimal source audio. Synthetic identities pass casual verification on professional platforms. When attackers can socially engineer the AI itself, the AI becomes another vector against the people it is supposed to serve.
This talk covers six AI-enhanced social engineering techniques that have already outpaced most organizational defenses, then moves into a practical framework for rebuilding awareness programs around the threat landscape that actually exists. Attendees leave with a maturity model to benchmark their current program, a checklist of AI-era scenarios and policy updates to act on immediately, and a phased roadmap for building a continuous, threat-informed awareness culture.
Designed for security leaders, practitioners, and compliance teams, this session bridges threat awareness and program design in a single, actionable talk.
Ben Mickens is a San Antonio-based cybersecurity practitioner and educator focused on AI governance, AI-enhanced social engineering, and cybersecurity awareness. He serves as Deputy Cybersecurity Cohort Program Manager at Pass IT On, Inc., teaches Security+ bootcamps, and is pursuing an MS in Cybersecurity. He holds certifications across security, cloud, and AI disciplines, including ISC2 Associate (CISSP passed), Microsoft Certified Educator, and Trusted AI Safety Expert (TAISE). A career changer with 20 years of adult education experience, he competes in CTF competitions, placing in the top 1% in several national events, and volunteers with Safe and Secure Online, delivering cyber safety presentations to community audiences.
Corey Flood is a Senior SOC Analyst, cybersecurity enthusiast, lifelong learner, and IT professional with over 11 years of experience across IT support, networking, cloud operations, and cybersecurity. Holding industry-recognized certifications including Security+, AWS Solutions Architect, and Network+, Corey is passionate about continuous learning, community engagement, and helping bridge the technology knowledge gap. He is dedicated to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of technology professionals.