The SEPodcast Ep 120 Live Guest Robin Dreeke

In this live episode of The Social-Engineer Podcast (Ep. 120) recorded at the DEF CON 27 Social Engineering Village, host Chris Hadnagy welcomes guest Robin Dreeke, former head of the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, to celebrate the village's tenth anniversary. At 12:00, Robin breaks down the psychological principles of non-verbal communication, positive social indicators, and interpersonal rapport building, explaining how authentic curiosity and non-judgmental validation disarm human suspicion.

The conversation transitions to operational vishing tactics at 24:00, where Robin and Chris discuss handling immediate hang-ups, dialing rhythm, and the subtle linguistic cues that convince call recipients to cooperate. At 36:00, they reflect on the decade-long evolution of the SE Village, highlighting how social engineering transformed from an overlooked novelty into a recognized discipline within cybersecurity.

Robin offers pragmatic career guidance at 48:00, advising job seekers on how to bypass automated applicant tracking systems by initiating direct human conversations with hiring managers and industry mentors. At 01:00:00, they examine high-volume vishing engagements, analyzing how enterprise teams handle dozens of pretext calls per hour during compliance assessments. They close at 01:12:00 with gratitude for the global social engineering community and the enduring value of human-centered security defense. (AI summary — Gemini Flash)