Pt.2 Beyond Phishing: Cyber Threats in the Age of AI with Four Flynn

In the second part of a conversation with Four Flynn, VP of Security at Google DeepMind, host Hannah Fry pivots the discussion to the human side of cybersecurity, including the motivations and types of bad actors, such as nation-states and financially motivated groups. They explore the gray areas of vulnerability exploitation, the economics of zero-day vulnerabilities, and Google's Project Zero initiative aimed at improving industry-wide security through vulnerability disclosure. The conversation further delves into the challenges of social engineering, the impact of AI on phishing attacks, and the move towards passwordless authentication methods like pass keys and risk-based authentication. Finally, they discuss the complexities of autonomous agents acting on behalf of humans, the need for establishing trust and permissions, and the importance of teaching AI agents privacy norms and contextual integrity. Flynn expresses optimism that defenders will ultimately win the cybersecurity war through collaborative efforts and co-inventing solutions.