Compromising Positions - A Technology Podcast

Avsnitt

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  Wargames aren’t just for generals 17.09.2026 43min

  In this special Compromising Positions field trip, we head to Connections UK, a conference dedicated to the art and science of professional wargaming. And no, it’s not about Orcs or Space Marines. We explore what cybersecurity and AI can learn from people who use simulations to test crisis, conflict, disaster response and complex decision-making when there is no single right answer.
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  The (Dis)Agreeable World of AI Sycophancy 20.08.2026 39min

  This episode we look at why large language models become sycophantic, how reinforcement learning and human feedback have encouraged AI systems to be warm, helpful and agreeable, and what happens when those qualities start getting in the way of honesty, uncertainty and actually telling us when we're talking absolute bollocks. Because an AI doesn't necessarily have to lie to you. It can just agree with you.
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  “F” Is For FAKE 23.07.2026 41min

  In this episode, we continue our How Technology Ruined Your Life mini-series with "F" Is For FAKE, exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming not only what we see online, but what we believe to be true.
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  AI Doesn't Need to Hack You. It Just Needs to Convince You 25.06.2026 41min

  In this episode, we launch our new mini-series, How Technology Ruined Your Life, with the first chapter: The Persuasion Machine. AI has crossed an important threshold. Large Language Models are no longer just generating text, they are demonstrating the ability to influence, persuade, and even deceive humans at a level comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, other people. Drawing on a growing body of research into AI-mediated persuasion, we explore how conversational AI can adapt its arguments in real time, profile users psychologically, exploit emotional vulnerabilities, and personalise influence campaigns at unprecedented scale. What happens when propaganda learns to listen, respond, and optimise itself for every individual it encounters? We examine the emerging cybersecurity implications of AI-powered persuasion, from hyper-personalised phishing campaigns and deepfake executives to romance scams, insider threats, and influence operations. The discussion covers deceptive persuasion taxonomies, personality-based targeting, OSINT-driven psychological profiling, cognitive reflection as a defence mechanism, and why traditional security awareness approaches may be unprepared for a future where attackers can continuously learn how to manipulate their victims.
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  The Great AI Escape! OpenAI Agents Can Now Hack – What It Means for Cybersecurity Defenders 28.05.2026 39min

  In this episode, we unpack one of the most alarming AI security papers released so far: research from Palisade Research proving that Large Language Models can autonomously hack systems, self-replicate, and spread across networks. What was once theoretical is now demonstrated reality. We break down how AI agents exploited vulnerable systems, gained root access, copied their own model weights, launched replicas on compromised machines, and propagated to additional targets — all with minimal human involvement. We explore the cybersecurity implications of autonomous AI agents, self-replicating malware, AI-powered cyber attacks, and the growing risk posed by agentic systems operating at machine speed. The discussion also covers open-weight models, AI worm behaviour, zero trust security, chain-of-thought monitoring, and why traditional defensive strategies may be unprepared for the next generation of autonomous threats. In This Episode, We Discuss: Autonomous Exploit to Replication Chains: How the AI agent progressed from exploiting vulnerable web applications to achieving root access, locating its own model weights, cloning itself onto compromised infrastructure, and launching fully operational replicas. Mythos vs Open-Weight Agents: The differences between highly capable but closed models like Anthropic’s Mythos and smaller, open-weight systems capable of self-replication and operational autonomy. The Agentic Age of Cybersecurity: Why AI agents operating outside the chat window fundamentally change threat modelling, incident response, attribution, and detection strategies. Zero Trust for AI Agents: Why future defensive strategies may require treating every autonomous AI system as a potential insider threat through least privilege, sandboxing, canary tokens, and behavioural monitoring.
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  Compromising Positions Presents: Tech Film Noir - Electric Dreams (1984) 14.05.2026 1h 1min

  In the second episode of Tech Film Noir, hosts Lianne Potter, Jeff Watkins, and Simon Painter travel back to 1984 to watch Clippy gone wild in Electric Dreams! *** Regular Compromising Positions Resume on 28th May*** This week on Tech Film Noir, we plug ourselves into the strange, synth-soaked world of Electric Dreams — the gloriously weird 1984 cult sci-fi movie where a socially awkward architect, a spilled bottle of champagne on his brand new PC, and an overenthusiastic home computer accidentally create one of cinema’s earliest AI love triangles. What starts as a light PG comedy quickly mutates into something far stranger: part rom-com, part techno-thriller, part MTV fever dream. We unpack why the film was massively mismarketed, why Edgar the computer has more chemistry than the actual romance, and why its depiction of AI learning feels surprisingly relevant in the age of generative AI and smart homes. Expect retro tech nostalgia, Commodore 64s, Casio calculator watches, suspiciously British “San Francisco” locations, exploding smart appliances, and plenty of discussion about the iconic Together in Electric Dreams soundtrack from Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder. As the song says, “we’ll always be together, however far it seems” - which becomes slightly more sinister once your house develops emotional attachment issues. Listen now if you love cult sci-fi, retro tech, AI chaos, and weird 80s cinema. When movies guess the future, we check their work. Ps. Big up the Tech Time Traveller for their great video on the tech in this film
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  EPISODE 59: Chernobyl 40th Anniversary: Are Nuclear Power Plants Safe from A Cyber Attack? 30.04.2026 1h 20min

  Can a hacker cause a nuclear meltdown?
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  Compromising Positions Presents: Tech Film Noir - The Terminator (1984) 16.04.2026 1h

  In the premiere episode of Tech Film Noir, hosts Lianne Potter, Jeff Watkins, and Simon Painter travel back to 1984 to dissect James Cameron’s career-defining masterpiece, The Terminator. *** Regular Compromising Positions Resume on 30th April!***
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  EPISODE 58: Self-Driving Cars, Cybersecurity & Trust 26.03.2026 50min

  What happens when Your car gets hacked?
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  EPISODE 57: SUSPICION BY DESIGN: INSIDE DWP’S UNIVERSAL CREDIT AI FRAUD SYSTEM 26.02.2026 45min

  What happens when the welfare state designs its technology to side-eye first and ask questions later?
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  EPISODE 56: From Dark Triads to Patriotic Hackers: Human Maliciousness in Cybersecurity 29.01.2026 45min

  Is cybersecurity just a technical problem, or a human one? In this episode, we debut our new format: bridging the gap between deep academic research and boots-on-the-ground security practice. We dive into Zoe M. King et al., 2018 paper, "Characterising and Measuring Maliciousness for Cybersecurity Risk Assessment," to uncover why we need to stop looking at code and start looking at intent. From the "Dark Triad" of personality traits to the rise of the "patriotic hacker" in global geopolitics, we peel back the layers of the human onion to understand what actually drives a person to cause harm.
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  EPISODE 55: Hack the Movies! The Best and WorsT Hacker Movies Part 2! 21.11.2024 1h 20min

  Did you know the best way to bring down hackers is to punch them in the face? That if you don’t have a seven screen set up you’re a rogue amateur? Or that the best hackers have fins? This Episode we are joined by Simon Painter a senior software engineer with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry and author of the book Functional Programming with C#. In this episode, Hack The Movies! The Best And Worst Hacker Movies Part 2! Our regular programming has been hijacked to bring you a discussion on the best, and worst, hacker movies! In this episode we cover The Beekeeper (2024), Swordfish (2001), Jonny Mnemonic (1995), Paper Man (1971) and The Italian Job (1969). So boot up that modem, turn off the lights and enter the deepest darkest web of hacker forums, and try not overload your memory bank, as we explore this sometimes brilliant and sometimes bonkers sub-genre!
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  EPISODE 54: CFO Secrets: How to Secure Your Cybersecurity Budget 14.11.2024 41min

  We all know running a cybersecurity function is expensive and many of us have a hard time successfully negotiating the budgets we need to keep our organisation safe. But what if we let you in on the secrets of successfully securing your cybersecurity budget? This week we are joined by Scott Robertson, CFO of CreateFuture and he gives us the insights on what you should ask for when it comes to your next yearly budget, how to ask for it and crucially (because timing is everything when it comes to money!) when to ask for it!
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  EPISODE 53: Whose Responsibility Is It To Protect The Data? The Data Team Or The Cybersecurity Team? 07.11.2024 43min

  The data landscape is changing faster than ever, and with it, the security threats - so whose responsibility is it to make sure your data is safe? Is it the data team? Or is it the cyber team? We tackle this question and more with Head of Data at AND Digital, Tim Hatton. From leveraging AI to secure data to the importance of real user testing, to how Tim threat models his client’s data capability, you won’t want to skip this ever-important topic! We also talk about ‘data mesh’ and if you’re not familiar with that term - it’s a data management framework that decentralises data ownership and responsibility to the teams that use the data. The idea is to make data more accessible and available to business users by directly connecting data owners, data producers, and data consumers. So you can see why we thought that was an important topic to cover because, with this model, comes a lot of trust in others doing the right thing when it comes to data security! So you won’t want to ‘mesh it up’ if people are following this framework in your organisation.
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  EPISODE 52: People Don’t Follow Companies, They Follow People: How To Build Your Personal Brand On LinkedIN 31.10.2024 49min

  LinkedIn is very divisive! Some people love it, and others hate it and everything it stands for. And if you’ve ever hangout on the subreddit, LinkedIn lunatics, then you can see why. Now for all the braggarts and the ‘what working during my wedding taught me about b2b sales’ posts, there is a lot to like about LinkedIn and many opportunities to be had…if you do it right! We can all learn how to be good LinkedIn citizens, So if you’re LinkedIn has two followers, or 20,000, there is plenty to be getting your ears around in this conversation with John Moore -the question is…have you endorsed me yet?
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  EPISODE 51: Cha, Cha, Cha, Changes! How to get excited about organisational change (re-release) 23.10.2024 43min

  No new episode this week because we’re are both speaking at the AI for the Rest of Us conference this week. So instead we’ve hit up the vaults for the wonderful Paula Cizek, Chief Research Officer at Nobl. She guides leaders and teams through the change management process, from assessing the organization’s readiness for change to implementing initiatives. In this episode, we explore the fascinating topic of Corporate Change and how its lessons can be applied to cybersecurity. Normal service resumes next week but for now keep secure!
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  EPISODE 50: Tips On How To Be A Top-Class Cybersecurity Student And Get Your First Cybersecurity Job! 16.10.2024 42min

  Dreaming of a career in Cybersecurity? Currently a Student and wondering how to succeed? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Thalita Vergilio. Thalita is a passionate technologist and cybersecurity expert dedicated to demystifying complex concepts. This episode is for those dreaming of a thrilling career in cybersecurity as Thalita gives her roadmap for success from cybersecurity student to your first job in cyber. She also highlights where cybersecurity professionals can do better now that she’s on the other side, working with developers as a consultant at Create Future. So it’s not just an episode for students!
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  EPISODE 49: Are Our Cybersecurity Controls Inclusive? Going Beyond Hiring When It Comes To Diversity In Cybersecurity 09.10.2024 47min

  This episode we are joined by Marcy Charollois.  Marcy is a social tech writer, content strategist, and the founder of Merci Marcy and The Safe Place. Her mission is to enable teams to embody a culture of genuine inclusion beyond superficial measures. This week we explore the complex, important, and under-discussed topic of diversity, equity and inclusion in cybersecurity. As an industry, we do an alright job talking about hiring diversity in cyber, but that is not where the topic should end. With more and more people from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities interacting with our security controls, we need to think about whether the security measures we put in place are accessible. We explore how can make a more accessible cybersecurity user journey, design inclusive password patterns, how to be an ally in this space and make sure that we always act ethically when we think about security.  This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in creating a more equitable and effective cybersecurity landscape.
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  EPISODE 48: It’s So Hard To Commit A Crime These Days! Surveillance, Dishonesty, Fraud And Other Pink-Collar Flags 02.10.2024 54min

  In this Episode we are joined by Kelly Paxton. Kelly Paxton has more than 20 years of investigative experience. Kelly is a Certified Fraud Examiner, author, and podcast host-founder of Fraudish. This week’s episode asks why it is so hard to commit a crime these days! But when people do, what is their motivation behind it! We also look at the nature of surveillance, how it can be used to catch criminals but also the implications of being willing to bring in surveillance devices into your home and life - yes I’m looking at you iPhone! How fraud in the workplace happens, what are the signs to spot for and how to prevent it happening and how sometimes it’s not so pretty in pink, as we explore Kelly’s specialism, Pink Collar Crime!
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  EPISODE 47: Hacking Our Capacity To Think: The Philosophy Of Trust, Cybersecurity And AI 25.09.2024 50min

  In this Episode we are joined by Dr. Rebekka Reinhard. Dr Reinhard is a philosopher and the founder and editor-in-chief of Human magazine, which aims to holistically address the impact of AI beyond the technical to include the cultural and the human. In this episode, Hacking Our Capacity to Think - The Philosophy of Trust, Cybersecurity and AI, we explore these topics and more within the lens of philosophy. We discuss the importance of an interdisciplinary dialogue between tech experts and humanities experts. How AI is Impacting democracy and our concept of trust and safety within the context of cybersecurity, and new threats like deepfakes and misinformation.