Workshop: Secure by Design: 360°

Culture, Behavior, and Modern AI-Based Social Engineering in Security

Mentor - Maryna Rybalko, Product Manager at Paydock, Platform Engineering Lead, 4+ years of experience leading distributed teams

17 & 19 February 2026 Program

Event is over

Workshop: Secure by Design: 360°

Event is over

95% of cybersecurity breaches are human-related. Learn what Secure by Design means in a world where technology is no longer the only attack surface!

Security teams are facing a new reality: systems may be secure, but people remain vulnerable. Modern AI makes voice cloning or deepfakes more convincing than ever. Many breaches today occur not because of weak encryption, but because employees are manipulated into revealing secrets, agreeing to unacceptable actions, or bypassing protections.

This workshop looks at security from a 360° human perspective. You will explore examples of how culture, training, and organizational behavior must change in the era of AI-enhanced manipulation.

We will discuss practical approaches that security leaders and teams can use to:

reduce human risk
increase resilience
integrate secure decision-making into daily operations, not just technical systems.

Understanding Human Vulnerabilities in Security:

Participants will gain a clear understanding of how social engineering exploits human psychology, including emotional triggers: fear, urgency, and trust.
Application: You will be able to recognize potential manipulation attempts and make more informed decisions before executing requests, protecting your own and your company’s reputation.

Awareness of modern AI-enhanced threats:

You will learn how AI, deepfakes, and voice cloning have transformed social engineering, making attacks more persuasive and difficult to detect.
Application: You will learn through examples how to prevent manipulation and mitigate risks.

Practical skills for detecting and responding to attacks:

You will learn to recognize suspicious behavior through realistic scenarios and interactive demonstrations, and be able to apply appropriate response steps.
Application: You will be able to integrate these skills into daily communications, flag unusual requests, and escalate them if necessary to protect your organization.

Practical recommendations for leaders and teams:

You will receive advice on implementing practical processes, training programs, and procedures to prevent social engineering attacks, including those using AI.
Application: You will be able to integrate these recommendations into team workflows, onboarding programs, and annual security training to maintain long-term resilience against complex threats.

Who will be interested?

Information security professionals responsible for implementing and maintaining internal practices.
HR departments and specialists who develop and manage employee training programs, especially in regulated industries like FinTech.
All employees working in technology companies who have access to confidential data.

Who will be interested?

Information security professionals responsible for implementing and maintaining internal practices.
HR departments and specialists who develop and manage employee training programs, especially in regulated industries like FinTech.
All employees working in technology companies who have access to confidential data.

Program

Day 1: Foundation

Part 1 (45 minutes): Understanding Social Engineering
- Introduction to Social Engineering: What it is, how attackers choose targets, and why humans remain the weakest link.
- Psychological Drivers Behind Manipulation: Emotional triggers like greed, fear, urgency, and compassion.
- Common Attack Methods for Digital Organizations: Types of targeted social engineering attacks in tech companies.
- Case Studies and Human Behaviour Insights: Analysis of successful psychological attacks and prevention strategies.
Break (10–15 minutes)
Part 2 (45 minutes): How AI Elevates Social Engineering
- How AI Has Transformed Social Engineering: Perception as a vulnerability.
- How Deepfakes and Voice Cloning Work: Realistic impersonation of voices and faces.
- Main Types of AI‑Enhanced Attacks: Sophistication and scale of modern manipulation tactics.
- AI‑Driven Case Studies: Examples of AI-enabled deception bypassing organizational defenses.

Day 2: Practical Application – Protecting Yourself and the Organisation

Part 1 (60 minutes): Applying Knowledge in Real-World Scenarios
- Q&A and Clarifications: Review and confirm understanding of key concepts from Day 1.
- “How Would You Respond?” Simulations: Realistic scenarios and guided best-practice responses.
- AI in Action – Live Demonstrations: Deepfake and voice cloning demos with interactive discussion.
Part 2 (45 minutes): Actionable Recommendations & Closing
- Guidance for Leaders: Awareness, training, and behaviour-based risk mitigation strategies.
- Process and Procedure Enhancements: Practical defense mechanisms against AI-driven manipulation.
- Final Discussion & Questions: Reflections, Q&A, and next steps for secure-by-design adoption.