In this episode of CYBR.HAK.CAST, hosts Phil and Michael are joined by Kevin Pentecost (Information Security Director at SMP and co-host of the Cyber Distortion podcast) and Jason Popillion (Founder & CEO of Cipher Nova and co-host of Cyber Distortion).
Michael and Sam kick things off with details on CYBR.HAK.CON, a new practitioner/hacker conference launching on May 27, 2026 at the Plano Event Center. They highlight the call for papers (April 6–24), the call for villages, and a strong keynote lineup including Jason Haddix, Wirefall (Dustin Dykes), Hutch, and Tim Medine. They also discuss how CYBR.HAK.CON extends the spirit of CYB.SEC.CON (formerly HOU.SEC.CON) by bringing a high-caliber hacker conference to the DFW area, complete with a podcast room and a CTF run by Hutch.
From there, the conversation shifts to the world of next‑generation AI chatbots. Kevin and Jason dig into emerging use cases like AI “companions,” virtual girlfriends/boyfriends, grief bots, and even “virtual immortality” where a chatbot continues posting and interacting on social media after someone’s death. They explore how these capabilities can be abused, the psychological risk to vulnerable users, and the potential for scammers and threat actors to weaponize AI personas.
Jason connects this to the recent hype around local AI agents (e.g., people rushing to buy Mac minis to run powerful agents at home). He questions the lack of security thinking around fully automated agents with broad access to online accounts, and walks through a real example of a content creator using multiple AI security agents via cron jobs where “cool automation” is prioritized over rigorous guardrails, logging, and verification. The group contrasts this with more secure patterns like isolated sandboxes and least‑privilege execution.
Kevin and Jason also share their career journeys—from early coding days and higher‑ed systems to long tenures in the automotive aftermarket, cloud security work on early Microsoft Azure hybrid models, and eventually full‑time cybersecurity and enterprise AI. They talk about the origin and evolution of the Cyber Distortion podcast, how it grew out of repeated conference talks, and what’s new in Season 5. The episode wraps with news that Cyber Distortion is now a media partner for CYBR.HAK.CON, alongside shows like Barcode and Kill Chain Radio, as they all work together to amplify security stories and education for the broader community.
Things Mentioned:
- CYBR.HAK.CON. - https://www.cybrhakcon.com/
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In this episode:
- Host: Michael Farnum
- Host: Phillip Wylie
- Guests: Kevin Pentecost and Jason Popillion
- Production and editing: Lauren Andrus
- Music by: Kike Gutz
