8th Layer Insights

Updated: 24 Jun 2025 • 79 episodes
8thlayerinsights.com

Get ready for a deep dive into what cybersecurity professionals often refer to as the "8th Layer" of security: HUMANS. Welcome to 8th Layer Insights (8Li). This podcast is a multidisciplinary exploration into how the complexities of human nature affect security and risk. Author, security researcher, and behavior science enthusiast Perry Carpenter taps experts for their insights and illumination. Topics include cybersecurity, psychology, behavior science, communication, leadership, and more.

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24 Jun 2025 • EN

Repeat Until Real

Hey Friends! This is one of the most important issues so far -- please share! Ever find yourself believing something… just because you’ve heard it enough? That’s the Illusory Truth Effect at work. "Illusory Truth" is the cognitive glitch that makes repetition feel like credibility. In this issue of Deceptive Minds, we

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12 Jun 2025 • EN

Truth Hurts. So We Lie.

Ok. This one's pretty uncomfortable. It's about the lies we tell ourselves and why we believe them. We all like to think we’re rational. But the truth is, our minds are masters of defense... not just against deception, but against discomfort. In this issue, I explore the mental machinery behind "motivated reasoning" an

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Not all deception hides in the shadows. Some of it walks right in — wearing a badge, a clipboard, or a lab coat. In the latest issue of Deceptive Minds, I explore one of the most powerful tools in the scammer’s playbook: credibility theater — the subtle art of looking legitimate enough to bypass your skepticism. Inside

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If it made you panic, rage, or rush… it probably bypassed your cognitive defenses. In the latest issue of Deceptive Minds, I dig into the dark cognitive malware of emotional hijacking: how scammers, manipulators, and even well-meaning voices use fear, urgency, outrage, and hope to short-circuit your critical thinking.

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Some lies try hard to fool you. Others just make it easy for you to believe them. That’s the danger of cognitive fluency: the simpler something feels, the more likely we are to think it’s true. In the latest issue of Deceptive Minds, I explore: Why fake documents with grainy photos often seem more real than verified on

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14 May 2025 • EN

The Plausibility Effect

Hey friends, Let’s start with a weird truth: People don’t fall for things because they’re true. They fall for things because they’re plausible. That’s the dark magic of deception — it doesn’t need to be airtight, or flawless, or even particularly clever. It just needs to feel true enough. Something your brain can accep

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