Amir Lawrence
Cybersecurity Analyst,
North Carolina State University
Weaponizing Trust: Deconstructing the Next Wave of AI-Powered Attacks
Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 11:30AM–12:30PM PT | California Ballroom A, Second Floor
Session Type:
Breakout Session
Delivery Format:
Presentation/Panel
Security has entered a volatile new era. In the wake of recent breaches at universities and community colleges, we are seeing a shift from the First Wave of generic spam to the Third Wave of Weaponized Trust. By combining stolen biographical data with generative AI, attackers have unlocked Masspersonal Social Engineering (MPSE)—attacks that scale like mass media but feel deeply personal. In this session, Amir Lawrence (The Friday Institute) and Ben Syn (KnowBe4) bridge the gap between humanities and infrastructure. We will trace the evolution of the threat through three distinct waves: from the "spray-and-pray" days of Wave 1, to the polished templates of Wave 2, to today's Wave 3—where AI automates hyper-personalized intimacy. Attendees will leave with the Rhetorical Litmus Test—a low-friction framework for spotting AI manipulation that empowers every member of the campus community, from under-resourced community colleges to major research universities.
