Dustin Sachs: The Human Factor in Cybersecurity | Episode 189

Dustin Sachs: The Human Factor in Cybersecurity | Episode 189

What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? While Brain Shaman usually focuses on mental health, addiction, and lifestyle change, this conversation takes a sharp turn into digital risk and how human behaviour shapes cybersecurity. Cybersecurity strategist and behavioural scientist Dustin Sachs joins host Michael Waite to unpack why our minds, not our machines, are often the weak point in online safety.

Dustin pushes back on the phrase "human failure", explaining that "it's actually human, the design of humans" and that the real gap is how cyber teams design systems and policies without truly understanding the people using them. You'll hear about cognitive biases like the "curse of knowledge"—that moment when tech-savvy people assume everyone else knows what a phishing email looks like—and "authority bias", where a shiny certification suddenly makes a vendor seem safer than they really are.

Dustin shares how so many organisations throw training at staff once a year and then wonder why people still click dodgy links, calling out the habit of "we just need to train them better" as far too simplistic. There’s plenty on AI too. Dustin’s CISO summed it up with a memorable line: "AI is not going to take your job.

Somebody who knows how to use AI is going to take your job." From generative tools to software development, Dustin keeps stressing that AI is a powerful assistant, not a full replacement for human judgement. For anyone working on their own habits, this episode offers a fresh angle: the same brain shortcuts that drive cravings, lapses and recovery decisions also shape how you behave online.

If you’re curious how your everyday thinking patterns might leave you exposed on the internet, this chat is a smart place to start. What bias might be quietly steering your next click?