The Watch Floor with Sarah Adams

Episode: Bragging About Your Job Could Backfire
Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Sarah Adams

Episode Overview

In this episode, former CIA Targeter Sarah Adams explores how the culture of professional self-promotion—especially on platforms like LinkedIn—creates new vulnerabilities for national security. Drawing on the latest threat intelligence, real-world examples, and her own experience, Sarah unpacks how foreign intelligence services are bypassing hardened technical defenses by targeting individuals. With a focus on real risks to defense contractors, engineers, and government employees, she makes a compelling argument: the biggest security weak point today isn't the firewall—it's the resume.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shift from Network to Human Targeting

[00:00–03:55]

• Modern cyber defense has focused on securing networks, but adversaries are moving around these perimeters to target employees directly.
• Recent intelligence (notably from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group) highlights a strategic pivot: “individual-centric targeting” is now a major focus, especially for Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea.
• Key targets: defense contractors, aerospace engineers, supply chain partners, and anyone with security clearance.
• Quote (Sarah Adams, 01:18):

  "It’s not servers, it’s not routers, it’s personnel."

• Critical vulnerability: personal devices and email accounts lack the enterprise-level security of corporate systems.

2. Recruitment and Job Scams as Intelligence Tools

[03:55–06:40]

• Fake job postings, recruiter emails, and texts are being used as vectors for attack and information gathering by foreign actors and scammers.
• Attackers leverage trusted platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter) to gain access to sensitive information under the guise of recruitment.
• Notable Moment (Timothy Brown, 04:28):

  "I was certain that it was a real job when I first encountered it on a platform that I trust to be able to find jobs."

• These scams have evolved: fake listings are now sophisticated and convincing, making detection harder.

3. Open Source Exposure—How Oversharing Fuels Targeting

[06:40–14:10]

• Platforms like LinkedIn are “voluntary databases” for foreign intelligence—people list clearance status, projects, contracts, and even geographic assignments.
• Historical change: What once required traditional human intelligence operations can now be gathered online.
• Real-world cases (Sarah Adams):
  • Chinese recruiter Dixon Yao acquired 400 U.S. defense resumes just via LinkedIn outreach.
  • North Korea conducted fake interviews, requesting code samples and sending malware-laden technical assessments.
  • Iranian operations spoof job portals of UAE and defense firms to harvest resumes.
• Quote (Sarah Adams, 07:51):

  "He didn’t have to hack them... he just had to reach out and have a conversation and show interest in them."

• The submitted resume itself can reveal:
  • Email formatting conventions
  • Project names and technology stacks
  • Vendor relationships
  • Team structures and locations
  • Clearance status
  • All of which enable spearphishing, creating fake hiring sites, credential harvesting, social engineering with credible details.

4. Exploitation of Professional Culture

[14:10–18:42]

• The success of these operations isn't just technical—it's about exploiting American professional values: ambition, visibility, networking, and branding.
• Quote (Sarah Adams, 15:19):

  "Ambition is very important. Visibility, make it known what you’re working on... But if you’re in national security, all of that is exposure."

• Examples of oversharing:
  • Announcements about work on satellite communications for NATO.
  • Public display of security clearances and involvement in DoD cloud migration.
  • Expressions of pride in supporting missile defense initiatives.
• Each post potentially offers adversaries data on assignment, clearance, mission, technical environments, and more.
• Quote (Sarah Adams, 17:32):

  "We built a culture that supports and rewards professional transparency. But you have to remember adversaries then built a system that exploits it and weaponizes it."

5. Counterintelligence Challenge: Cultural Change Needed

[18:42–End (~22:22)]

• This is a counterintelligence, not just a cybercrime, issue.
• Espionage threats now include the mapping of defense workforce, AI researchers, hypersonics experts, even tracking satellite engineers.
• Subcontractor vulnerabilities are exploited based on what individuals publicly complain or post about online.
• The “border” now enters through your inbox—real-world homeland security is about digital hygiene and real counterintelligence awareness.
• Quote (Sarah Adams, 21:28):

  "The next major breach likely isn't going to be based on a piece of malware. It’s going to start with a message that comes into someone's inbox and it says, I find your background interesting. Let's chat more. I have some great opportunities to offer you."

• Call-to-action: Recognize and mitigate these patterns before they’re exploited.

Memorable Quotes

• Sarah Adams [01:18]:
  "It’s not servers, it’s not routers, it’s personnel."
• Sarah Adams [07:51]:
  "He didn’t have to hack them... he just had to reach out and have a conversation and show interest in them."
• Sarah Adams [15:19]:
  "Ambition is very important. Visibility, make it known what you’re working on... But if you’re in national security, all of that is exposure."
• Sarah Adams [17:32]:
  "We built a culture that supports and rewards professional transparency. But you have to remember adversaries then built a system that exploits it and weaponizes it."
• Sarah Adams [21:28]:
  "The next major breach likely isn't going to be based on a piece of malware. It’s going to start with a message that comes into someone's inbox and it says, I find your background interesting."

Major Takeaways

• Foreign adversaries are bypassing technical defenses by targeting the people behind the networks—especially those who overshare online.
• Protecting sensitive information requires not just good cybersecurity but a cultural adjustment in what we share and how we network.
• Awareness and vigilance must extend from the IT department to every individual with access to valuable or sensitive job roles.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-03:55: The evolution of targeting: from firewalls to individuals
• 03:55-06:40: Real stories of job offer scams and recruitment vectors
• 06:40-14:10: How LinkedIn and oversharing empower foreign intelligence
• 14:10-18:42: The culture of ambition and the threat of public job bragging
• 18:42–End: Counterintelligence as a cultural—not just a technical—problem; concluding insights and warnings

This summary captures the core arguments and urgency of Sarah Adams’ episode, preserving both the substance and tone of her expert analysis for listeners who want to understand the real-world risks of bragging online about your job in sensitive fields.