An FBI Operative’s Guide to Cybersecurity, Deepfakes, and Modern Spycraft with Eric O’Neill | 129

Send us Fan MailIn this interview edition of Sidecar Sync, Mallory sits down with Eric O’Neill—former FBI counterintelligence operative, attorney, cybersecurity expert, and founder of The Georgetown Group and NeXasure AI—whose career has spanned undercover FBI work, national security law, and advising organizations on how to defend themselves against modern cyber threats. Eric shares stories from the extraordinary operation that led to the capture of Robert Hanssen, the longtime FBI agent who spied for Russia and became one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history, a case that later inspired the film Breach. From there, the conversation turns to how cybercriminals really operate, why associations and other small organizations are often the easiest targets, and how AI is accelerating everything from phishing and ransomware to deepfakes and large-scale deception. Eric also offers practical steps leaders can take right now to protect their teams, data, and trust. Connect with Eric O’NeillWebsite: https://ericoneill.net Newsletter: https://ericoneill.net/newsletter/ Book: https://ericoneill.net/books/spies_and_lies/ 🤖 Join the AI Mastermind: https://sidecar.ai/association-ai-mastermind 📕 Download the New 3rd Edition of ‘Ascend’: https://sidecar.ai/ai 📅 Register for digitalNow2026: https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: ChatGPT ➔ https://openai.com/chatgpt Sora ➔ https://openai.com/sora📅 Register for digitalNow2026 in Washington, D.C. from October 25–28:  https://digitalnow.sidecar.ai🎀 Use code AIPOD50 for $50 off your Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification at https://sidecar.ai/aaip🚀 Help Us Grow Our Reach - Share With a Friend or Colleague!👍 Like & Subscribe!https://x.com/sidecarglobal https://www.youtube.com/@SidecarSynchttps://sidecar.ai/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidecar-global/Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias