On November 20th, we participated in a distinctive and thought-provoking cybersecurity event: “Hacking the Mind”, hosted by BBVA and EL PAÍS at La Vela, BBVA’s headquarters in Madrid, Spain.
It was an event designed to challenge assumptions. To show that in the era of artificial intelligence, protection is no longer just about technology, it is about perception, cognition, and the human mind itself. And to understand this new reality, the organizers brought together an unexpected mix of disciplines: neuroscience, cyber mentalism, and digital security.
A New Way of Understanding Cyber Risk
The venue, the 9th-floor event hall of La Vela, set the tone for a conversation where traditional cybersecurity narratives took a back seat. Instead, experts explored how the mind becomes the primary battleground in modern attacks.
The program featured three panels, each revealing a different angle on deception, risk, and decision-making. And at the center of it all, a combination rarely seen on the same stage:
- Santiago Marcilla, Zepo Intelligence’s Cyber Mentalist
- Susana Martínez-Conde, renowned neuroscientist
- Valentín Sánchez, Group Chief Security Officer, BBVA
- Javier Calahorra Novillo, Information Security Country Head, BBVA
- Carlos Seisdedos, CEO, Magneto INTelligence
- Moderated by: Mónica Valle, cybersecurity journalist and founder of Bit Life Media
Their collective message was clear: the illusions we fall for in everyday life are the same cognitive weaknesses cybercriminals exploit at scale.
Zepo Intelligence on Stage: When Human Behavior Becomes the First Line of Defense
Zepo Intelligence brought a radically different approach to the event. Instead of explaining human risk through slides or theory, we showed it, live!
Attendees experienced:
- A mentalism performance revealing how easily cognitive biases can be manipulated
- A real-time vishing simulation, demonstrating how AI and voice attacks exploit trust in seconds
It wasn’t a demonstration of magic. It was a demonstration of reality.
Because the same mechanisms that make illusions convincing are the mechanisms attackers exploit every day.
Protecting Ourselves in the Age of AI
The final roundtable, “How to Protect Ourselves in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Through Emerging Risks”, was both a warning and a blueprint.
AI is accelerating the speed, sophistication, and personalization of attacks. But instead of responding with more fear or more tools, the speakers emphasized something different:
Awareness. Critical thinking. Human adaptability.
In other words, resilience.
🎥 Watch the Full Event
For anyone who missed it or wants to revisit the discussion, the complete session is available here!
