Why your family needs a safe word | Anthony Oren | TEDxIssaquah

AI voice cloning and automated phone scams are making it easier to impersonate people families trust, so scammers no longer need a password to get in. This TEDxIssaquah talk by cybersecurity strategist Anthony Oren argues that the main weakness is human trust rather than technology. It presents a simple, no-tech habit that families can start to protect each other before a crisis.

• AI voice cloning and deepfake phone scams aimed at families
• Why human trust, not broken technology, is the key vulnerability
• A simple no-tech family habit, such as a safe word, to start right away

Scammers no longer need your password—with AI voice cloning, all they need is a voice you love. As deepfakes and automated phone scams increasingly target families through their smartphones, our greatest vulnerability isn't broken technology—it’s our natural human impulse to protect the people we care about. Traditional cybersecurity advice tells us to build higher digital walls, but what happens when a scam bypasses technology and targets human trust directly? Cybersecurity strategist Anthony Oren spent his early career learning how systems break, and over a decade helping families and organizations defend themselves. In this urgent talk, he cuts through the fear to share a simple, no-tech habit any family can start tonight to protect the people they love before a crisis happens. Anthony Oren is a cybersecurity strategist who has spent more than a decade helping families, schools, businesses, and organizations protect themselves from digital threats. Beginning with a childhood fascination for how systems worked, he transformed that curiosity into a career dedicated to defense. His work focuses on making cybersecurity accessible through AI and teaching companies to use technology to succeed and stay secure. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx