Social engineering training
Show your people how spies and threat actors manipulate their way past security, from pretexting and phishing to social media research and elicitation. Training comes from former CIA, FBI and DIA officers who used and countered these techniques for a living.
Peter WarmkaEx CIA undercover officerSpent over 20 years as a CIA intelligence officer breaching the security of organizations around the world.
Robin DreekeEx FBI special agent & behavioral specialistWas lead instructor at the FBI Counterintelligence Training Center for five years.
Eric O'NeillEx FBI counterintelligence operativeAs an FBI operative, helped take down Robert Hanssen, the most notorious traitor in U.S. espionage history.
What your team learns
Each subject is taught by an expert who did this work for an intelligence agency, the military or the security industry. These are sessions they already deliver; we shape the mix around your team.
How spies hack people
Why people are the easiest way into an organization, and how spies and other threat actors pick a target, build a pretext and get past security.
Confessions of a CIA Spy: The Art of Human Hacking
Taught by Peter Warmka, Ex CIA undercover officer
Social Engineering: The Human Factors
Taught by Robin Dreeke, Ex FBI special agent & behavioral specialist
Social media research and fake profiles
What attackers learn about your people from what they post, and how fake online personas are used to open a conversation.
Social Media Fraud: Meet the Avatar
Taught by Peter Warmka, Ex CIA undercover officer
Surviving the Age of Social Media: Protect Yourself from Social Media Spies and Fraudsters
Taught by Eric O'Neill, Ex FBI counterintelligence operative
Elicitation and rapport
How a friendly chat turns into a leak. The rapport and questioning methods intelligence officers use to draw out information, so your team can recognize them.
Elicitation
Taught by Lindsay Moran, Ex CIA operations officer
The Ten Techniques to Quick Rapport
Taught by Robin Dreeke, Ex FBI special agent & behavioral specialist
Reading people and spotting deception
Behavioral cues, deception analysis and situational awareness from an FBI behavioral specialist and a military interrogator.
Detecting Deception: How to Spot Lies and Get the Truth
Taught by Lena Sisco, Ex DoD interrogator & Naval intel officer
Sizing People Up: Six Signs for Behavior Prediction
Taught by Robin Dreeke, Ex FBI special agent & behavioral specialist
The human side of cybersecurity
Why technical controls fail when a person is fooled, and the everyday habits that protect data, accounts and privacy.
The Human Element: The Weakest Link in Every Security System is Not a Computer
Taught by Eric O'Neill, Ex FBI counterintelligence operative
Beyond Firewalls: Understanding Human Risk in Cybersecurity
Taught by Shawnee Delaney, Ex DIA clandestine case officer
Protecting Your Privacy: Tips from a Former NSA Officer
Taught by Emily Crose, Ex CIA, NSA & INSCOM infosec specialist
Thinking like an attacker
Red team lessons for security leaders and executives who want to see their organization the way an attacker does.
HACKthink
Taught by Matt Devost, Renowned hacker & cybersecurity leader
Red Teaming Lessons Learned over 20 Years
Taught by Matt Devost, Renowned hacker & cybersecurity leader
Executive Cybersecurity Threats and Managing High Risk Travel
Taught by Matt Devost, Renowned hacker & cybersecurity leader
Built for everyone an attacker might call
All employees
Security awareness training that shows staff how an approach really works, so they spot a pretext, a fake profile or a probing question and report it.
CISOs and security awareness leads
Live sessions from former officers to add the attacker's view to your awareness program, plus red team thinking for security teams.
HR and teams exposed to manipulation
Recruiters, assistants, finance and front-line staff who talk to strangers every day and are the first people an attacker calls.
Executives and high-value targets
A briefing on how leaders get researched and targeted online and while traveling, from people who ran and caught these operations.
Your social engineering trainers
Former CIA and DIA officers who breached security through people, FBI agents who caught spies, an interrogator and hackers who know where the human gaps are.
- CIAThis former CIA officer shares lessons learned from breaching security of target organizations overseas for over two decades.Peter WarmkaEx CIA undercover officerExpert on cybersecurity, social media, social engineering, human hacking
- FBIThis former head of the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program is a sought after trainer and published author.Robin DreekeEx FBI special agent & behavioral specialistExpert on behavioral analysis, counterintelligence, communications, and leadership
- FBIThis former FBI operative was instrumental in capturing notorious spy, Robert Hanssen.Eric O'NeillEx FBI counterintelligence operativeExpert on cybersecurity, technology, security
- CIA
This former CIA operative and author brings decades of experience to her speaking and consulting expertise.Lindsay MoranEx CIA operations officerExpert on covert operations, intelligence, and disinformation - DoD
This master of deception detection, body language & rapport development was an interrogator after 9/11 at GTMO.Lena SiscoEx DoD interrogator & Naval intel officerExpert on interviewing, deception, leadership, change management, entertainment - DIA
This decorated Clandestine Case Officer and insider threat expert now helps protect global corporations, develop leaders and improve culture.Shawnee DelaneyEx DIA clandestine case officerExpert on human / insider risk, cybersecurity, insider threat program development, counterintelligence, surveillance, artificial intelligence and leadership - DoD
Matt specializes in cybersecurity, counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, intelligence, and risk management issues.Matt DevostRenowned hacker & cybersecurity leaderExpert on red teaming, threat intelligence, global risk management - CIA & NSA
This ex CIA officer, NSA analyst, cybersecurity pro, and hacker is also an activist for LGBT+ inclusion.Emily CroseEx CIA, NSA & INSCOM infosec specialistExpert on tech, cybersecurity, industrial infrastructure, counter-extremism, government transparency
What audiences say
"Our attendees were literally on the edge of their seats as Peter demonstrated numerous examples of social engineering techniques utilized by spies and other threat actors to breach security. We hope to get him back for future conferences."
Jacquie Brooks
Director of Human Resources, S.I. Goldman Company, Inc., on Peter Warmka
"Matt's far-reaching knowledge, on so many interdisciplinary topics, is truly impressive. Everyone leaves one of Matt's speeches a lot smarter than than when they went in."
Winn Schwartau
CEO, Security Awareness Company, on Matt Devost
"Robin is a pragmatic genius. His past profession was just a fantastic precursor to his incredible contributions of today. If you want to learn to understand people, the way they think, the probability of their behaviors, be able to communicate with others effectively and really begin to develop a great awareness and consciousness of people in your own world, I suggest that you connect, engage and enjoy the journey through Robin's work. Simply excellent!"
Howard Himmelman
RFI Communications & Security Systems, on Robin Dreeke
Social engineering training questions
More on insider threat training, infosec practices, SPYEX training and consulting.
Social engineering is the manipulation of people into handing over information, money or access, through pretexting, phishing, fake online profiles or a casual conversation that is really elicitation. Social engineering training teaches employees and security teams how these approaches work and how to recognize them. SPYEX sessions are taught by former intelligence officers who used and countered these techniques in their careers.
Online courses and phishing tests teach people the rules. A SPYEX expert shows them how an attacker actually thinks: how a target is picked, researched and approached. Peter Warmka spent over 20 years at CIA breaching the security of organizations around the world, and Robin Dreeke ran the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program. Many teams use a live session alongside the awareness program they already run.
Former intelligence and security officers, including Peter Warmka (ex CIA undercover officer), Robin Dreeke (ex FBI special agent and behavioral specialist), Eric O'Neill (ex FBI counterintelligence operative), Lindsay Moran (ex CIA operations officer), Lena Sisco (ex DoD interrogator), Shawnee Delaney (ex DIA clandestine case officer), Matt Devost (hacker who created and led the first red team in the Department of Defense) and Emily Crose (ex CIA, NSA and INSCOM infosec specialist).
Sessions can be shaped for all employees, for CISOs and security awareness teams, for HR and other staff who deal with outsiders, or as a briefing for executives. Tell us who will be in the room and we will match the expert and topic to them.
Yes. Alongside training, SPYEX arranges keynotes and speaking engagements. Peter Warmka is a sought-after conference speaker, and Eric O'Neill delivers keynotes that use the world of espionage to raise security awareness.
Fill in the booking form on this page or contact us. Tell us about your project and we will connect you with the best expert.
Book social engineering training
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with the best expert.