Eric ONeill is an accomplished motivational public speaker and security expert that lectures internationally about espionage and national security, cybersecurity, fraud, corporate diligence and defense, hacking, pursuing ones dreams and surviving Hollywood. Eric has worked as an FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, a national security attorney and as a corporate security consultant. He founded The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security services firm. In February 2001, Eric helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history, Robert Phillip Hanssen. In the three months preceding Hanssen&rsq...
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Eric ONeill
Cyber-Security Expert, Inspiration For Film Breach
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Bio
Full Bio
Eric ONeill is an accomplished motivational public speaker and security expert that lectures internationally about espionage and national security, cybersecurity, fraud, corporate diligence and defense, hacking, pursuing ones dreams and surviving Hollywood.
Eric has worked as an FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, a national security attorney and as a corporate security consultant. He founded The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security services firm.
In February 2001, Eric helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history, Robert Phillip Hanssen. In the three months preceding Hanssen’s arrest, Eric was selected to work with the spy within the newly minted information assurance division, created to protect all classified FBI intelligence. Eric was charged with gaining Hanssen’s trust and then using that relationship to slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover. Eric’s investigative skill led to the arrest and ultimate conviction of the master spy.
Eric is an honors graduate of Auburn University. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School, also with honors. Eric is available as a public speaker and as a consultant for film and television projects.
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Testimonials
Eric O’Neill’s presentation on “An Insider’s Look into the Robert Hanssen Investigation: How the FBI Caught the Worst Spy in American History” is a breathtaking insight into one of the worst spies in United States history. Eric presented on never before heard facts that wowed the audience and left everyone wanting more. His professional approach and mild mannered attitude were spot on for an engaging delivery. Everyone was so focused on Eric for the full hour that you could have heard a pin drop in a room of 1,000+ attendees. Eric is truly a once in a lifetime speaker that everyone should see and hear in person!
Eric delivered an absolutely mesmerizing keynote for our cybersecurity event. He tailored his talk specifically to the topic of the event, weaving in very relevant and thought provoking commentary of particular interest to our audience. I couldn’t have asked for a better keynote and sincerely hope we’ll cross paths again soon.
Eric was a wonderful addition to our Company-wide Conference and, for many of our attendees, his presentation was the highlight. He was engaging, animated, charming and able to extract important and relevant business lessons from his experience with the FBI. I appreciated his candor, the tailoring of his message to our theme and the time he took to spend with our team. I’d recommend him as a speaker at any corporate event.
Eric O’Neill is an engaging speaker, whose message of courage and determination resonates especially well with college students. Drawing on his own life experience as a spy hunter, O’Neill speaks with authenticity and candor about his work as an FBI Investigator. Speaking at Auburn University, for the Graduate School’s New Horizon Lecture, O’Neill downplayed the Hollywood image of spies to emphasize the importance of hard work, perseverance, and the courage to act in ways that are true to your own beliefs. In the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations, O’Neill message is especially relevant. I highly recommend him as a speaker for college audiences or for anyone interested in cyber security.
Mr. O’Neill’s presentation was very engaging. He was able to translate his experiences into a thought-provoking presentation on risk management covering the investigation methods used and professional/life lessons learned with insight and humor.
Eric is a consummate professional, with a relaxed demeanor, he was the absolute hit of our event! We had a record attendance at our meeting, and due to his great presentation we have new exposure for our ISACA chapter!
Topics
Topics
An Insider’s Look into the Robert Hanssen Investigation
How the FBI Caught the Worst Spy in American History Learn intricate details of the investigation that caught the most damaging spy in United States History. Robert Hanssen spied for the Soviet Union and Russia for over 22 years. The FBI had a very narrow window of just a few months to catch him. This is the story of how we succeeded in one of the most impressive undercover operations ever orchestrated by the FBI.
The Human Element
The Weakest Link In Every Security System Is Not A Computer Security professionals must not only look outward when securing a system, they must become spy hunters, looking for internal exploits and penetrations that may not be easy to detect. Includes an analysis of Edward Snowden and other recent internal penetrations
Corporate Security
The Top Things You Should Be Doing To Secure Your Company This personal list was compiled over decades of work as an undercover operative in the FBI and security consultant. The keynote is a hot topic format of issues that are most critical to protecting information, set in a narrative of true stories that inform with actionable learning while they entertain. Issues looked at include: The Need for Diligence; Critical areas in Physical Security; Phishing and Email hacks; Social Media Do’s and Don’ts; How Spies Recruit; Economic Espionage; and Preventing The Insider Threat.
Surviving the Age of Social Media
What You Need To Know To Protect Yourself From Social Media Spies And Fraudsters Hacking is the necessary evolution of espionage. As people have moved their lives, relationships and personal data online, spies have learned to exploit this data in order to steal identities, intellectual property and more. Learn the most critical ways that spies are stealing your data by leveraging your social media accounts and how you can take steps to stop them.
Cyber Security in the Age of Espionage
Recent years have seen a massive increase in cyber theft of private and confidential information from government agencies, business and private individuals. The modern spy is responsible for these attacks. Today’s spies are sophisticated, brilliant, devious and technologically advanced, and they are targeting your data. Robert Hanssen was the first of these new cyber spies, charged with selling American secrets to Russia for more than US$1.4 million in cash and diamonds. His ability to exploit computer systems allowed him to protect his identity during a 22-year spy career. Join Eric as he uses real-life spy stories to show how careful diligence, counter espionage techniques and restraint in social media can help identify the numerous spies, hackers, hacktivists and trusted insiders that threaten every stroke of the keyboard.
A Spy Story
Setting Goals & Achieving Them through Courage, Confidence & Determination My story of acting to take control of any situation and excel, not just succeed, takes place in the center of the FBI’s most important espionage investigation. Imagine being locked in a room for eight hours a day with the most ruthless and damaging spy in United States history. Imagine feeling unqualified and outgunned, knowing that the country depends on you to succeed despite the fact that no one has provided the means to do so. My story is not just an edge of your seat spy thriller. It is a story about discovering tools for success inside oneself by setting small goals that lead to big accomplishments until finally, through courage, confidence and determination, victory is achieved.
How The World Will End
Cyber Security In A Shrinking World The global phenomenon of information sharing has created extraordinary innovation in communication, but has also become a gold mine for cyber criminals. This topic explores the current cyber threats facing industry, government and private individuals, from threats to national infrastructure, to corporate espionage and cyber terrorism, to identity theft and online fraud.
