Eric O’Neill, FBI spy hunter and cybersecurity expert, founder of The Georgetown Group and Nexasure AI.
A voice you recognize, a face on a video call, a request that sounds exactly like your boss: the most convincing fraud begins with something familiar. Eric O’Neill is a former FBI spy hunter who has spent a career studying how that kind of deception works, and today he applies the lessons as an attorney, security founder, and author.
This profile follows the case that made his name, the method he teaches, and what event organizers say about the room after he speaks. He is one of the cybersecurity speakers available for bookings at Aurum Speakers Bureau.
The FBI spy hunter behind the keynotes
O’Neill began his FBI career as a graduate of the Intelligence Program. He spent his first five years as a field operative in a special surveillance group that monitored foreign, national, and domestic terrorists and spies.
Then came the assignment that defined his career.
The poster for Breach (2007), the film inspired by O’Neill’s undercover assignment inside the FBI.
Working undercover with little backup, he was tasked with catching his new boss, Robert Hanssen, a 25-year FBI veteran, in the act of spying for the Russians. According to the FBI’s case history, O’Neill served as Hanssen’s assistant and helped keep investigators informed of his movements. His official biography adds that he worked directly undercover with Hanssen inside the FBI’s Information Assurance Division, the unit created to protect classified FBI intelligence.
The FBI arrested Hanssen on February 18, 2001, during a dead drop near Vienna, Virginia. He pleaded guilty to 15 espionage counts and received a sentence of life in prison without parole. He died in federal prison in 2023, and news coverage widely called him the most damaging spy in FBI history.
O’Neill told his own account in the memoir Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America’s First Cyber Spy, and the 2007 film Breach dramatized the case, with Ryan Phillippe playing O’Neill and Chris Cooper playing Hanssen. The memoir’s subtitle frames Hanssen as America’s first cyber spy, a link between a Cold War-style betrayal and the digital threats of today.
From counterintelligence to cybercrime
Gray Day (Crown, 2019), O’Neill’s memoir of his undercover mission against Robert Hanssen.
After serving as a national security strategist for several companies, O’Neill founded The Georgetown Group, an investigative and security consultancy in Washington, D.C. The firm specializes in counterintelligence operations, economic espionage, cybersecurity penetrations, AI-fueled attacks, internal investigations, and security risk assessment. He later founded Nexasure AI, an intelligence-driven advisory firm.
He is an honors graduate of Auburn University and The George Washington University Law School, and he still practices law. His commentary has reached audiences through CNN, C-SPAN, Fox, NPR, Newsweek, TechCrunch, “Fresh Air with Terry Gross,” World News Now, and Access Hollywood, among others.
His latest book, Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime: Cybersecurity Tactics to Outsmart Hackers and Disarm Scammers, was released by HarperCollins in October 2025 and is an instant USA Today bestseller. According to the publisher, it exposes how cybercriminals pursue your data and your money, and it offers tactics for spotting and neutralizing those threats to protect yourself, your family, and your business. O’Neill launched the book at an event hosted by the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.
For another expert view on AI-driven threats, see our feature on Mikko Hyppönen and cybersecurity in the age of AI.
Watch: Eric O’Neill on thinking like a spy hunter
Here is a look at O’Neill in action:
The PAID method
As you can see in the video, O’Neill shares a methodology he calls PAID: you prepare, you continually assess, you investigate when you need to, and you decide to act.
Read plainly, PAID treats security as an ongoing loop. He adds that the plan needs a fresh look each time something big changes, so he advises reassessing your plan, your cybersecurity, and your data whenever you make a major change.
The logic that catches a spy also stops a cyberattack, he explains: you act when the data tells you there is a problem. His advice is for everyone to think like a spy hunter.
Behind the method sits a broader idea he calls data resilience, a new way of protecting data and returning trust to it, because data has become the currency of our lives.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the human side of defense
Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime (HarperCollins, 2025), O’Neill’s latest book and an instant USA Today bestseller.
Each October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month gives organizations a reason to revisit how their people spot and report threats.
O’Neill’s framing is direct. He opens with the line “There are no hackers. There are only spies.” and describes cyber attackers as sophisticated, smart, and patient. The line carries a point worth weighing: a spy works through trust and access, so defense becomes a question of people and process as much as software.
His estimates put the cost of cybercrime at more than $14 trillion a year, with a possible rise to $18 to $20 trillion. These calculations are best read as a signal of scale rather than a precise audit.
His keynotes, on the other hand, meet that urgency with real operations. They cover AI deepfakes, ransomware, and dark web networks, and they give attendees counterintelligence techniques they can apply immediately.
Three Eric O’Neill keynotes
“Inside the Dark Web Economy: Defending Your Data Against Modern Cyber Threats”
This session covers state-sponsored operatives, deepfakes, and dark web syndicates, and how generative AI is boosting criminal operations.
“AI Deepfakes and Digital Extortion: Recognizing the New Face of Fraud”
This one examines AI-generated voices, videos, and images used in ransomware and fake video-call fraud. His keynote materials describe stories that include kidnapping calls to parents who hear their child’s cries for help, and elaborate video conferences that dupe teams into funding projects for bad actors. Attendees learn to recognize deepfake attacks and take concrete protective steps. Organizations focused on AI can also explore our AI speakers.
“Mission Possible: A Spy Hunter’s Playbook for Leadership and Resilience”
Drawing on Gray Day and Breach, this motivational session covers creating opportunities, turning setbacks into advantages, and the value of contingency planning.
To check Eric O’Neill’s availability for your event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau and one of our founders will respond within 24 hours. Leaders planning programs on the same themes can also explore our resilience speakers.
What event organizers say
Three organizers describe the same result: an audience that stays with him and a talk that fits the room.
“Eric was a wonderful addition to our Company-wide Conference and, for many of our attendees, his presentation was the highlight. […] I’d recommend him as a speaker at any corporate event.”
John, President & CEO, Johnny Rockets
“With an audience of IT Security folks, he not only captivated the room with his thrilling espionage story, but also incorporated our latest cyber-security report and other cyber-security themes into his talk.”
Carrie, Manager, Events & Partner Relations, CloudLock
“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.”
NCMS Seminar Committee
Who books Eric O’Neill
According to his official biography, O’Neill’s engagements include Acronis, Allstate, AT&T, Bayer, Dell, FedEx, Honeywell, McKinsey, and Salesforce, as well as universities and numerous associations from IIA to YPO. His keynotes suit corporate events, associations, executive audiences, and board meetings, in person or virtual.
He also appears among our top cybersecurity speakers, where we highlight his focus on the human side of cyber risk. To explore his topics and availability, start with his Eric O’Neill speaker profile. Please let us know if you have comments or questions.
To match a speaker to your audience, our guide to choosing the right keynote speaker for a corporate event is a useful companion, as well. The best defenses begin with understanding how deception works, and few people have studied it as closely as a former FBI spy hunter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eric O’Neill?
Eric O’Neill is a cybersecurity expert, former FBI operative, attorney, and author, and the founder of The Georgetown Group and Nexasure AI. He went undercover inside the FBI to help catch Robert Hanssen, a story featured in the film Breach and in his memoir Gray Day. He now delivers keynotes on cyberattacks, AI-generated threats, and the dark web.
What does Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime cover?
Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime: Cybersecurity Tactics to Outsmart Hackers and Disarm Scammers is Eric O’Neill’s latest book, released by HarperCollins in October 2025 and an instant USA Today bestseller. According to the publisher, it shows how cybercriminals pursue personal and business data and offers tactics for spotting and neutralizing those threats.
What is the PAID method?
PAID is the methodology Eric O’Neill uses to teach people to think like a spy hunter: prepare, continually assess, investigate when needed, and decide to act. He recommends reassessing your plan, cybersecurity, and data each time you make a major change.
What are Eric O’Neill’s keynote topics?
O’Neill’s keynote topics are “Inside the Dark Web Economy: Defending Your Data Against Modern Cyber Threats,” “AI Deepfakes and Digital Extortion: Recognizing the New Face of Fraud,” and “Mission Possible: A Spy Hunter’s Playbook for Leadership and Resilience.” His sessions suit corporate events, associations, and executive audiences.
What is Eric O’Neill’s speaking fee?
Eric O’Neill’s fee depends on the event date, format, duration, and preparation required. To receive a quote, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau and one of our founders will respond within 24 hours. For a general view of how pricing works, see our overview of speaker fees.
Is Eric O’Neill available for virtual keynotes?
Yes. Eric O’Neill offers virtual keynotes as well as in-person sessions. More options are available among our virtual keynote speakers.
How can I book Eric O’Neill to speak at an event?
Eric O’Neill can be booked through Aurum Speakers Bureau for keynotes and corporate events worldwide. To check his availability and fit for your event, and bring that perspective to your stage, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau and one of our founders will respond within 24 hours.
