Eric O’Neill Speaker Biography
Cybersecurity Expert, Legendary FBI Operative Featured in the Film Breach, Bestselling Author, Technology Futurist and Attorney
In 2001, Eric O’Neill helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history: Robert Hanssen, a 25-year veteran of the FBI. The remarkable true events of his life are the inspiration behind the critically acclaimed dramatic thriller Breach, starring Ryan Philippe as O’Neill. The film set inside the FBI – the gatekeeper of the nation’s most sensitive and potentially volatile secrets – is the story of the greatest security breach in US history. Preceding Hanssen’s arrest, O’Neill worked with the spy within the information assurance division that protected all classified FBI intelligence. O’Neill gained Hanssen’s trust and used that relationship to slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover.
FBI
O’Neill began his career in the FBI as a graduate of the FBI’s Intelligence Program. He spent the first five years of his career as a special surveillance group field operative tasked to surveil and monitor foreign, national, and domestic terrorists and spies. He transitioned from field operative to direct undercover work focusing on Hanssen. Although his prior training had focused on “ghosting” targets from the shadows, he engaged his target in conversation in order to elicit information needed to catch Hanssen in the act of espionage. The singular nature of the assignment, one with little backup or support, required O’Neill to draw from deep reserves of courage and confidence within himself to battle Hanssen’s mind games and aggressive probing and learn to “stop reacting to Hanssen and begin acting.”
The Georgetown Group
Currently, Eric O’Neill runs The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security consultancy, where he specializes in counterintelligence operations, investigations into economic espionage, cyber security penetrations, internal investigations, catching the trusted insider and security risk assessment consulting out of Washington, DC. Eric has also served as a national security strategist for cybersecurity companies, including VMWare Carbon Black and Broadcom and senior associate for the Government Contracts Group at DLA Piper.
Books
Eric is also the author of Gray Day, the thrilling story of how Eric helped take down notorious FBI mole Robert Hanssen, the first Russian cyber spy. Eric’s next book is Spies, Lies & Cybercrime (2025).
Media
O’Neill’s story is one of patriotism, of decisive action in the face of fear, and of learning to maintain confidence in ability even if it looks like success is impossible. He has told his story in national media, in print, on radio, and on television including 20/20, Nightline, Hardball with Chris Mathews, Fox News Power Player of the Week with Chris Wallace, CNN, CSPAN’s Washington Journal, NPR’s “Fresh Air with Terry Gross,” World News Now, MTV, and Access Hollywood.
Keynote Speaker
A talented motivational speaker who weaves real life experiences into a presentation that is both entertaining and rewarding, Eric O’Neill provides practical insights into real work situations relevant to many industries. In addition to his experience in the Hanssen case, he also addresses the issues of confidence and patriotism, the threat to United States security posed by terrorism, foreign intelligence services, the cyber threat to our national infrastructure and the national conscience in a monitored society.
Eric O’Neill Speaking Topics
CYBERSECURITY: SPIES, LIES & CYBERCRIME: PROTECTING YOUR DATA IN A DARK WEB ECONOMY
Dive headfirst into the battleground where foreign spies, deepfakes, and Dark Web criminals conspire to steal from you. Today’s adversaries are relentless and cunning. They’re exploiting every vulnerability, deploying an arsenal of generative AI bots and bandits. As we hurtle towards the future, cybertheft will take over $20 trillion USD from organizations just like yours. Join cybersecurity expert and legendary FBI spy hunter Eric O’Neill in this unexpected presentation. With fresh stories that read like a thriller, Eric teaches you to think like a spy catcher and win. Objectives: • Understand why cybercrime is the fastest growing business on earth • Understand the connection between espionage and dark web cybercrime • Learn counter-intelligence techniques to protect yourself and your company from cybercrime • Learn to think like a spy hunter
SECRETS FROM A LEGENDARY SPY HUNTER: DECODING AI DEEPFAKES, EXTORTION AND MORE
AI-generated voices, texts, and images pose a grave threat to national security—and to you. The latest jaw-dropping stories include kidnapping calls to parents who hear their child’s wrenching cries for help. Elaborate video conferences that dupe teams into funding projects by bad actors. Ransomware from cyber-extortionists who hold your data hostage. In a world where technology drives our lives, you must take new steps to protect yourself and your organization. With his characteristic wit and storytelling, cybersecurity expert and legendary spy hunter Eric O’Neill tells you how to identify AI-fueled attacks…and stop them from taking your money. Objectives: • Understand how Generative AI has allowed cybercriminals to scale operations and improve attacks • Understand how cybercriminals use deepfakes to deceive victims • Learn how new advances in AI will change security • Learn what you can do to protect yourself from deep-fake cyber attacks
WHAT JAMES BOND & JASON BOURNE WOULD NEVER TELL YOU ABOUT ACHIEVING YOUR COMPANY’S MISSION
You’d never see James Bond give a game-changing keynote to a leadership team. Or, see Jason Bourne coach corporate audiences on how to turn obstacles into accomplishments. Luckily, we have real-life FBI cybersecurity expert and celebrated spy catcher, Eric O’Neill. O’Neill weaves his edge-of-your-seat espionage story—featured in the Hollywood hit, Breach and his own bestseller, Gray Day—into highly actionable, irresistibly motivational takeaways to help achieve both personal success and your organization’s goals and mission. Highlights include: • “Luck is for lottery winners.” How to not only identify opportunities, but create them. • Achieve success even when you’re not set up for it. • Manage setbacks and turn them into triumph. • Why time is the most valuable commodity. • “Don’t just have a Plan B, have a Plan C.” O’Neill’s thrilling espionage story of catching the most notorious cyberspy in U.S. history imparts invaluable lessons in a unique, captivating and unforgettable way. Audiences learn how to set goals and achieve them with confidence, determination, and in O’Neill’s case, the courage to triumph like Bond or Bourne. Yes, even when the mission seemed impossible.
Eric O’Neill Books
Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America’s First Cyber Spy
Purchase BookEric O’Neill Videos
Eric O’Neill Speaker 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!"
- | NCMS Seminar Committee
"Eric O’Neill totally captured our conference audience with his insights on cybersecurity and its similarity to locating spies within. Approximately 250 people were fully engaged and asking for more at the end of the hour. Eric is definitely a powerful speaker and not-to-be missed."
- | Kathy Kimball, CISO University of Virginia
"Eric was the perfect guest speaker for our event. With an audience of IT Security folks, he not only captivated the room with his thrilling espionage story, but also incorporated our latest cybersecurity report and other cybersecurity themes into his talk. Eric has a long list of interesting topics he can speak on, and we hope that we can bring him back to speak again in the future."
- CloudLock | Carrie Page , Manager, Events & Partner Relations
Eric was a pleasure to work with. He brought extremely relevant content to the audience and had them captivated by his stories and message through the entire session. The audience survey results were outstanding! I would recommend Eric to any organization looking for a dynamic and entertaining speaker!
- | Senior Manager - Conferences, The Institute of Internal Auditors
