ERIC O’NEILL
Cybersecurity Keynote Speaker | Former FBI Counterintelligence Operative | Author, Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime
Eric O’Neill is a cybersecurity keynote speaker, national security attorney and former FBI counterintelligence operative. He went undercover inside FBI headquarters to help catch Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in American history, a story told in the film Breach. Today he is the founder of The Georgetown Group, an investigation and security consultancy, and the author of Gray Day and the USA Today bestseller Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime.
Cybercrime is no longer just an IT problem. It’s a boardroom problem, a people problem and, increasingly, an AI problem. Eric shows audiences how today’s attackers think, using the same counterintelligence techniques he used to catch a spy, and gives them practical steps to protect themselves and their organisations.
The human side of cybersecurity
The most damaging attacks rarely break in through the firewall. They come through people: a convincing email, a cloned voice, a deepfake video call. Eric’s background in espionage gives audiences a rare inside view of how deception really works, and how to spot it before it costs them.
Why book Eric O’Neill
- He has done the job. Eric worked undercover for the FBI and helped bring down one of history’s most damaging spies.
- He tells a gripping story. One organiser said you could hear a pin drop in a room of more than 1,000 people.
- He makes it practical. Audiences leave with clear actions to protect their data, their people and their business.
- He tailors every talk. From boards to IT security teams, Eric shapes his message around your theme and audience.
Keynotes
Spies, Lies and Cybercrime: Protecting Your Data in a Dark Web Economy
How espionage and dark web cybercrime connect, and the counterintelligence techniques that protect individuals and companies.
Secrets from a Legendary Spy Hunter: Decoding AI Deepfakes, Extortion and More
How generative AI is fuelling deepfake scams, cyber-extortion and ransomware, and the steps organisations can take to stop them.
Leadership Under Pressure: What You Can Learn from Spies, Bond and Bourne
An interactive masterclass on assessing risk, making decisions without the full picture and leading when the stakes are high.
Formats: keynote, interactive masterclass and virtual sessions.
What event organisers say
Clients include Johnny Rockets, Qualcomm, CloudLock and NCMS.
“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 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.”
President and CEO, Johnny Rockets
“Eric O’Neill’s presentation was a breathtaking insight into one of the worst spies in United States history. Eric presented never before heard facts that wowed the audience and left everyone wanting more. 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
“Eric O’Neill spoke at our Qualcomm conference and our group was very pleased. He hit home with the importance of being diligent to protect personal and company data, with many examples of ways we are all being targeted.”
Qualcomm
“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 cyber-security report and other cyber-security themes into his talk.”
Manager, Events and Partner Relations, CloudLock
“An amazing speaker! He was warm, personable, knowledgeable, and generous with details about this exciting and heroic story. He was a huge hit with our attendees!”
Association of College and University Auditors
“Eric O’Neill is an enthralling speaker who brings to life the realities of espionage. He painted a picture that was both enticing and terrifying.”
Chief Security Officer
BIOGRAPHY
Eric O’Neill
Eric O’Neill began his career as an FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, first in a special surveillance group and then undercover, working alongside Robert Hanssen, a 25-year FBI veteran, to gather the evidence that exposed him as a spy. His story inspired the film Breach, in which he is played by Ryan Phillippe.
He went on to work as a lawyer in the Government Contracts Group at DLA Piper, and in 2009 founded The Georgetown Group, an investigation and security consultancy in Washington, DC. He has served as national security strategist for cybersecurity companies including VMware Carbon Black, and founded NeXasure AI.
He is the author of Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America’s First Cyber Spy and Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime, a USA Today bestseller, and an honours graduate of Auburn University and George Washington University Law School.
Eric is ideal for: boards and executive teams facing cyber risk; IT, security and risk conferences; financial services, technology and professional services events; and any audience that needs to understand how modern deception works.
Looking for a cybersecurity keynote speaker for your conference or leadership event? Enquire about Eric O’Neill’s availability and tell us about your audience. We’ll shape a session that fits your event.