Christopher Hadnagy

Christopher Hadnagy is a security expert, ethical hacker, and founder and CEO of Social-Engineer, LLC, where he developed the first social engineering framework, newsletter, and podcast. Specializing in how attackers exploit human communication and trust, Hadnagy provides consulting, penetration testing, and training to help organizations identify vulnerabilities and strengthen cybersecurity defenses. His approaches, including the hands-on course "Advanced Practical Social Engineering," have established him as a prominent voice in cybersecurity, focusing on making complex topics accessible for professionals.

Hadnagy is the author of several books for security professionals, including "Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking," "Unmasking the Social Engineer: The Human Element of Security," "Phishing Dark Waters: The Offensive and Defensive Sides of Malicious Emails," "Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking," and "Human Hacking: Win Friends, Influence People and Leave Them Better Off for Having Met You." He served as an adjunct professor of social engineering at the University of Arizona's NSA-designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations and created the Human Hacking Conference to train individuals in self-improvement through ethical hacking techniques. His lectures at venues such as the Pentagon and high-security facilities demonstrate his expertise in addressing human-centered threats and providing real-world cybersecurity insights.

Hadnagy founded the Innocent Lives Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying online child predators using open-source intelligence and supporting law enforcement in bringing them to justice. He continues to serve on the board after transitioning from the CEO role. Through these efforts, Hadnagy applies his social engineering expertise to combat child exploitation and educate parents on preventing grooming and abuse. His work in technical consulting, authorship, and advocacy highlights his role as a cybersecurity speaker who addresses the challenges of social engineering and human risk in information security.