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Human vulnerabilities provide opportunities that threat actors can exploit beyond the technical attack techniques. That’s the premise behind a new book written by a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative.
In his review of “Confessions of a CIA Spy: The Art of Human Hacking,” ESD Studio Leader for Cybersecurity Coleman Wolf says author Peter Warmka “shares his skills and experience as a former intelligence officer to provide a full introduction to techniques of manipulation, influence, and persuasion.” Wolf’s review is written for Security Management magazine, a publication of ASIS International.
According to Wolf, the new book offers a good foundational awareness of cyber threats by identifying warning signs and providing recommendations to avoid risk. The 190-page book is divided into short, easy-to-understand chapters that guide the reader through a basic overview of intelligence gathering. Wolf says that’s where the specific tactics related to social engineering come into play. These include psychological manipulation, building trust, influence, and conversational strategies to steer conversations.
Wolf concludes his review by saying, “(the book) delivers on content for an introductory foray into the world of clandestine human intelligence gathering. There is certainly enough material to give the reader a very good understanding of this aspect of spy tradecraft.”
Coleman Wolf freely shares his knowledge gained from 30 years of security management and security engineering experience to promote ESD’s mission to improve society through the built environment.
Contact ESD’s experts for more information on how ESD can help with cybersecurity evaluations and recommendations.
