Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking

Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking by Christopher Hadnagy explains how attackers exploit human psychology to bypass security measures. The book arrived on time and in good condition. The content has been helpful in my consulting work. By detailing techniques like phishing, pretexting, and elicitation, it provides clear insights into how social engineering operates. The examples and references have supported the development of realistic testing scenarios to evaluate and strengthen clients’ defenses. These scenarios, informed by the book’s focus on decision-making and emotional manipulation, have been effective in identifying vulnerabilities and offering practical recommendations. The book’s guidance on recognizing and mitigating social engineering tactics is practical and easy to apply. The strategies have been useful for creating tests that assess human vulnerabilities and evaluate the success of existing defenses. I recommend this book to professionals looking to understand social engineering and develop tools for improving organizational security. It is a solid resource for testing and mitigation efforts.

Christopher Hadnagy is entertaining to read and has a tremendous amount of practical examples and anecdotes to illustrate key concepts and ideas. He pulls from solid research and real world experiences. I plan on reading anything he writes, and anyone he mentions that I should read.

You don't even need to be interested in social engineering to benefit from (and enjoy reading) this book. In fact, about two thirds of it is devoted to building rapport, trust and influence no matter where you find yourself or what you're trying to do. The author presents the scientific principles at just the right level and then reinforces them with an abundance of anecdotes, most of which are pretty amusing. I especially liked that he includes personal stories of both successes and failures. The result is a remarkably good read that is both informative and enjoyable. If you are security professional or simply concerned about your own security, then you really should read this book. For everyone else, chapters 2-8 will likely help you improve some aspect of your social skills.

This book offers a fascinating look into how social engineering works and how people can be manipulated through psychology rather than technology. The stories and examples are engaging, and the author explains complex ideas in a clear, practical way. That said, some parts feel a little outdated since it was published in 2018. It’s still very relevant, but newer threats like AI-generated scams aren’t covered. Pros Clear, engaging writing Real-world examples and practical tips Great for beginners or security professionals Cons Some examples feel dated Content can be dense at times Overall, a strong read for anyone interested in human-based "hacking" and social manipulation techniques. Four stars.

It would be difficult to overstate how much I enjoyed reading this book. As you can well imagine, the book (in my opinion) is fantastically well written and seamlessly blends useful knowledge alongside actionable techniques. However, I believe anyone reading this book will also be pleasantly surprised to find the author's heart, humor, and humility so wonderfully expressed on every page. It is (again, in my opinion) a rare delight to find an author who clearly models such a healthy balance between passion and compassion in his writing and his work. Therefore, I believe that placing a copy of the book in plain view on your desk or bookshelf will serve as a dose of daily inspiration long after you've turned the final page.

The marvellous Admiral Hadnagy has done it again. If you haven't had a chance to view this author's other books, search for them immediately after purchasing this book. Whether you are looking to upgrade your knowledge of social engineering, trying to get free burgers, or pick up chicks (that's a joke, but seriously it's an option) this is the book for which you've been searching. Chris promises and delivers on identifying security issues (and yes, some policies to mitigate them), non-verbal communion techniques, and the psychology behind each interaction. Grab this book while you have the chance - the author is a living legend.

This will change how you think how as well as how the world thinks. As someone starting off in cyber security this is the stuff you need to know. Please expand and elaborate books you will write in the future! This is just scratching the surface of where the future is headed in all fields and businesses and government alike. Welcome to the new age!

This updated edition to Christopher Hadnagy’s classic has stayed with the times. While the tools have changed, the underlying method of OSINT remains the same. Chris provides an overview of the steps every social engineer takes to extract information out of you and ultimately deceive you. He does provide some tools that you can use, but as he states, technology constantly advances so you have to be mindful that what might have worked a year ago may not work again today. My one complaint for this book is that the images are low resolution and hard to make out. They’re all in black and white, which makes it difficult to spot irregularities for his many exercises. Still, this is a great edition that managed to keep up with the pace of the internet’s changes and will keep you up to date on the world of social engineering.

An must to read to every person who are into rhe cybersecurity field. Excelent content and writing, extremely usefull. But for this price the printing should be better, cheap paper and no collors. Recommend you to buy the digital version.

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Interesting reading material with interesting life stories

As in the previous books the writer went into great depth in describing each situation. It is well done research on Social Engineering and it’s a easy read! I truly recommend this like a previous books by the writer. I’m looking forward to next book.

I like this book very much, but the price is too high not everyone can afford it. I just want to say, if you're new to cybersecurity you have to give it a try, because it let's you know how you can h*ck someone's brain.