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Eric O'Neill — keynote speaker on Technology & AI

Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0 — John O'Neill, via Wikimedia Commons

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Technology & AI keynote speakers

Eric O'Neill

Former FBI Counterintelligence Operative & Cybersecurity Expert, Author of Gray Day

Speaking feeTypically $20k–$50kIndicative only, confirmed on request
  • Keynote · Fireside chat · Moderation
  • English
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Signature keynotes

What your audience walks away with

  • Outcome

    Spies, Lies & Cybercrime — Protecting Your Data in a Dark Web Economy (current flagship)

    A headfirst dive into the battleground where foreign spies, deepfakes, and Dark Web criminals conspire to steal from you and your organization. Drawing on his own counterintelligence career and his 2025 book, O'Neill hands audiences the tactics of a threat hunter — how attackers gain trust, how they break it, and the practical moves that stop them.

  • Secrets from a Legendary Spy Hunter — Decoding AI Deepfakes, Extortion & More

    The AI arms race has handed criminals frighteningly good tools: synthetic voices, cloned faces, and automated deception at scale. O'Neill shows exactly how AI-driven deepfakes, impersonation, and extortion schemes work — and how to recognize and defeat one aimed at you or your company.

  • Gray Day — The Inspirational Story of Catching the FBI's Most Damaging Spy

    The full inside account of the Robert Hanssen operation, told as a story of nerve, resilience, and disciplined execution under pressure. The most cinematic keynote in his catalog — and a masterclass in staying focused when the stakes could not be higher.

  • Data Is the Currency of Our Lives — This Is How to Protect Yours

    Your data is the real target. O'Neill reframes personal and corporate information as currency that criminals are actively working to spend — and delivers a practical playbook every audience member can apply to protect themselves and their organization.

  • Cybercrime — How Thieves Gain Your Trust, Break It, and Win

    A step-by-step look at the social-engineering lifecycle: how attackers build trust, exploit it, and cash out — and how to break the chain at every stage.

  • What James Bond & Jason Bourne Would Never Tell You About Achieving Your Company's Mission

    A leadership and motivational keynote that turns real tradecraft — not movie fiction — into lessons on focus, mission clarity, and executing when it matters most.

  • Mission Possible — Lessons from a Spy Hunter on Leadership, Resilience & Achieving the Impossible

    Resilience, adaptability, and leadership under pressure, drawn from a career of high-stakes undercover work. Ideal for leadership offsites and all-hands audiences beyond the security team.

The story

Who Eric actually is

Eric O'Neill is a cybersecurity authority, a former FBI counter-terrorism and counterintelligence operative, a national-security attorney, and one of the most sought-after speakers on espionage, cyber defense, and the human side of security. He began his FBI career as a field operative in the Special Surveillance Group before being placed, in early 2001, inside a newly created information-assurance unit to work directly under veteran agent Robert Hanssen. His true assignment was to help expose Hanssen as a mole. Over roughly three months, O'Neill's undercover work was central to the operation that led to Hanssen's arrest — an espionage case widely described as one of the worst intelligence disasters in U.S. history, and the basis for the 2007 film Breach, in which O'Neill is played by Ryan Phillippe.

After the case, O'Neill left the FBI for law school, earning his degree with honors from George Washington University Law School (following an honors undergraduate degree from Auburn University). He went on to found The Georgetown Group, a Washington, DC investigative and counterintelligence consultancy, and has served as a national-security strategist for leading cybersecurity companies and as an Executive Advisor to the Institute of World Politics' Cyber Intelligence Initiative. He speaks to large audiences around the world each year, translating decades of counterintelligence experience into practical defense.

O'Neill is the author of two acclaimed books. Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy (2019) tells the inside story of the Hanssen operation and was called by Publishers Weekly "an adrenaline-laced memoir … as compulsively readable as any thriller." His follow-up, Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime: Cybersecurity Tactics to Outsmart Hackers and Disarm Scammers (2025), is "part spy story, part survival manual," pairing true espionage stories with a hands-on defense method for readers and organizations. His work and commentary have appeared across CNN, NPR, C-SPAN, Fox, Newsweek, TechCrunch, and Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

The receipts

Books & publications

  • Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy

    2019

    the inside account of the Robert Hanssen operation; Publishers Weekly called it "an adrenaline-laced memoir … as compulsively readable as any thriller."

  • Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime: Cybersecurity Tactics to Outsmart Hackers and Disarm Scammers

    2025

    "part spy story, part survival manual," pairing true espionage stories with a practical "threat hunter" defense method for individuals and organizations.

Gravity

Career highlights & recognition

  • Milestone2001

    Caught America's most damaging spy

    undercover FBI operative central to the 2001 capture of Robert Hanssen

  • Milestone2007

    The true story behind *Breach

    * (2007) — portrayed on screen by Ryan Phillippe

  • Milestone

    Former FBI counter-terrorism & counterintelligence operative

  • Credential

    Founder, The Georgetown Group

    Washington, DC investigative & counterintelligence consultancy

  • Milestone

    National-security strategist

    for leading cybersecurity companies; Executive Advisor, IWP Cyber Intelligence Initiative

  • Credential

    Author of *Gray Day

    Publishers Weekly*: "an adrenaline-laced memoir … as compulsively readable as any thriller"

  • Credential2025

    Author of *Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime

    * (2025, HarperCollins) — the "threat hunter" defense playbook

  • Award

    National-security attorney

    JD (honors), George Washington University Law School; BA (honors), Auburn University

  • Milestone

    200,000+ attendees across 350+ events worldwide

    featured across CNN, NPR, C-SPAN, Fresh Air with Terry Gross

Booking with confidence

What to expect when you book Eric

  • 01

    Compiled from public sources

    This profile is built from public, verifiable material and stamped with the date it was last reviewed. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace to a source.

  • 02

    Availability and fees, confirmed

    Tell us your date and brief, and we confirm Eric's availability and current fee on request. We never publish a fabricated figure or imply an exclusivity we do not hold.

  • 03

    Managed end to end

    From first inquiry to the day itself, Headliner handles briefing, contracting, and logistics, so your team can focus on the event.

Answers

Booking questions, answered

What is Eric O'Neill's speaking fee?

Typically $20k–$50k (indicative; confirmed on request). Eric's fee varies by event, date, format, and location, so we confirm the exact figure for your booking. Share your brief for current pricing and live availability.

Is Eric O'Neill available for my event date?

Availability changes with Eric's schedule and the season. Tell us your date and we'll confirm whether Eric is open, and hold the slot while you decide.

How do I book Eric O'Neill for my event?

Eric O'Neill is booked through Headliner. Tell us your event date, audience, and goals, and we'll confirm availability and the next steps — typically within four business hours.

How much does Eric O'Neill charge to speak?

Typically $20k–$50k (indicative; confirmed on request). It depends on event, date, format, location, and whether the session is in person or virtual. Share your brief and we'll confirm the exact figure and availability.

Can I hire Eric O'Neill for a corporate event?

Yes. Eric is represented for speaking engagements through Headliner on a non-exclusive basis and regularly takes corporate keynotes, conferences, and leadership events. Share your brief to check availability.

Can I book Eric O'Neill for a virtual keynote?

Yes. Eric presents virtual keynotes as well as in-person sessions. Virtual fees are typically quoted below a live keynote, so tell us your format for a precise quote.

What formats does Eric offer?

Eric is available for Keynote, Fireside chat, Moderation and Virtual engagements. We'll match the format to your audience and run-of-show.

What does Eric speak about?

Eric's keynote themes include Cybersecurity. Each talk is tailored to your audience and outcomes.

What languages does Eric present in?

Eric presents in English.

Where does Eric travel from?

Eric is based in Washington, D.C. and travels internationally for engagements; virtual sessions are also available.

Profile updated . Compiled from public sources — confirm current fees and availability with Headliner.

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