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Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking
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Harden the human firewall against the most current threats
Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking reveals the craftier side of the hacker’s repertoire―why hack into something when you could just ask for access? Undetectable by firewalls and antivirus software, social engineering relies on human fault to gain access to sensitive spaces; in this book, renowned expert Christopher Hadnagy explains the most commonly-used techniques that fool even the most robust security personnel, and shows you how these techniques have been used in the past. The way that we make decisions as humans affects everything from our emotions to our security. Hackers, since the beginning of time, have figured out ways to exploit that decision making process and get you to take an action not in your best interest. This new Second Edition has been updated with the most current methods used by sharing stories, examples, and scientific study behind how those decisions are exploited.
Networks and systems can be hacked, but they can also be protected; when the “system” in question is a human being, there is no software to fall back on, no hardware upgrade, no code that can lock information down indefinitely. Human nature and emotion is the secret weapon of the malicious social engineering, and this book shows you how to recognize, predict, and prevent this type of manipulation by taking you inside the social engineer’s bag of tricks.
- Examine the most common social engineering tricks used to gain access
- Discover which popular techniques generally don’t work in the real world
- Examine how our understanding of the science behind emotions and decisions can be used by social engineers
- Learn how social engineering factors into some of the biggest recent headlines
- Learn how to use these skills as a professional social engineer and secure your company
- Adopt effective counter-measures to keep hackers at bay
By working from the social engineer’s playbook, you gain the advantage of foresight that can help you protect yourself and others from even their best efforts. Social Engineering gives you the inside information you need to mount an unshakeable defense.
- ISBN-10111943338X
- ISBN-13978-1119433385
- Edition2nd
- PublisherWiley
- Publication date13 July 2018
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions14.99 x 2.03 x 21.84 cm
- Print length320 pages
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Review
From the Inside Flap
"Chris Hadnagy's new book Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking is a great read for any audience interested in the subject of social engineering, detailing the exact steps from OSINT to execution in order to infiltrate any target." Kevin Mitnick, author, speaker, and consultant
Mount a Stronger Defense by Mastering the Hackers' Most Reliable Techniques
In the fortress of defense we build around our data, the human element is always the weakest link. Hackersboth good and bademploy a specific set of tricks to gain access to sensitive information, using "human hacking" techniques to convince people to hand over passwords, transfer sensitive files, wire large sums of money, and willingly commit other acts that are not in their own best interests. Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking details the human hacker's skill set to help security professionals identify and remedy their own system's weaknesses. Beginning with an in-depth exploration of communication modeling, tribe mentality, observational skills, manipulation, and other fundamentals, the discussion moves on to actionable guidance for identifying, fighting, and preventing such attacks in your own organization.
Author Christopher Hadnagy's updated second edition provides fresh insight into the latest social engineering trends and enduring classics, including case studies ripped from the headlinesas well as his own real-world experiences. Featuring how-to guidance on elicitation, pretexting, information gathering, tail-gating, shoulder surfing, phishing, and much more, this book dives deep into how humans can be influenced to make compromising decisions.
"Back in the late 70's, I started using social engineering tradecraft to obtain free bus rides as an adolescent, intercepting NSA phone calls in high school, to finally compromising any system of interest as a young adult. My motivation was pursuit of knowledge, challenge, and the seduction of adventure.
Fast forward to today, I still find that social engineering is the number one way in when conducting penetration testing. And I'm not alone. Nation states, criminal hackers, and hacktivists use the same tactics to disrupt businesses to steal money and/or proprietary information, and in some cases even change the course of a country's election."
Kevin Mitnick, author, speaker, and consultant
From the Back Cover
"Chris Hadnagy's new book Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking is a great read for any audience interested in the subject of social engineering, detailing the exact steps from OSINT to execution in order to infiltrate any target." Kevin Mitnick, author, speaker, and consultant
Mount a Stronger Defense by Mastering the Hackers' Most Reliable Techniques
In the fortress of defense we build around our data, the human element is always the weakest link. Hackers both good and bad employ a specific set of tricks to gain access to sensitive information, using "human hacking" techniques to convince people to hand over passwords, transfer sensitive files, wire large sums of money, and willingly commit other acts that are not in their own best interests. Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking details the human hacker's skill set to help security professionals identify and remedy their own system's weaknesses. Beginning with an in-depth exploration of communication modeling, tribe mentality, observational skills, manipulation, and other fundamentals, the discussion moves on to actionable guidance for identifying, fighting, and preventing such attacks in your own organization.
Author Christopher Hadnagy's updated second edition provides fresh insight into the latest social engineering trends and enduring classics, including case studies ripped from the headlines as well as his own real-world experiences. Featuring how-to guidance on elicitation, pretexting, information gathering, tail-gating, shoulder surfing, phishing, and much more, this book dives deep into how humans can be influenced to make compromising decisions.
"Back in the late 70's, I started using social engineering tradecraft to obtain free bus rides as an adolescent, intercepting NSA phone calls in high school, to finally compromising any system of interest as a young adult. My motivation was pursuit of knowledge, challenge, and the seduction of adventure.
Fast forward to today, I still find that social engineering is the number one way in when conducting penetration testing. And I'm not alone. Nation states, criminal hackers, and hacktivists use the same tactics to disrupt businesses to steal money and/or proprietary information, and in some cases even change the course of a country's election."
Kevin Mitnick, author, speaker, and consultant
About the Author
CHRISTOPHER HADNAGY is the CEO and Chief Human Hacker of Social-Engineer, LLC as well as the lead developer and creator of the world's first social engineering framework found at social-engineer.org. He is the founder and creator of the Social Engineering Village (SEVillage) at DEF CON and DerbyCon,as well as the creator of the popular Social Engineering Capture the Flag (SECTF). He is a sought-after speaker and trainer and even has debriefed the Pentagon on these topics. He can be found tweeting at @humanhacker.
Product details
- Publisher : Wiley
- Publication date : 13 July 2018
- Edition : 2nd
- Language : English
- Print length : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 111943338X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1119433385
- Item weight : 336 g
- Dimensions : 14.99 x 2.03 x 21.84 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 234,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Christopher Hadnagy is the founder and CEO of Social-Engineer, LLC. In his sixteen years in the industry, he has written the world’s first social engineering–framework, created the first social engineering–based podcast and newsletter, and written four books on the topic.
Chris has spoken and taught around the globe, including at the Pentagon and other highly secure facilities on the topic of social engineering. As the creator of the world’s first SECTF (Social Engineering Capture the Flag), he has led the way in educating people on this serious threat. He recently launched his very own conference to discuss how we can "hack" humans to become better, more empathetic and clearer communicators.
For more information see http://www.social-engineer.com or www.humanhackingconference.com
Chris can be found online at www.social-engineer.org, www.social-engineer.com and twitter as @humanhacker.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United Kingdom
- 5 out of 5 stars
Another great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 February 2019As 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.
2 people found this helpfulSending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThank you. We’ll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again - 5 out of 5 stars
Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 June 2025Fantastic book , Pentesting
Sending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThank you. We’ll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again - 5 out of 5 stars
Best book there is on SE!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2019This book is worth it's weight in gold. There is nothing else like it on SE that I've come across. Even if you are not interested in cyber security, this book is a fantastic read and very, very easy to understand.
3 people found this helpfulSending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThank you. We’ll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again - 5 out of 5 stars
Quality book from one of the best in the industry
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 November 2018First of all this book is so well written and it comes with a twist of comedy (insert random knowledge tips)! The book puts you in a great position to sway anyone with the purpose of getting what you want. Additionally, it prepares you to identify various kinds of manipulation. Finally, it really makes you think about communication in a completely different way... For the better or the worse, as a result of reading this book I now end up studying every message (with no hidden meaning) as if it had 1000 meanings .. thanks, Christopher :)
One person found this helpfulSending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThank you. We’ll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again - 5 out of 5 stars
Perfect read for wannabe social engineers, and those working in SE already
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 March 2019This is a great introduction to social engineering, or reminder for those already working in the field. The examples and real life stories help bring the points raised to life. I can’t recommend this book enough.
One person found this helpfulSending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThank you. We’ll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again - 5 out of 5 stars
Easy to read and understand
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 February 2020Interesting. To the point.
One person found this helpfulSending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThank you. We’ll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again - 2 out of 5 stars
Good read - BAD print
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 August 2022I tend to stock up on books that catch my attention when I see them, not necessarily to read them right away. So today I finally got round to picking this one up off the shelve, read through the first few pages of great content...further on in the book noticed on the left page only for some reason this sort of hazy double overprint which was actually quite sore on the eyes, and the same effect I'd imagine someone who had drank about 20 beers must see when reading anything. Not a great experience. Nothing at all to do with the author, I'd give his content 10/10 but the print quality by Amazon a 5/10 (happens only on left pages) and this should really have been noticed by Quality Assurance. Not great so be careful when purchasing folks.
Sending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThank you. We’ll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again - 4 out of 5 stars
So far
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 June 2022It's very detailed and very eye opening
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Top reviews from other countries
P Hogan5 out of 5 starsA Useful Resource for Understanding and Testing Social Engineering Defenses
Reviewed in the United States on 26 December 2024Social 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.
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Luis5 out of 5 starsGreat book, printing should be better
Reviewed in Brazil on 14 February 2025An 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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ahmad5 out of 5 starsممتع
Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on 16 March 2026انتبه تقراه لانك بتصير مهووس فيه
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Aivis4 out of 5 starsGood reading
Reviewed in the Netherlands on 23 June 2021Interesting reading material with interesting life stories
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Catarina Costa5 out of 5 starsComo conhecer os seres humanos.
Reviewed in Spain on 7 April 2022O ser humano é um ser profundo e complexo. Neste livro podemos aprender a como não cair nas manipulação feita pelos seres humanos e tecnologia e publicidade
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