Confessions of a CIA Spy

The Art of Human Hacking

By: Peter Warmka

Narrated by: Gary Williams

What can you learn from a CIA spy who spent his career artfully manipulating regular people to steal high-value secrets? Plenty! In this explosive book, former intelligence officer Peter Warmka unveils detailed methodologies that he and other threat actors use to breach the security of their targets, whether they’re high-profile individuals or entire organizations.

His illustrative examples reveal:

• The motivations and objectives behind attempted breaches by foreign intelligence services, criminal groups, industrial competitors, activists, and other threat actors
• How social media and carefully crafted insights into a victim’s motivations and vulnerabilities are leveraged during phishing, smishing, vishing, and other advanced social engineering operations to obtain even closely held information
• The psychology behind why humans are so susceptible to social engineering and how influence techniques are used to circumvent established security protocols
• How spies and other social engineers use elicitation to legally procure protected information from victims who often have no idea they’re being used

Whether you want to learn more about the intricate methods threat actors can use to access sensitive information on your organization or want to be able to spot the ways a social engineer might manipulate you in person or online, this book will change the way you think about that innocuous emails in your inbox or that unusual interaction with an eager stranger.

Following his CIA career, Peter founded the Counterintelligence Institute in order to transform the way individuals and their organizations assess the control they have over their own security. The insights detailed in this book have led clients to prioritize proactive measures in breach prevention over the more costly reactive measures following a preventable breach.

©2021 Peter Warmka (P)2021 Peter Warmka

Eye opening and thought provoking!

I worked with Peter while we were both at a former employer. Although I was aware of his expertise, this book is well written, engaging, eye opening, and thought provoking. You will definitely revisit your own virtual footprint and interactions with an increased self-awareness.

Great book

Very interesting information on how to properly protect your self. The author is very we versed in his topics and would love to read more about his career. Must read

Social Engineering for everyone

Whether you are a private individual, a seasoned security professional or just starting out in the security industry – anybody will benefit from reading Peter Warmka’s ‘Confession of a CIA Spy’. The book explains social engineering so well that laymen can understand its principles and learn how to protect themselves. At the same time, it is a great refresher for professionals and provides new perspectives and angles throughout.
If you a digital footprint – and we all do – you do not want to miss out on this book.