Chris Hadnagy

Over the last year social engineering has gotten a lot of press.  From the attacks on companies like Sony, HB Gary, PBS, Citibank et al to contests like the Social Engineering CTF at Defcon, it seems that social engineering has taken the front page. And rightfully so, as it is still the easiest and often most effective vector of attack.  With that in mind, many people are interested in learning what it will take to either add social engineering skills to their tool chest (either personally or as part of their red team) or even become a full-time, professional social engineer.

And that was the impetus behind Chris Hadnagy's new monthly column exclusively at The Ethical Hacker Network, how to become a professional social engineer. So to get the ball rolling, I compiled this Top 5 List to help each person make this a career path or at least add it to their present security practices. As we move through the coming months, we’ll explore the history, methodologies and practical experiments in attacking the human. It will not only be educational but eventually lucrative for you and your organizations.