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And the winner this week is…Christian B! You will receive a free, signed book shortly. Our past winners Janice M. and Patrick N. Will be getting their signed books in the mail.

And to celebrate the book launch, this week there is a bonus winner from all the comments so far: Cl0udd S. I am going to keep the signed books going for the week of October, so continue to subscribe, like and comment for a chance to win :)

Title Story: The Book That Survived the Storm

I began writing Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime during the pandemic—when the world shut down, and our lives were forced behind screens. In those early, uncertain days, information was scarce, and misinformation was everywhere—an intelligence operation in its own right. It felt like the perfect moment to write a book about how our sudden dependence on technology had created the single greatest rise in cybercrime in history.

But this wasn’t just a professional challenge. It was deeply personal.

I said a tearful goodbye to my wife and two youngest children as they fled to Germany, where schools were open and life was almost normal. My oldest daughter, Hannah, and I stayed behind so she could finish seventh grade—and so I could save a company from a cyberattack.

Those early drafts were the story of a father and daughter navigating lockdown, the fear of a raging pandemic, and a world where cyberattacks crashed like waves before a hurricane. I was suddenly a single dad by circumstance, managing remote learning on one hand and global security crises on the other.

Then the real story found me.

A devastating cyberattack struck a global charity I was working with—“The NGO” in the book, to protect their confidentiality. Overnight, my world shrank to one mission: fight off a Russian cybercrime syndicate and take back control of the network before lives and humanitarian aid were destroyed.

That battle consumed my every waking moment, but somewhere in the chaos, I had a lightbulb moment.

These flashes of insight—rare, sudden, and undeniable—have shaped my life. One came years ago while chasing Robert Hanssen, the spy I helped bring down inside the FBI. Watching him handle his Palm Pilot with surgical precision, I realized the key to catching him was stealing it—and returning it before he noticed. That was the moment the case broke.

A similar realization struck me during the NGO cyberattack. I won’t spoil the book for you, but that insight saved the organization—and it gave me the heart of Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime.

After the dust settled, the fires were out, and the network rebuilt stronger than before, I finally had time to write. I wanted this book to be more than a collection of war stories from the front lines of cyber defense. I wanted it to be personal. A bridge between my life as a spy hunter and the threats we all face in our connected world.

I knew I needed more than one story. I needed many—each tied by a thread, each revealing a core truth: cybercriminals don’t just attack systems. They attack people. That’s why the book begins with how I was personally targeted by a sophisticated cyber gang. It’s not my proudest story—but it’s honest. And maybe a little vulnerability is what we need to remind each other that if it can happen to me, it can happen to you.

Fires burn. Storms surge. Buildings fall. People crumble. The things we think can’t happen eventually do. Being ready is the only way to prevent catastrophe.

So, I built tools to help you be ready. To help you spot the threat, I created DICED. To help you stop it, I teach you PAID—my personal spy hunter methodology.

Those ideas were born from my training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, forged in years of counterintelligence work, and sharpened by a decade on the front lines of cybersecurity. The book in your hands is the culmination of that journey—years of research, thousands of keynotes, and more late nights in the dark web than I’d care to count.

And now, it’s here. The book that began in isolation, fought its way through fire, and emerged stronger—just like the people it was written for.

If you prefer to listen, I spent three days in a sound booth recording the audiobook myself—so that I could personally tell you the story, one chapter at a time. If you’re like me and travel with your Kindle, the eBook is ready for you too.

This book means more to me than I can say. It’s the reason I began writing this newsletter. It’s my story, yes—but it’s also yours. I hope it teaches you, empowers you, and arms you with the mindset of a spy hunter. Because the truth is: the next attack is already on its way.

When it comes for you, I hope you’re ready. I hope you spot it early. I hope you fight back—and win. And when you do, I want to hear about it. Send me a message, reply to this newsletter, or say hi at one of my events.

We can make the world safer—one cybercriminal at a time. Welcome to the fight.

—Eric O’Neill, Author, Spy Hunter, Dad, and Reluctant Pandemic Survivor

Praise for Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime!

“One breach can sink a business—or a billion-dollar idea.” —Marc Randolph, Co-Founder and First CEO of Netflix

“A chilling and essential wake-up call that reads like a thriller, but every word is terrifyingly real.” –Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Edge of Honor

“Today’s most dangerous cyberattacks are espionage by another name. It takes a spy hunter to stop a spy, and Eric is one of the best.” —Jack Barsky, former KGB deep-cover operative and author of Deep Undercover

“Required reading for founders and innovators…you don’t want to become a case example for his next book.” —Safi Bahcall, bestselling author of Loonshots: Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries

“An astonishingly up-to-date review of the tools and techniques used by criminal hackers…O’Neill will have you on the edge of your seat.” —Marc Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of Future Crimes

“Illuminating, disturbing and important. Don’t miss this.” —Shannon Huffman Polson, author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World and CEO of The Grit Institute

“An essential — and relentlessly fun — read for anyone interested in espionage, counterintelligence, or cyber issues.” –Dr. David Priess, former CIA officer and author of The President’s Book of Secrets

Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime is a must-read that will open your eyes and will change how you think about trust, technology, and the threats we face." --Jenn Donahue, Author: Becoming The Warrior, award-winning Engineer, Keynote Speaker, US Navy Captain (ret), Entrepreneur

Appearance of the Week

October kicked off Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and I had the privilege of joining The Megyn Kelly Show to talk about Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime.

We covered a lot of ground — from my undercover days in the FBI catching spies, to the alarming rise of cybercrime that’s targeting businesses, governments, and families alike. I pulled back the curtain on the dark web, where anonymity fuels chaos, and we dug into one of the most urgent threats today: AI deepfakes—how they’re created, why they’re so convincing, and what you can do to spot them before they fool you.

It was a lively, no-nonsense conversation about the real-world dangers of living online and what it takes to stay a step ahead of the people who weaponize our own technology against us. I’ve posted the clip about deepfakes below (spoiler alter: I deepfake Megyn and myself!)

📺 You can watch the full interview here. My part begins at about 1:25.

Order Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime

I hope you love the book as much as I loved writing it for you! Please leave a review for me here. Great reviews help others find the book.

📚 Get the book: https://ericoneill.net/books/spies_and_lies/

📺 Review the Book: https://www.amazon.com/Spies-Lies-Cybercrime-Cybersecurity-Outsmart/dp/0063398176/

🎤 Book me to speak at your next event: https://www.bigspeak.com/speakers/eric-oneill

Thank you for being part of this journey from the first newsletter to launch day—it means more than you know. I’d love to see where Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime ends up in the world. Send me a photo of you holding the book—bonus points if it’s somewhere unexpected.

-Eric

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