Social engineering and elicitation techniques of hacking a human being.

Presentation of Social engineering theory, and techniques, going in-depth to learn about elicitation and building rapport with your potential victim. Examples of real-life attacks, and final thoughts on who could be a social engineer and how to defend yourself against one. The person listening to my talk will end it with tangible knowledge on social engineering and places to go if they want to learn more.

Agenda:
1. What is social engineering? Examples.
2. Becoming Anyone you want to be - Pretexting.
3. Four Phases of Social Engineering (Reconnaissance, Engagement, Exploitation, Closure);
4. Building your artwork: What is elicitation? Elicitation Techniques.
5. I know how to make you like me: Building Rapport.
6. Examples of Real Social Engineering Attacks.
7. Now What? Skills you need to become a social engineer, and how to defend yourself.
8. Conclusion, final thoughts

- Disobey Conference 2025/Helsinki [link] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sESh2CCVCW0
- Forum in Cyber North America 2024,
- Driving IT 2024/Copenhagen,
- BSides Cracow 2024, [link] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dorota-kozlowska_nevergiveup-learningeveryday-growth-activity-7240711092820230144-xuEU/
- DC4822 (Warsaw DEF CON Group) 2024 [link] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dc4822_cybersecurity-hacking-techcommunity-activity-7250801757725876224-T9hp/

Social Engineering for Covert Access Assignments

This presentation will explore the strategic use of social engineering in penetration testing, focusing on gaining covert access to a client's server room. I will outline how to perform reconnaissance, gather intelligence on company structure, employee behavior, and security vulnerabilities. Attendees will learn effective social engineering tactics such as pretexting, tailgating, baiting, and phishing, all designed to manipulate human behavior and bypass physical security.

I will cover the importance of crafting a believable pretext, from creating fake work orders to using props like ID badges and uniforms, and demonstrate techniques for gaining access to restricted areas like server rooms, and later on how to navigate the target environment, avoid detection, and plant a symbolic flag.

Finally, the session will discuss post-engagement reporting, vulnerabilities identified, and recommendations for strengthening defenses against social engineering attacks. This talk emphasizes the ethical considerations and the need for careful planning, confidence, and adaptability throughout the operation.

Wild West Hackin' Fest @Mile High 2025 [link] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNV2DcU3Lts
BSides Copenhagen 2025,
BSides Cracow 2025

Elicitation - Weaponization of Social Engineering for Covert Access Operations

The presentation covers the fundamentals, methods, and practical applications of social engineering, including its definition, importance in covert access operations, and real-world examples. It delves into psychological principles, methods such as pretexting, mirroring, and active listening, and explores how to exploit human biases, curiosity, and information gaps.
The presentation also touches on countermeasures and defensive strategies, ethical considerations, and legal boundaries, highlighting the importance of recognizing elicitation attempts, using active defense, and adhering to laws and regulations governing social engineering practices.

BSIDES Lisbon 2025 [link] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEQBVFVc8fA
Wild West Hackin' Fest @Deadwood 2025 [link] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mWrreMAB8M

Social Engineering for Physical Pentesting Engagements

This presentation will explore the strategic use of social engineering in penetration testing. Attendees will learn effective social engineering tactics such as pretexting, tailgating, baiting, and phishing, all designed to manipulate human behaviour and bypass physical security.

Northsec 2025 Conference
Antisyphon Training powered Red Team Summit 2025

Social engineering: the Art of Hacking a Human Being

Presentation of Social engineering theory, and techniques, going in-depth to learn about elicitation and building rapport with your potential victim. Examples of real-life attacks, and final thoughts on who could be a social engineer and how to defend yourself against one. The person listening to my talk will end it with tangible knowledge on social engineering and places to go if they want to learn more.

Antisyphon Training Webcast 2025: [link] https://www.youtube.com/live/pwulFedw8zc
Flare TI Friday 2025 [link] https://www.linkedin.com/events/tifriday7368663780437741568/

Workshop: Social engineering and elicitation techniques of hacking a human being.

Presentation of Social engineering theory, and techniques, going in-depth to learn about elicitation and building rapport with your potential victim. As we navigate the complex world of cybersecurity, it's essential to understand the tactics employed by social engineers. These attackers use psychological manipulation to influence individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing certain actions that compromise security. In this presentation, we'll delve into the world of social engineering, exploring its definition, techniques, and strategies for building rapport with potential victims.
Examples of real-life attacks, and final thoughts on who could be a social engineer and how to defend yourself against one.

What is social engineering? Examples.
Becoming Anyone you want to be - Pretexting.
Four Phases of Social Engineering (Reconnaissance, Engagement, Exploitation, Closure);
Building your artwork: What is elicitation? Elicitation Techniques.
I know how to make you like me: Building Rapport.
Examples of Real Social Engineering Attacks.
Now What? Skills you need to become a social engineer, and how to defend yourself.
Conclusion, final thoughts
The person listening to my talk will end it with tangible knowledge on social engineering and places to go if they want to learn more. This workshop will include working in groups, and challenges for attendees - to gain some real skills, and better memorization of the techniques presented.

WICCON 2026 conference: https://program.wiccon.nl/wiccon-2026/talk/ZQY987/

Workshop: Mindgames: How to Hack a Human Being

Building relationships and understanding human behaviour
An introduction to the world of mind reading and social engineering
The importance of building relationships and making a positive first impression
Understanding human behaviour: psychology, neuroscience and sociology
The basics of body language: posture, facial expressions and non-verbal cues
Micro-expressions: what they are, how to recognise them and what they mean
Reading a person’s baseline: understanding their emotional state and motivation
Introduction to 'mind-reading techniques and mentalism
Techniques for extracting information: how to ask effective questions and gather information
Social engineering tactics: using persuasion, influence and manipulation to achieve your goals

Description
During this intensive 4-hour workshop you will learn the art of ‘mind reading’ and social engineering techniques that will enable you to understand people, connect with them and influence their behaviour. I will introduce you to the basics of human behaviour, body language, micro-expressions and social psychology, equipping you with the skills to:

Build strong relationships and bonds with others
Understand and manipulate social dynamics to achieve your goals
Read people’s thoughts, emotions and intentions before they even realise it themselves
Use psychological tactics to influence and persuade others
Building relationships and understanding human behaviour
An introduction to the world of mind reading and social engineering
The importance of building relationships and making a positive first impression
Understanding human behaviour: psychology, neuroscience and sociology
The basics of body language: posture, facial expressions and non-verbal cues
Micro-expressions: what they are, how to recognise them and what they mean
Reading a person’s baseline: understanding their emotional state and motivation
Introduction to 'mind-reading techniques and mentalism
Techniques for extracting information: how to ask effective questions and gather information
Social engineering tactics: using persuasion, influence and manipulation to achieve your goals

HackFest 2026 conference: https://hackfest.ca/en/schedule/#talk-NEGZJW
CyberTrust 2026 conference: https://cybertrust.org.pl/warsztaty-i-eventy-2026/

Black Hills Information Security Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/live/3d0FKt6ok_c