# Christopher Hadnagy

Christopher James Hadnagy is an American author and information technology security consultant. He is recognized for his contributions to the field of social engineering in information security He has been banned from DEF CON and removed from the Black Hat Review Board for multiple Code of Conduct violations against women.

## Career

Christopher J. Hadnagy is the founder and CEO of Social-Engineer LLC, a company specializing in education and training in social engineering. He also established Social-Engineer.Org, an IT security education website.
Over his 17-year career, Hadnagy has contributed significantly to the information security industry, including developing a social engineering framework, producing a newsletter, and hosting a podcast focused on the subject.
He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona's Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations, designated by the NSA.
In 2019, Vice reported that Hadnagy sold computer software designed for identifying anonymous online child predators to the FBI for $250,000.

### Charitable Foundation

In 2017, Hadnagy founded the Innocent Lives Foundation, dedicated to protecting children from online predators by investigating child exploitation, sexual abuse, trafficking, and the production of child sexual abuse material. The foundation collaborates with information security professionals, utilizes open-source intelligence (OSINT), and works with law enforcement agencies in the United States, including support from actor Erin Gray and the FBI.

### DEF CON

Hadnagy contributed to DEF CON by helping create a social engineering competition in 2009 and sponsoring one of the first social engineering capture the flag events in 2010.
In 2018, he revealed his online moniker "LoganWHD" to a reporter from The New York Times. However, Hadnagy was permanently banned from DEF CON in 2022 for code of conduct violations, a decision he publicly disputed. He later sued DEF CON for harm to his reputation.
In February 2025, details of the harassment allegations against him were revealed when a motion for summary judgement was filed. The main allegation is an "inappropriate fixation" with the appearance of women he worked with, though there were also allegations of regular anger outburts at work and DEF CON, regularly insulting employees, creating training exercises that asked students to ask strangers intimate questions and brandishing a knife.

### BSides Cleveland

In 2021, Security BSides in Cleveland Ohio featured Hadnagy as an unlisted "special guest" speaker. Controversy surrounding his participation and speaking led to several other speakers withdrawing from the event in the moment of speaking.
Organization sponsors that brought on Hadnagy included local security companies.

## Books

Christopher Hadnagy has authored several books on social engineering, including:
* Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking (2018, John Wiley & Sons Inc.) ISBN 978-1-119-43338-5
* Unmasking the Social Engineer: The Human Element of Security (2014, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) ISBN 978-1-118-60857-9
* Phishing Dark Waters: The Offensive and Defensive Sides of Malicious E-mails (2015, John Wiley & Sons Inc.), co-authored with Michele Fincher and Robin Dreeke ISBN 978-1-118-95847-6
* Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking (2010, Wiley Publishing, Inc.) ISBN 978-0-470-63953-5
* Human Hacking: Win Friends, Influence People, and Leave Them Better Off for Having Met You (2021, Harper Business) ISBN 978-0-063-00178-7