Social engineering (Human Hacking)

Omar Shraideh — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 13:24:44 +0000

What I Learned from The Art of Human Hacking book by Christopher Hadnagy
Hello everyone,

Today I finished reading The Art of Human Hacking by Christopher Hadnagy, and I wanted to share some of the insightful information that I gained from it.

Let's start with the basics: What is social engineering?

Social engineering is the art of controlling how humans naturally think, make decisions, and behave — and using that to exploit vulnerabilities. It's not just a soft skill. It's a powerful weapon that can be used in nearly every area of life, especially in cybersecurity.

On its most basic level, social engineering (SE) takes advantage of how our brains are wired — namely the influence of two fundamental hormones:

Oxytocin: the "trust" hormone || Dopamine: the "pleasure" hormone

Hadnagy separates the process of a social engineering attack into a five-step pyramid:

OSINT || Pretext Development || Attack Planning || Attack Execution || Reporting and Documentation

Each of these steps is explored in detail in the book. But What if something goes wrong and derails your plan? Maybe the security guard is not the same, the office has been reorganized, or a key you were relying on no longer functions. That's when you call on Plan B: profile through communication.

One of the methods the book instructs is DISC profiling, where you assess an individual's communication style and behavior at that moment. And a golden rule? Focus on your target, not yourself, especially when communicating. Listen for the R.S.V.P. of communication:

Rhythm || Speed || Volume || Pitch

The book is chock-full of principles, examples, and strategies difficult to condense into a single post — but these are just some takeaways.

My Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What amazed me most was the fact that each principle is followed by real-world examples, so not only is it easier to understand but also to implement and relate. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in social engineering, cybersecurity, or even human psychology for that matter.

Remember:

The biggest vulnerability in cybersecurity is not a machine — it's the human.

I will be helping you in your journey do let’s Connect
I like assisting new people and sharing tips from my experience and we will be discussing another topics from your choice .
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How to become a “HACKER”

Omar Shraideh — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 01:08:01 +0000

Hey, everyone!
I’m Omar Shraideh, and I’ve been in cybersecurity for nearly three years. I didn’t come from a tech family or go to thousand-dollar boot camps. I started with curiosity, self-discipline, and an internet connection.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

The Mistake I Made Early On
When I first began, I took the wrong route !

I was enticed by shiny YouTube videos and clickbait.

“How to hack a company in 2 minutes!”
“Become a hacker overnight!”

It wasn’t six months in before I realized:
That wasn’t learning — that was wasting time.

Those shortcuts only equal going around in circles. There were no real skills, no real knowledge, only hype.

✅ The Right Way to Get Started in Cybersecurity
If I ever received a second opportunity in time, this is exactly how I would start — and you should as well if you are serious:

Start with the Basics Don’t go jumping into hacking or tools before understanding how systems work.

CompTIA Security+ (Sec+) — to build your security basics

CompTIA Network+ (N+) — to learn the networking basics

Some prefer CCNA, but N+ is enough at the starting point.

Move into Hands-on Skills Once the groundwork is established, it’s time to roll up your sleeves.

eJPT (eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester)
A beginner-friendly red team certificate based on real-world ethical hacking techniques.

Select Your Path You should now decide where you belong:

Red Team (Attacker) — Penetration testing, ethical hacking, adversary simulation

Blue Team (Defender) — Threat detection, incident response, SOC operations

Don’t rush into anything — study both, but ultimately, specialize.

My Aspiration Is to Prevent You from the Deceptions
I’ve written this post not to boast, but to spare you time. I understand what it’s like to be lost — particularly when you’re just getting started and everyone seems to be ahead of you.

If you stick with it and take an actual path (not clever tricks), you will win.

Linkedin : Omar Shraideh | LinkedIn

instagram : omar.shraideh_

Forem: Omar Shraideh

Social engineering (Human Hacking)

How to become a “HACKER”