Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy

by Eric O'Neill

A cybersecurity expert and former FBI "ghost" tells the thrilling story of how he helped take down notorious FBI mole Robert Hanssen, the first Russian cyber spy.

"Both a real-life, tension-packed thriller and a persuasive argument for traditional intelligence work in the information age."--Bruce Schneier, New York Times bestselling author of Data and Goliath and Click Here to Kill Everybody

Eric O'Neill was only twenty-six when he was tapped for the case of a lifetime: a one-on-one undercover investigation of the FBI's top target, a man suspected of spying for the Russians for nearly two decades, giving up nuclear secrets, compromising intelligence, and betraying US assets. With zero training in face-to-face investigation, O'Neill found himself in a windowless, high-security office in the newly formed Information Assurance Section, tasked officially with helping the FBI secure its outdated computer system against hackers and spies--and unofficially with collecting evidence against his new boss, Robert Hanssen, an exacting and rage-prone veteran agent with a fondness for handguns. In the months that follow, O'Neill's self-esteem and young marriage unravel under the pressure of life in Room 9930, and he questions the very purpose of his mission. But as Hanssen outmaneuvers an intelligence community struggling to keep up with the new reality of cybersecurity, he also teaches O'Neill the game of spycraft. The student will just have to learn to outplay his teacher if he wants to win.

A tension-packed stew of power, paranoia, and psychological manipulation, Gray Day is also a cautionary tale of how the United States allowed Russia to become dominant in cyberespionage--and how we might begin to catch up.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Espionage, Crime, Memoir, Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Eric is an accomplished public speaker, security expert and author that presents keynotes internationally about espionage and national security, cybersecurity, fraud, corporate diligence and defense, hacking, pursuing ones dreams and surviving Hollywood.

Eric has worked as an FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, a national security attorney and as a corporate security consultant. He founded The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security services firm. Eric is also the founder and National Security Strategist for Nexasure AI, a cybersecurity advisory company.

In February 2001, Eric helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history, Robert Phillip Hanssen. In the three months preceding Hanssen’s arrest, Eric was selected to work with the spy within the newly minted information assurance division, created to protect all classified FBI intelligence. Eric was charged with gaining Hanssen’s trust and then using that relationship to slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover. Eric’s investigative skill led to the arrest and ultimate conviction of the master spy.

Eric is an honors graduate of Auburn University. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School, also with honors.

Reviews

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a story.
So stop reading the reviews and start reading the book!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may deserve some of the epithets thrown at the young Eric O'Neill by his FBI boss because I do reluctantly admit to being a moron on this subject. What was it I was doing in 2001 to not know about Robert Hanssen who managed to stay hidden in the FBI whilst selling US security info to Russia for a period of 20 years?!
Let's see...the human genome sequence was revealed and my son had played a small role in that, there was a devastating earthquake in India, I lost a bunch of money and a job...
Anyway, this is a very interesting book to read, particularly for someone who was unaware of Hanssen's sins. I woke a tad early, like 1:30 am so this was a good book to read on a Sunday morn.
O'Neill worked with a script he had started back in 2001 and his journals of that time, so it all seems very fresh and allows the reader to enter into the situation he was put in and fortunately ended up being successful at.
He mentions the movie made of this story of a mole - Breach...but I also missed that.

This book provides inside information of what it took to catch a spy.

There are also good reminders and numerous examples of cyber-security standards as well as the clear message that today's "hackers" are actually spies.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the takedown of Robert Hanssen, arguably one of the worst spies the United States has every had. Hanssen, a FBI employee, sold out to the Russians, giving them some of our most highly classified secrets for over twenty years. He was responsible for many deaths, and did untold damage to our national security.
The author was a young FBI "ghost", a person assigned to surveillance of people. He found himself placed in a position to work closely with Hanssen, trying to gain his trust, all the while attempting to bring him to justice.
The story is gripping. You find yourself pulling for the author's success.
Here's hoping that the FBI, and other agencies, learned from their mistakes, and that they never have another traitor like Hanssen in their midst!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting story, the telling of which is executed badly. The interactions with Hanssen, the window into the workings of the FBI, and the general information about cyber warfare/spying was very interesting, but the book was also riddled with multiple pages about the writer getting lost and worrying about being late to his first day on the job, or detailed spats with his wife. The afterward, surveying the history of cyber spying was super interesting and well-written, and would have been great lengthened and interspersed throughout the book, with a heavy cut to the personal memoir parts that didn't directly have to do with the topic.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main story was intriguing and captivating, but there were quite a few points where the author goes on tangents that I didn't really like. Still a great read, just a little bloated with personal relationship details and personal opinions on the future of cyber espionage.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! This was a real page-turner!!! The story revolves around the spy Robert Hanssen and the efforts made to convict him of spying for Russia. The author relates his experiences working under someone known to be selling out his country's secrets for profit. Along the way we are introduced to the world of cyberespionage and the people who combat it. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in current affairs, as well as anyone wanting to learn more about one of our country's greatest traitors.

[Brahm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A page-turner spy story by an author with an "I'm hot shit" attitude. I saw this guy as a keynote speaker at a recent conference and decided to read the book. It was OK, felt like a beach read.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn’t a non-fiction story of catching a Russian cyber spy; it’s a long, very slow (and often boring) memoir + manifesto of Eric O’Neil.

He spends hours and hours going into obsessive detail about his engagement, his wife (he’s obsessed), things in his apartment, his brother career, his childhood, his hobbies, his apartment. (Imagine someone describing a pile of their laundry—it’s that kind of detail 🥱).

I found myself skipping pages and pages ahead often. Not only does his personal bio not belong in this book (remember the description is a non-fiction recap of a mission) it is far too detailed; too breathy, and he is either narcissistic or some kind of wounded “loser” who is still sore he hasn’t been pulled into the popular crowd & given enough praise/accolades

He also spends large amounts of time offering his personal opinion, which again, has nothing to do with the mission the book is supposed to be about. For example, he spent an entire chapter hating on Edward Snowden. 🙄

The actual mission is told but you have to tease it out. It is barely 15% of the book. The rest is boring dribble about O’Neil and his German wife (he points out she’s German A LOT).

“Thrilling” this book is not; though it could have been IF a good editor cut the personal crap and political propaganda and actually delivered a substantive work that stuck to the mission.

[Terryw · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing!

[Reagan Sanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very great read! Both entertaining and informative!

[Steven Yenzer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that I don't really understand the love for this book. It was certainly interesting to get a firsthand account of O'Neill's important role in the Robert Hanssen case. But that was about the only thing that kept me going.

Firstly, I just didn't believe a lot of O'Neill's recollections. He made himself seem so inept that I couldn't believe the FBI would have chosen him for this case. At one point he actually says to Hanssen, “I mean, they give us access to all of these secrets, ask us to protect the nation, but pay us less than an administrative assistant at a law firm. Then they wonder why people become spies.” Really?

Secondly, O'Neill spends a lot of time on how his relationship with his wife was negatively affected by his undercover work. It could have been interesting, but they have essentially the same arugment over and over again. For whatever reason she doesn't seem to get the hint that he might be doing undercover work, despite the fact that he works for the FBI and doesn't seem to be trying very hard to come up with plausible lies.

Side note: O'Neill is the kind of enlightened modern man who refers to his wife as "very independent." And when Hanssen — whom O'Neill now knows is an evil Russian spy — looks at a picture of O'Neill's wife and says, "You’re a lucky man," O'Neill "suppresses a smile." Gross.

Thirdly, O'Neill's manly patriotism and unexamined idealism began to wear on me almost immediately. He is not really interested in nuance — for him, Hanssen is an evil spy, spies are evil (except, presumably, the ones who spy for the U.S.), and the FBI is a well-meaning organization whose worst error is not modernizing its computer system. I was not surprised to hear him present an uncritical picture of J. Edgar Hoover, whom he lauded for his filing system innovations.

Ultimately there wasn't much in Gray Day to distinguish it from a second-rate spy thriller except that most of it is, theoretically, true. Unfortunately O'Neill admits in the end that he changed a bunch of stuff in the name of poetic license — and I would not be surprised if he changed even more than he revealed. Gray Day benefits from being based in fact, but that's about the only thing going for it.

[Dad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly fascinating account of the hunt and capture of America’s first cyber spy Robert Hanson. The revelations of the main young agent in going undercover and having to keep secrets particularly from his German spouse made this a riveting story. The book ends with a somewhat preachy summation of the dangers posed by cyber spies and the failures of the US to account for this new danger but even so, it did raise my concerns and fears for maintaining the technology and innovation that make this country so successful. Great audiobook and well worth the effort.

[Lou Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about the Robert Hanssen case

I became interested in the Robert Hanssen case when I saw the film Breach a number of years ago. This book
Is written by Eric O'Neil who helped to bring Hanssen to justice. This is an exciting read--I could not put it down
and read it in two sittings. I admire O'Neill 's service and his honesty.

[Darren Sapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

O'Neill has written a first-class memoir detailing his undercover mission to expose America's greatest traitor. Far from the Bond-like adventure we think of, the real work is gritty, sometimes boring, but also dangerous. It also has a tremendous impact on families. This is a spy story and a darn good one!

[Big Red · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. Meh. The story of the takedown of one of the biggest spies in FBI history is a pretty big dud in my mind. Or maybe it's O'Neill's writing. Not sure, but either way, this story just didn't do it for me. Maybe the true nature of spies is just boring haha.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hanssen was the most damaging spy in the history of the FBI—and possibly the worst in US history.”

“Gray Day” — Robert Hanssen’s classified codename until this book’s publication — is about one part-time law student’s role in taking down a spy who was arguably worse than Rick Ames, the Rosenbergs, and the rest. And what a role he played.

These sorts of operations invariably remind me of the introduction of Ben Macintyre’s Spy Among Friends, wherein two spies, one a traitor to his country and the other knowing it, sit across from each other “sipping tea and lying courteously.” It is a silent duel to the death — the so-called “great game” of espionage. Hanssen had repeatedly dismissed O’Neill as nothing but “a clerk boy,” or as a “moron,” “imbecile,” and “idiot,” in that order, unaware that O’Neill was actually the better spy in the final analysis.

From p. 215:

“We continued to dance, or play chess, or whatever relationship best suits two men who are never certain which is the spy and which is the hunter. But one thing had given me the slightest upper hand. Hanssen didn’t know that I knew that he would soon make a drop to the Russians. I had the winning cards in my hand. But I’d still have to call his bluff.”

O’Neill’s wicked sense of humor is contagious and his style of narration makes for an easy read, notwithstanding his propensity to go on short but frequent tangents. As soon as he hinted that he’d enjoy “a one-on-one cage fight” with Edward Snowden, I knew this author was the real deal.

Finally, big, fat kudos to O’Neill for doing all that he did at the FBI while attending law school, dealing with marital issues, and struggling financially. The movie Breach (2007) was how I discovered O’Neill’s story, and I enjoyed that a lot as well.

“You flush away those things that matter to you, all in the pursuit of winning.”

— Eric O’Neill

[Michelle Arredondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read...it's hard to put down once you get started. Startling account of the mission to catch Robert Hanssen...the notorious spy that was selling secrets to the Russians. Not only to do we go on this timeline of events...this journey of intrigue but we also learn a lot from this book. We learn about the state of our world and how easy ( for the highly intelligent cyber junkies of the world) it can be to take secrets and reveal them in this age of internet. It's a powerful read full of anxiety riddled twists and turns. Have we not wanted to know more about these hackers and why they hack?! It's a dark world...a fascinating secretive world and to some it's a lucrative world. Author Eric O'Neill is an ace at pulling us in and making us demand to know it all...even when it's such an unknown life from our own.

Highly recommend.

Thanks to goodreads, to author Eric O'Neill for my free copy of this book won via giveaway. I received. I read. I reviewed this book honestly and voluntarily.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pressed on to finish tonight ‘cause I don’t back down from a challenge…need to step up my reading game😂

Picked this book up because a couple of weeks ago we were in Northern Virginia and hiked to Robert Hanssen’s Dead Drop site for the Russians in Foxstone Park (thanks, Atlas Obscura!). Great book by the guy who helped lead to the arrest of the most damaging spy in US history…fascinating book.

[Firstfitoor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is that sort of a book which you pick up but will just be unable to keep it down. The sort of book that you will forget the world and read. The thriller that will suck you in and make you forget your work to tuck this book under the table, risk you supervisors apprehension but still read(Guilty conscience).

The first half of this riveting documentary of a young FBI Agent balancing work,study and marriage while called on to spy against his own boss is an absolute stunner even if it were a work of fiction. But more fascinating is that it isn't. It is the first hand account of helping catch America's most damaging spy. Ofcourse it is a treat for anyone remotely interested in the solemn,shoddy and secretive affairs of the intelligence world.

The second half of the book diverged away from the colorful villian(depending who you ask) and the cybersecurity concerns that are extremely relevant to the world. Although I confess at this time I had become too interested in the spy drama and this cautionary tale did strike me off balance.

On the whole to the spy geeks this is a must read. To the concerned citizen it is a cautionary tale and a jerk knee wake up call to think twice while you implicate yourself in the web of the spy-der🕷

[Dmitry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid first person account, los of facts, just a dash of novelization, non-boring side stories and anectdotes and nice tie-off into events of the recent history. Can recommend.

[Denise Notz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nonfiction account of the arrest of Robert Hanssen by the FBI agent assigned to bring him down. I watched the movie, Breach, that tells his story and wanted to know more. Very interesting first person account of cyberspying and turncoats.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction is normally not my first choice genre, but this book is the exception! It was gripping and read like a Patterson thriller.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t normally read non-fiction but I had heard this author being interviewed and thought I’d give it a try.
So glad I did. It was eye-opening, interesting and a little scary. I’d recommend it!

[Catherine Hu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly found a Wikipedia on Robert hanssen and was intrigued, this was an interesting look into the FBI agent life. Also my first audiobook

[Jennah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of hearing Eric O’Neill speak at a recent convention, and unlike many speakers, I found myself hanging off every word. He doesn’t just tell a story, he pulls you into it. That same intensity, clarity, and depth comes through in Gray Day.

The book chronicles O’Neill’s real-life role in the take-down of Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in FBI history. What makes this book stand out isn’t just the insider detail or the high-stakes espionage, it’s the human element. Gray Day reads like a thriller, but it’s all true and that makes it all the more gripping. If you’re interested in espionage, psychological profiling, or just love a well-told, suspenseful story, this is a must-read.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Stayed up way too late reading it in one sitting. The psychological tension between O'Neill, the junior officer tasked to spy on his boss - the sketchy, irascible and magnificently traitorous master spy Robert Hanssen - is palpable. The mounting marital pressures and O'Neill's inability to talk about his work to his wife - or rather, the legal requirement to lie about it constantly - ratchets up the drama another notch. Why bother with Le Carré when you can read about the real thing?
-- Ali Binazir, M.D., M.Phil., Happiness Engineer and author of The Tao of Dating: The Smart Woman's Guide to Being Absolutely Irresistible, the highest-rated dating book on Amazon, and Should I Go to Medical School?: An Irreverent Guide to the Pros and Cons of a Career in Medicine

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America’s First Cyber Spy by Eric O’Neill is a non-fiction book following the author’s investigation into the FBI’s most damaging spy. Mr. O’Neill is a cybersecurity expert and a former FBI agent.

I have read many books about cybersecurity, and many books which spy Robert Hanssen (code name: Gray Day) is mentioned, but I never realized the two subject had anything to do with one another, until now. Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America’s First Cyber Spy by Eric O’Neill is a thrilling memoir about the author’s FBI assignment to “work” for Hanssen while secretly investigating whether he is a Soviet spy or not.

The author starts by introducing the reader to his world of shadows. As an FBI “ghost” he was an expert at surveillance while blending into the background, gathering information without notice. Real spy work some might say.

As a young agent, Mr. O’Neill was tasked at joining the new cybersecurity division that Mr. Hanssen was put in charge of. Unbeknownst to the spy, the author was there to gather information. Unbeknownst to the author, he was part of a much larger investigation into one of the most damaging spies the US has known. Unbeknownst to Hanssen, his who promotion was a simple ruse.

The author got to know the spy very well, the worked close on the same projects and in close proximity. As the sole employee of the new department, Mr. O’Neill got the brunt of Hanssen’s wrath, demeaning mannerisms, insulting style of leadership.
Quite honestly, even if Hanssen wasn’t a spy it would be difficult to find people who’d want to work with him or for him.

The book goes beyond a spy vs. spy case. The author tells about the heavy price that individuals and families pay while one of the partners works a hectic, stressful job that requires lying to everyone (co-workers and family).

Mr. O’Neill wrote a very personal book, which reads like fiction but is a cautionary tale. He tells us what it’s really like working in intelligence in a cohesive, well written memoir. I just wonder what he couldn’t tell us?

[Dick Heimbold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting reading about FBI agent who shared an office with weirdo master spy Robert Hanson. Tells the story of the final months of the FBI pursuit and capture of Hanson. I liked it because it was not too long and wove in the big picture of foreign spying threats on the US and what has been done to improve US defenses against relentless attacks from Russia and China. Author O'Neill sacrificed much of his personal life to bring down Hanson. His personal story told along with the spy story was well done.

[Kevin Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this one. The good: Extremely interesting account of the author's involvement in helping bring down spy Robert Hanssen. The scenes involving the whole process are dramatic and exciting. I'm always amazed at the ingenuity and guts of people who work undercover. Bringing down Hanssen was a definite team effort, but the author had a key role and a front row seat which he shares well. The not-so-good: Some of the basic description in the setting of scenes felt a little over-the-top; more like a novel. There are also several chapters toward the end recounting recent computer hacks that have been pretty widely covered in the media; other than often involving Russian hacking it's not really relevant to the core story here and felt a bit like filler to me. Finally, I was a bit disappointed to read the Author's Note at the end where he talks about a couple instances in the story where he purposely changed the setting to add to the drama. Seems like an odd choice.

[Woodstock Pickett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow going, about half way through the arc of the story picked up a little and I was reading with more dedication. Nevertheless, this is an intriguing story of how a criminal who learned how to exploit all sorts of weaknesses in the FBI's security measures and earned lots and lots and lots of money turning sensitive information over to the Soviets. O'Neill documents at least one case in which three Russian men living in the US and who had decided to work for the US, were recalled to Russia. Two of them were executed. O'Neill's description of the blood on Robert Hanssen's hands is low key, and I found it more chilling to read about than if the author had used more lurid language.

I can recommend this book to readers who, like me, are fascinated with espionage in any historical period.