Former FBI counterintelligence specialist Eric O’Neill joins Chris to recount his mission to help capture one of the most damaging spies in American history: Robert Hanssen. They discuss Hanssen’s transformation from a wannabe Bond into a real-life cyber mole, his staggering betrayal of US intelligence, and how O’Neill built trust with a man he knew he had to take down. Eric also shares how the Hanssen case shaped his transition into cybersecurity, explores the rise of cybercrime as a $12 trillion black-market economy, and explains why AI deepfakes, ransomware, and social engineering attacks pose growing threats to national security and everyday life.

Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/vmViAP6jits

Podfollow: https://pod.fo/e/2bfdc5

Find more about Eric on his website: https://ericoneill.net

Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies

Buy merchandise from our Redbubble shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996

Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg

For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social

Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies

Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies

Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies

Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:

https://bsky.app/profile/fultonmatt.bsky.social

https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social

Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.