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

Loved this book. Now I need to read more about both people featured prominently in this book. Excellent weekend read or poolside.Side note: the truth about cyber security and our vulnerability is also central to this book, so understand you will walk away second guessing every link you've ever clicked on.

O’Neill’s first hand account of the discovery, and take down of one of the most damaging spies to the United States was fascinating to read. He intersperses the narrative with various insights into the workings of counterintelligence. He ends his book with insights into the new world of cybersecurity that we are in. An excellent read!

Anyone who is interested in the history of espionage will realize in the 1980s and 90s there were some significant security issues with in the US intelligence services. Much of the problems could be attributed to at least two men.One of these contemptable of these spies was Richard Hansen. He was an expert at evading security and penetrating computer systems and supplied the Russians with information that resulted in compromised agents and in many cases their death. Hansen is doing life in prison at this point.This book is the story of how Hansen was caught by the FBI man who was selected get the goods on Hansen so he could go to trial. Needless to say it took a while for the FBI to allow this man to wright his book because of further security matters.I found the book fascinating. I learned a lot about how the FBI trains and selects people for positions within the organization. There was also some good information about how they train these people and how they operate. It was classic spy versus spy information.However, the thing I found most interesting was the interaction between Hansen and the author of this book. He was a jerk of a boss! Down to the point where it was painful to see how the author endured such stupid things as questioning if a chair had been moved slightly. Was the light different in the office. Apparently, Hansen was also a brutal editor of the authors reports.I had enormous sympathy for the author. I’ve worked for mad-men like this. But Hansen was an entirely different left of jerk. I’d use stronger language but Amazon won’t let me describe him as an anatomical part.Anyway, I enjoyed the book. It is well told and well written and I think the author can take great pride in the masterful way Hansen was snared. I about came out of my chair when I read the last words he said to Hansen were, “Catch you later, boss.”If you enjoyed this book then I would suggest reading Circle of Treason by Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille as it covers the discover and arrest of Aldrich Ames. He was the other turncoat he needed to be arrested at the same time as Hansen. There are interviews via podcast on The Museum of the Spy with the authors of both books.

This is definitely a good book, but not a great one. It is an interesting first-person account of the investigation into the most damaging spy the US has known--FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen. Eric O'Neill was an FBI surveillance specialist assigned to work with Hanssen in an Information Assurance section set up specifically to catch him. The book is a good read, but there were a couple of annoyances. First, if you bought this book you most likely want to read about Hanssen. However, the Hanssen part of the story is surprisingly thin. The book, which is not long, is interspersed with digression upon digression. Some of these are interesting, such as how O'Neill got his job and was trained, but some of them are stock narratives about different historical spies. Some of the content is relevant in understanding Hanssen's impact, but much of it seemed like filler. This was especially the case with the last chapter and a half, which were a re-hash of various hacking incidents which really had no connection to the story. The story of the case's impact on O'Neill's personal life is interesting, and helps one to understand why a career FBI agent like Hanssen might do what he did. At times O'Neill seems to be attempting to be a greater writer than he is. E.g., "Sometimes shadows are braver than people." I found it a bit annoying, but only mildly so. I also thought Hanssen came across as a really one-dimensional character, an abusive boss who just called O'Neill "idiot" and "moron" all the time. Maybe he was a one-dimensional character, but I sense that writing this book almost 20 years after the fact has left O'Neill with a selective memory of his boss' personality. Overall it was a good read, but I wanted more.

Great book. Doesn't need alot of the personal stuff and back and forth with the wife. But the stuff about the main story. The mission on hansen in gold.

I heard Eric O'Neil on SpyCast a podcast and was intrigued. I looked him up on twitter & this was the day his book GRAYDAY came out! I ordered & waited for it to come. In the meantime I looked up other interviews & tried to learn as much as possible. I got the book pretty fast & it was like a fine glass of wine. You can't put it down & want to make it last. This was a Spy thriller & so timely in its writing & release. As I write this Julian Assange was arrested last night & on his way to US for wikileaks hack. This book was heartstopping in some places as Eric goes through getting his boss (Robert Hanssen) Palm pilot out of his office. He details the stresses of the investigation & the stress it took on his marriage b/c his wife didn't know he was undercover. He takes us into the FBI and one of the Ops that caught the biggest spy in FBI history. I just finished the book but didn't want to b/c it was so good. I really enjoyed this book & the spy speak & FBI terms. It makes you wonder why people decide to spy & why others decide to be good & honest. I have a huge appreciation for FBI agents & the other agencies who do counter intelligence work. This is a awesome book.I enjoyed it alot and you will too.

As promised.

Absolute printed marvel. O'Neill'a ability to describe the most intensive internal FBI investigation is outstanding. A real must for all espionage and counterintelligence afficionados.

An awesome book for everybody that want to understand better what happened behind the curtains.