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Social Engineering: How to Build Pressure-Proof Pretexts

Most social engineering discussions focus on what to say. This workshop focuses on how to build pretexts that hold up when things go sideways. Alethe Denis, DEF CON Black Badge winner, shares the mindset and preparation behind resilient pretexts for physical red team engagements.

In this workshop, Alethe Denis, Senior Security Consultant II at Bishop Fox and DEF CON Black Badge-winning social engineer, shares how to build pretexts that can withstand real-world pressure during physical red team engagements.

Most social engineering discussions focus on what to say. This session focuses on how to create believable stories that hold up when faced with skeptical employees, unexpected questions, or situations that do not go according to plan.

Drawing from her experience in social engineering, physical security assessments, and offensive security operations, Alethe will discuss the mindset and preparation behind creating stronger, more resilient pretexts for real-world engagements.

This workshop is designed for red teamers, social engineers, OSINT practitioners, physical security professionals, and anyone interested in the human side of offensive security.

By the end of this session, viewers will have a better understanding of how experienced social engineers approach pretext building for physical red team engagements and why flexibility matters just as much as preparation.


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About the speaker, Alethe Denis

Senior Security Consultant

Alethe Denis is a Senior Security Consultant at Bishop Fox. She is best known for social engineering, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and performing security assessments and trainings for both the private and public sectors with emphasis on critical infrastructure organizations. Alethe was awarded a DEF CON Black Badge at DEF CON 27 for Winning the 10th annual Social Engineering Capture the Flag (SECTF) contest. Using both OSINT and Social Engineering skills, she compromised her target Fortune 500 company using just a telephone. She, along with her teammates, received a bronze, silver, most valuable OSINT, and black badge award from a series of TraceLabs capture-the-flag contests, including first place in

She’s a frequent conference speaker and podcast guest, including speaking at DerbyCon, BsidesSF and ConINT, as well as an appearance on the TraceLabs, Layer 8 Conference, and Darknet Diaries podcasts.

Alethe is always focused on giving back to the information and cybersecurity community, including her work conducting free Security Awareness Trainings and hosting workshops for people who want to get into the cybersecurity industry.