Long before phishing, deepfakes, and business email compromise, Sherlock Holmes was demonstrating social engineering tactics: building trust, gathering intel, exploiting emotion, and manipulating human behavior to achieve an objective. The tools have changed. The psychology has not. In The Sherlock Holmes Social Engineering Playbook, we examine how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories function as a masterclass in human hacking. Through cases such as A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-Headed League, and The Sign of Four, this presentation breaks down techniques used to influence decisions, lower defenses, and extract information, many of which mirror modern phishing, OSINT, and fraud campaigns. Through immersive examples and practical cyber parallels, attendees will explore how Holmes used recon, pretexting, impersonation, trust-building, distraction, and emotional leverage to accomplish his goals, and how attackers rely on those tactics today. Participants will leave with a practical social engineering playbook for recognizing manipulation, strengthening human defenses, and thinking critically about the psychology behind cyber threats. Because sometimes the best way to understand today’s attackers… is to study a Victorian detective.

Elizabeth Rasnick

Dr. Elizabeth Rasnick is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence at the University of West Florida. Her work focuses on human-centered cybersecurity, workforce development, cybersecurity education, and the intersection of psychology, storytelling, and social engineering. Dr. Rasnick specializes in translating complex cybersecurity concepts into engaging, accessible learning experiences for technical and non-technical audiences alike. Her research and presentations explore how human behavior, persuasion, trust, and cognitive bias shape modern cyber threats, often through unexpected lenses such as literature, history, and pop culture. She is particularly interested in how classic narratives, including Sherlock Holmes, reveal timeless social engineering tactics still used by attackers today. A frequent speaker, educator, and advocate for interdisciplinary cybersecurity education, Dr. Rasnick works to broaden participation in cybersecurity and prepare the next generation of cyber defenders through innovative, experiential learning. Whether discussing phishing, persuasion, OSINT, or the psychology of manipulation, she believes the most effective security begins with understanding people.