Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave the world its the greatest detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Holmes’ gift for deduction is recognized as the source of his brilliance and crime-solving prowess. His skill in social engineering has yet to be acknowledged. This research looks at Holmes’ keen use of social engineering as a means to access the information he needs to solve his cases. Five cases are summarized and then the social engineering techniques Holmes used are explained. Doyle crafted a character with complex logic skills and a deep understanding of human nature that has transcended time. This is what allows us to examine Holmes’ deduction through the lens of cybersecurity, especially social engineering.

Author: Elizabeth Rasnick

Published in: London International Conference on Education (LICE-2023)

• Date of Conference: 13-15 November 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/LICE.2023.0004
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-66-2
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK