Social EngineeringWhat is Social Engineering ?Social engineering is the tactic of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving a victim in order to gain control over a computer system, or to steal personal and financial information. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information. Show
Social engineering attacks happen in one or more steps. A perpetrator first investigates the intended victim to gather necessary background information, such as potential points of entry and weak security protocols, needed to proceed with the attack. Then, the attacker uses a form of pretexting such as impersonation to gain the victim’s trust and provide stimuli for subsequent actions that break security practices, such as revealing sensitive information or granting access to critical resources. Types of Social Engineering AttacksSocial engineering attacks come in many different forms and can be performed anywhere where human interaction is involved. The following are common forms of digital social engineering attacks. Phishing: The process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity using bulk email, SMS text messaging, or by phone. Phishing messages create a sense of urgency, curiosity, or fear in the recipients of the message. The message will prod victims into revealing sensitive information, clicking on links to malicious websites, or opening attachments that contain malware Baiting: A type of social engineering attack where a scammer uses a false promise to lure a victim into a trap which may steal personal and financial information or inflict the system with malware. The trap could be in the form of a malicious attachment with an enticing name. The most common form of baiting uses physical media to disperse malware. For example, attackers leave the bait of a malware-infected flash drives in conspicuous areas where potential victims are certain to see them. When the victim inserts the flash drive into a work or home computer, the malware is automatically installed on the system. Baiting scams are also online in the form of tempting ads that lead to malicious sites or encourage users to download a malware-infected application. Tailgating: Also known as "piggybacking". A physical breach where an unauthorized person manipulates their way into a restricted or employee only authorized area through the use of social engineering tactics. The attacker might impersonate a delivery driver, or custodian worker. Once the employee opens the door, the attacker asks the employee to hold the door, thereby gaining access to the building. Scareware: Scareware involves victims being bombarded with false alarms and fictitious threats. Users are deceived to think their system is infected with malware, prompting them to install software that grants remote access for the criminal or to pay the criminal in a form of bitcoin in order to preserve sensitive video that the criminal claims to have. Dumpster Diving: A scammer will search for sensitive information e.g., bank statements, pre-approved credit cards, student loans, other account information, in the garbage when it hasn’t been properly sanitized or destroyed. Quid Pro Quo: Quid pro quo involves a criminal requesting the exchange of some type of sensitive information such as critical data, login credentials, or monetary value in exchange for a service. For example, a computer user might receive a phone call from the criminal who, posed as a technology expert, offers free IT assistance or technology improvements in exchange for login credentials. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it most likely a scam and not legitimate. Social Engineering Prevention
What makes social engineering such an effective technique for hackers?This technique takes advantage of websites people regularly visit and trust. The attacker will gather information about a targeted group of individuals to find out what those websites are, then test those websites for vulnerabilities.
What technique is used in social engineering attacks?Social engineering is used to gain (unauthorized) access to sensitive data, cryptocurrency wallets or accounts, or to induce victims to download malware onto computers and networks to enact further damage. Such techniques include phishing, baiting, quid pro quo attacks, pretexting, and tailgating.
What is the main purpose of social engineering?The purpose of social engineering is to convince a user that you represent a trusted institution. Social engineers will often attempt to develop a rapport by offering easily obtainable details, such as birthdate or phone number, as evidence of their legitimacy.
What social engineering techniques might be used to get you to give up or gain access to confidential information?The most common form of social engineering attack is phishing. Phishing attacks exploit human error to harvest credentials or spread malware, usually via infected email attachments or links to malicious websites.
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