Social engineering is a method of manipulating or deceiving people into divulging sensitive information or performing certain actions. It is a form of psychological manipulation that relies on exploiting human emotions, biases, and trust to gain access to sensitive information or resources.
Social engineering attacks can take many forms, including:
Phishing:
This is an attempt to trick individuals into providing personal information such as login credentials, credit card information, or other sensitive data through fake emails, text messages, or phone calls that appear to be from a legitimate source.
Pretexting:
This is the act of creating a false identity or background in order to gain someone's trust and trick them into providing sensitive information.
Baiting:
This is the offer of something of value, such as free software or a prize, in exchange for personal information.
TRENDING AMAZON PRODUCTS:
1) Top 10 Amazon Must-Haves
2) Top 10 Amazon Tech Gifts
3) KindlePaperwhite | Avail 20% OFF
Scareware:
This is the use of pop-up messages or fake anti-virus software to trick individuals into paying for unnecessary services or providing personal information.
Tailgating:
This is when an attacker follows someone into a secure location, such as a building or computer room, by pretending to be an employee or visitor.
Vishing:
This is a phone-based social engineering attack, in which an attacker uses a phone call to trick a victim into providing sensitive information.
Social engineering attacks are particularly dangerous because they can be difficult to detect, and they often rely on tricking people into taking action rather than exploiting a technical vulnerability. To protect against social engineering attacks, it is important to be aware of these tactics and to be cautious when providing personal information or taking actions based on unsolicited emails, text messages, or phone calls.
In summary, Social engineering is a method of manipulating or deceiving people into divulging sensitive information or performing certain actions. It is a form of psychological manipulation that relies on exploiting human emotions, biases, and trust to gain access to sensitive information or resources. It can take many forms such as Phishing, Pretexting, Baiting, Scareware, Tailgating and Vishing.
TRENDING
1) Alternativesto Majestic for Free Backlinks
Social Plugin