Phishing is a top social engineering attack today, causing many security breaches.¹ This shows how big a problem social engineering is becoming in cybersecurity. It’s all about tricking or influencing someone to take over a computer system or steal private data.¹ The main aim is to misuse our natural trust or fear to get us to do what the attackers want.

The first step in social engineering is getting to know the victim. The attacker figures out weak spots or ways to get in.¹ Next, they might pretend to be someone else to earn trust. This could lead the victim to share secrets or let them into secure areas.

Defining Social Engineering in Cybersecurity

In cybersecurity, social engineering uses tricks to influence victims. Its goal is to get people to share secrets or do risky things with their info.² It’s like a dark art, using tricks to fool people. They might aim to get your bank details, personal info, or take over your computer.² These plots work by playing on our minds and feelings, pushing us to make mistakes or give out private data.

Social Engineering Definition

Social engineering tricks people into giving up control of their computer or sharing personal details.² It’s all about using mind games to get inside someone’s head. Once they’re there, it’s easier to either trick them into errors or secrets.

Traits of a Social Engineering Attack

How can you spot a social engineering scam? They often mess with your feelings and aim to scare you into quick, wrong choices.³ You might notice that they play on your worries or act like you must do something fast to keep safe. Look out for weird email addresses, fake friend requests, and links that just don’t feel right. If something seems too amazing or creepy, it’s wise to doubt it.

what is social engineering in cyber security

Social engineering is extra risky because it plays on human mistakes instead of tech flaws.⁴ Spotting and stopping errors by real users is tough because they’re not routine like computer bugs.⁴ Attackers start by looking into their target. They find out about weak points in security to plan their move.⁴ Then, they try to earn the victim’s trust. They offer something to make them let their guard down, like sharing private info or giving access to key data.

Social Engineering Attack Lifecycle

Tricking users with their own emotions is the heart of social engineering.⁴ Attackers have a variety of tricks. They might use fake emails or calls, pretend to be a big-shot CEO, offer something desirable, or show up after someone else.⁴ They play on our natural behaviors to slip through security barriers.

Types of Social Engineering Techniques

Phishing is the top threat, making up 80% of security scares in finance.¹ In healthcare, tempting bait has led to 25% more breaches in data security.¹ Letting someone tailgate into a secured area is a frequent mistake in banking, causing 60% of the breaches there.¹ Scareware scams hit retailers hard, costing $10,000 a time.¹ Lawyers have lost data to dumpster divers in 40% of thefts.¹ Small tech firms are now often targets of quid pro quo deals, rising by 15%. This shows the need for better staff training.¹

Preventing Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineers trick people by using feelings like curiosity or fear in their plans. Being alert is key to avoid getting caught in their traps.⁴ To stay safe, avoid opening emails from unknown senders and their attachments. Ensure the security of your accounts by using more than one type of login method. If an offer seems too good to be true, it might be a trick. Always keep your computer’s security tools up to date and don’t connect strange USBs to it.⁴

Employee Training and Awareness

Teaching employees how to spot and avoid social engineering is very important.⁵ They need to learn the signs, like strong emotions in messages or fake email addresses. Then, they should know what to do, like making sure who’s really calling, not opening suspicious links or files, and telling the IT team about anything strange.⁵

Conclusion

Social engineering is a big problem in cybersecurity because it tricks people. It doesn’t just attack through technology. More than 70% of data breaches happen because of social engineering. This makes it really important to fight against.⁶ It’s key to know what social engineering attacks look like. Things like phishing, baiting, and pretexting are common tactics. Knowing this helps both companies and people protect themselves better.⁶

Teaching employees about social engineering is very important. They should learn to spot fake emails, strange online messages, and odd requests. This kind of training can help stop problems before they start.⁷ Using strong security, like MFA, also adds an extra layer of defense. It makes it harder for bad actors to break in.⁶

Being watchful and creating a strong security culture is vital. With the right security habits in place, we can fight social engineering better.⁶⁷ These steps also protect important data, avoid money loss, and keep trust with the public safe. It helps keep operations running smoothly against this ongoing risk.

Source Links

1. https://www.cmu.edu/iso/aware/dont-take-the-bait/social-engineering.html
2. https://www.ibm.com/topics/social-engineering
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_engineering_(security)
4. https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/social-engineering-attack/
5. https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/social-engineering/
6. https://www.arkoselabs.com/explained/what-is-a-social-engineering-attack/
7. https://jatheon.com/blog/what-is-social-engineering/