Social Engineering Attacks: 5 Types and How To Prevent Them
What do you know about social engineering?
Human error represents one of the most significant vulnerabilities in any organization's cybersecurity strategy. Despite advancements in technology and the implementation of robust security measures, humans remain susceptible to making mistakes or being manipulated by malicious actors.
What is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is all about the psychology of persuasion. It is a tactic used by individuals or groups to manipulate and deceive others into performing certain actions or divulging confidential information. Unlike traditional hacking methods that rely on technical vulnerabilities, social engineering exploits human psychology and trust to achieve its goals.
Top Types of Social Engineering Attacks
Social engineering attacks can take various forms, such as phishing emails, pretexting (creating a fabricated scenario to obtain information), baiting (luring victims into a trap), or even impersonation. Some common giveaways can help you spot and avoid them. Here are some of them:
- Phishing: Phishing is one of the most main forms of cyberattacks, and it often relies on exploiting human error. Attackers craft deceptive emails that appear legitimate, tricking users into clicking on malicious links, downloading malware-infected attachments, or disclosing sensitive information like login credentials. Even with security awareness training, employees can still fall victim to sophisticated phishing schemes, especially when under time pressure or when the emails appear highly convincing.
- Whaling: Whaling, also known as CEO fraud or executive impersonation, is a specialized form of phishing that targets high-level executives and government officials. In these attacks, cybercriminals typically impersonate trusted individuals within an organization, such as CEOs, CFOs, or heads of government agencies. They craft convincing emails with urgent messages, often related to fake emergencies or time-sensitive opportunities, to trick recipients into taking immediate action.
- Baiting: Baiting, a form of social engineering, involves deceiving individuals with false promises or enticing offers to coerce them into revealing sensitive information or unwittingly installing malware onto their systems.
- Diversion theft: Diversion theft, originally an offline tactic, has evolved into an online cyberattack. It involves manipulating a courier to deliver packages to incorrect locations or recipients, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information or goods.
- Pretexting: Pretexting is a sophisticated social engineering technique employed by attackers to fabricate scenarios aimed at extracting personal information from unsuspecting individuals. These scams often involve the impersonation of trusted entities or individuals to gain the victim's trust and cooperation.
How to prevent social engineering attacks
To defend against social engineering attacks, individuals and organizations need to be vigilant. You must prioritize the prevention and mitigation of these attacks as a core part of your cybersecurity strategy. There are many ways to prevent social engineering attacks like multi-factor authentication. Do not open any emails from untrusted sources. You should evaluate in the attacker’s perspective and identify what to protect.
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