Social Engineering Attack
Social engineering is a psychological attack where hackers manipulate people into revealing secrets, giving up passwords, or granting access.
Social engineering exploits human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities to trick users into revealing sensitive data or granting access to secure systems. This type of attack is quite complex, as it manipulates trust, urgency, or authority to bypass security controls that are as heuristic as they are technical.
What are the Common Tactics of Social Engineering?
- Baiting: Leaving a malware-infected USB drive in a public place, hoping a curious employee will plug it into a work computer.
- Pretexting: Creating a fabricated scenario (the "pretext") to steal information, such as an attacker posing as an IT auditor needing "verification" of your credentials.
- Tailgating: Following an authorized person into a restricted physical area (like an office or server room) by simply walking in behind them.
- Quid Pro Quo: Offering a service or benefit (like "free tech support") in exchange for sensitive information or system access.
Why is Social Engineering so Effective?
A system can be patched, but human nature is constant. Attackers often use Generative AI to research targets on LinkedIn and social media, enabling them to craft highly personalized "spear phishing" attacks that are nearly indistinguishable from legitimate requests.