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Social engineering is a manipulation technique that exploits human error to gain private information, access, or valuables. Users also may not realize the full value of personal data, like their phone number. As a result, many users are unsure how to best protect themselves and their information.
The following are the five most common forms of digital social engineering assaults.
- Baiting. As its name implies, baiting attacks use a false promise to pique a victim’s greed or curiosity.
- Scareware. Scareware involves victims being bombarded with false alarms and fictitious threats.
- Pretexting.
- Phishing.
- Spear phishing.
What kind of social engineering attacks common now a days?
Phishing attacks are the most common type of attacks leveraging social engineering techniques. Attackers use emails, social media, instant messaging and SMS to trick victims into providing sensitive information or visiting malicious URLs in the attempt to compromise their systems.
Social engineering is so dangerous because of the element of human error by legitimate users and not necessarily a flaw in software or operating systems. So, it is important to know how/ in what ways human beings are manipulated by social engineers to accomplish their goals to effectively protect against these.
Yes, there are bad social engineers out there, ones that look to ruin your life and business. But, look at all the good professional social engineers do, for both our clients and our friends and family. You will see it can be a very rewarding and beneficial job function in the information security industry.
What is social engineering give one real world examples of social engineering?
11 Social Engineering Examples
- $100 Million Google and Facebook Spear Phishing Scam.
- Deepfake Attack on UK Energy Company.
- $60 Million CEO Fraud Lands CEO In Court.
- Microsoft 365 phishing scam steals user credentials.
- Ransomware gang hijacks victim’s email account.
Social engineering is the act of exploiting human weaknesses to gain access to personal information and protected systems. Social engineering relies on manipulating individuals rather than hacking computer systems to penetrate a target’s account.
According to a 2018 study, 17 percent of people fall victim to social engineering attacks. That means that close to two out of every ten employees you have will unwittingly compromise his or her workstation, or get the entire company’s network in trouble.
How common are social engineering attacks?
According to Proofpoint’s 2019 report The Human Factor, 99% of cyber attacks use social engineering techniques to trick users into installing malware.
Commonly, social engineering involves email or other communication that invokes urgency, fear, or similar emotions in the victim, leading the victim to promptly reveal sensitive information, click a malicious link, or open a malicious file.