The world has adopted a common use of digital interactions and the manipulation of human behaviour has emerged as a critical focus within the cybersecurity realm. Social engineering is the art of deceiving an individual into building trust through digital or in-person reactions. Attackers can use this to their advantage in order to gain sensitive or personal information. Social engineering can come in various forms such as emails, text messages, and even impersonations. Through modern day, social engineering is becoming more common through day to day life. It is important to understand and know how to recognize social engineering attacks in order to protect sensitive information.
The most regularly used method of social engineering is through phishing scams. These can almost be seen regularly throughout a persons day (if have a mobile device or computer etc.) where the attacker attempts to send an email or text message disguised as a reputable source. The goal is to make the victim feel as if there is an immediate problem that needs immediate attention. This prompts the victim to click the attached link that is almost guaranteed to have been infected with a malware or virus. Phishing scams can also be performed through phone calls where the attacker may try to mimic an employee at some important location (like bank or company that manages accounts) in order to create a sense that there is a problem. Not only can social engineering occur through digital interaction but social engineering also exists in real life interactions. Impersonation can allow an attacker to disguise as an employee or person of high power in order to gain inside info on an individual or company. Attackers can impersonate company staff with the interest of using authority and familiarity to gain submission into releasing sensitive information.
People can also make a job out of social engineering. Penetration testing or pen testing for short is a high paying job that involves social engineering. Companies will hire pen testers to infiltrate their facilities or computer networks. The are tasked with the job of finding weakness in staff or computer networks themselves. This allows companies or corporations to identify the weaknesses and update their security accordingly. Pen testers are also useful for identifying the level of training or awareness company staff has in regard to phishing attacks or scams.
In order to protect sensitive information, adequate knowledge on social engineering and the nature of phishing attacks must be met. This allows company staff and the individual to determine what emails, texts and phone calls are valid and trustable. As cybersecurity attacks become increasingly more common, it is becoming more important to know the signs of potential attacks in order to limit the chance of companies or the individual becoming victims.