Social engineering is a cybersecurity threat where attackers trick people into giving away secret information or breaking security rules. Instead of hacking computers, they trick humans, which makes it hard to stop. Social engineering often uses phishing, pretexting, or baiting to take advantage of people's trust, curiosity, or fear. To protect against it, companies should use security awareness training, phishing tests, and multi-factor authentication.

For more details on how ByteSnipers can help with social engineering, phishing simulation, or IT security services, check out our dedicated pages.

Key Points

• Social engineering uses tricks to get people to give up sensitive information.
• Phishing, baiting, and pretexting are common ways attackers use these tricks.
• CEOs and small businesses are often main targets because they have valuable access and sometimes weaker security.
• Training and good security practices help defend against social engineering.
• Human mistakes are still the biggest weakness in social engineering attacks.

Related Terms

Common Tactics

• Phishing: Sending fake emails to make people click on links or give out passwords. Learn more in our detailed guide on phishing explained.
• Pretexting: Making up a believable story to get someone's information, like pretending to be from a bank to confirm your details.
• Baiting: Tempting a person with something they want, like a "free USB drive," which is actually infected with malware.
• Tailgating: Getting into a secure area by following someone else, like walking in behind an employee.
• Vishing: Making fake phone calls to trick people into sharing personal information.

Why Social Engineering is Dangerous

Social engineering is dangerous because it takes advantage of the weakest part of security: humans. Technology like firewalls and encryption can be strong, but if someone simply gives away their password, those defenses become useless. The impact can be serious, leading to data leaks, money theft, or even total system takeovers.

Big attacks, like the Target data breach, show that even large companies can fall victim to social engineering. In this case, attackers used a phishing email to steal payment information from millions of customers.

Common Social Engineering Techniques

1. Phishing: Sending fake messages to get people to share their personal information. It’s still one of the most common tricks. Visit our guide to phishing simulation to learn how to protect your business.
2. Pretexting: Attackers create a fake story to get important information. They might say they are from your bank or tech company.
3. Baiting: Using people’s curiosity to get them to plug in a USB stick or download a harmful file.
4. Tailgating (Piggybacking): Following someone into a secure building without having the right access. This often works because people are naturally polite and hold doors open for others.
5. Quid Pro Quo: Offering something in return, like free help or a gift, to get someone to share important information.

Who is Targeted by Social Engineering?

Social engineering can target anyone, but some people are more at risk:

• Executives: People like CEOs are often targeted because they have high-level access. On average, a CEO faces 57 phishing attacks each year.
• Small Businesses: Small businesses are 350% more likely to be targeted compared to larger companies. Read about the challenges small businesses face in cybersecurity to understand why.
• IT Departments: IT workers are common targets because they have access to sensitive systems.

Preventive Measures Against Social Engineering

Preventing social engineering attacks means combining technology and training:

• Security Awareness Training: Employees need to know how to spot and react to social engineering tricks. ByteSnipers offers awareness training to help.
• Phishing Simulations: Testing your staff with fake phishing emails can show how ready they are to recognize these kinds of attacks.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adding another layer of security can stop attackers even if they get someone's password. Learn more about MFA here.
• Incident Response Plans: Have a plan ready for when attacks happen, so you can react quickly and reduce the damage.