Social Engineering: Meaning, Type of Attacks and Preventions

By: Engineer's Planet

Cybersecurity attacks have taken many forms in today’s world, one of which is Social engineering. Social engineering is evolving in many forms and is very common nowadays. Since not many people know about it, being a victim of this is not a shocker. Individuals and organizations should always be aware of such threats to protect their privacy.

Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of individuals to gather sensitive information by deceiving them into believing they are achieving something beneficial. Techniques include phishing, baiting, and whaling.

1. What is Social Engineering?

Whaling is a targeted social engineering attack on high-ranking individuals in organizations. Attackers research the target's behavior and use personalized messages, like fake emergencies, to gain device access.

2. Whaling

3. Phishing

Phishing is a common social engineering attack where attackers send fraudulent emails or messages with scamming links, tricking targets into providing sensitive information like passwords or credit card details.

4. Baiting

Baiting is a social engineering attack where attackers lure targets with false promises, like free downloads or compromised flash drives, to collect personal information or install malware on their devices

5.  Pretexting

Pretexting is a social engineering tactic where attackers fabricate a convincing story to gain the victim's trust, often posing as officials, to extract sensitive information like financial details or credentials.

6.  Honeytrap

Honeytrapping is a social engineering attack where attackers create fake personas on dating apps, forming romantic connections to exploit victims for money, passwords, and sensitive information through deception.

7.  Prevention of Social Engineering Attacks

Prevent social engineering attacks by staying cautious with emails and links, using two-factor authentication, maintaining strong antivirus protection, verifying identities, and avoiding tempting offers. Always stay alert to unusual activities.

In Conclusion, Social engineering attacks exploit human vulnerabilities through tactics like phishing, whaling, baiting, pretexting, and honeytrapping. Awareness and vigilance are crucial for prevention. Employing security measures such as two-factor authentication, cautious email practices, and verifying identities can safeguard against these deceptive threats.

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