Social engineering is a strategy used by malicious individuals or cybercriminals to manipulate and deceive people into divulging confidential information, granting unauthorized access to systems or networks, or performing actions that compromise security. Unlike traditional hacking techniques that exploit technical vulnerabilities, social engineering targets human behavior and psychological manipulation to achieve their objectives.
Social engineering tactics often involve phishing emails, phone calls, text messages, or in-person interactions where the attacker impersonates a trusted entity or pretends to be in a position of authority. By exploiting trust, fear, urgency, or curiosity, social engineers trick individuals into sharing sensitive information, clicking on malicious links, providing login credentials, or executing harmful actions that give them unauthorized access to data or systems.
To combat social engineering attacks, individuals and organizations need to be vigilant, practice security awareness, and implement safeguards such as employee training, multi-factor authentication, strong password policies, email filtering, and regular security assessments. By recognizing common social engineering techniques and being cautious in their interactions with unknown or suspicious sources, individuals can reduce the risk of falling victim to social engineering attacks and protect their personal and organizational information.