Cybersecurity threats are always evolving, and social engineering is one of the sneakiest. These scams deceive victims into divulging personal information or taking dangerous actions rather than actual computer hacking. Think about it: have you ever gotten a call where someone says they’re from FedEx and there’s a problem with a package? That’s a classic social engineering tactic.
These scams can look quite real because the caller may sound authoritative and possess information about you or your most recent deliveries. “We need this information right now to avoid legal issues!” is one example of how they may even put pressure on you to take quick action.
Callers attempting to obtain credit card data or other personal information were contacting people about packages that never existed. Even tech-savvy people can fall for these frauds, which are frighteningly realistic in their appearance. Learning about social engineering is crucial because of this. Learn how to defend yourself by reading on!
Social engineering takes advantage of human psychology instead of technological flaws. Natural human inclinations like trust, fear, and the need to assist others are exploited in these attacks. Attackers research human behavior and employ advanced manipulation strategies to get beyond even the strongest security measures.
Social engineering targets individuals, who are the weakest security link, which is why it succeeds. By playing on our emotions and trust, attackers can get past security measures and manipulate our minds. To get what they want, they essentially take advantage of human nature.
Phishing is still very widespread, although social engineering attacks are constantly evolving. Scammers essentially send phony emails that appear authentic and frequently persuade you into taking quick, thoughtless action. Furthermore, Verizon discovered that phishing was a major contributing factor in the majority of human-caused data breaches.
A fraudster using pretexting is similar to fabricating an entire story to deceive you into divulging personal information. They put forth the effort to make it plausible, even assuming the identity of a high-ranking official.
Scammers deceive you with bait. They hope you’ll be intrigued enough to overlook the dangers by offering something alluring, like a free download or USB stick. They take advantage of your need for free things in this way.
When a scammer follows someone who is permitted entry into a secure place, they are engaging in tailgating. They essentially take advantage of our civility since we don’t want to be impolite and turn them away.
Even though social engineering can be difficult to prevent, there are a few practical ways to lower the risk:
Effective security training involves addressing it from all sides. Frequent meetings and simulated phishing exams are essential for assessing participants’ learning. Workshops on social engineering go further into the strategies used by con artists. Additionally, training must be customized for various job tasks, and everyone must remain informed about the most recent dangers.
Businesses must regularly conduct phishing simulations to protect everyone from phishing assaults. In essence, they send phony phishing emails to staff members in an attempt to determine who will click on them. Additional training is provided to everyone who falls for the phony email in order to assist them recognize the real one. This aids the business in evaluating the effectiveness of their security training and improving it further. Check out our case study, which describes how one business successfully fortified its email defenses, for a practical illustration of how businesses are fending off this threat.
Every essential system should have multi-factor authentication (MFA) installed. Hardware security keys are an additional layer of protection for users that pose a high risk. In certain situations, biometric authentication may be employed.
Passwords must be strong. Regular modifications, no reuse, and minimum length and complexity should all be mandated by policies. This is where password managers come in handy.
Strong anti-malware and email filtering software is crucial. This covers zero-day threat protection, attachment analysis, real-time link scanning, sophisticated filtering systems, and frequent signature updates.
Role-based access, frequent reviews, and the least privilege principle should all be incorporated into access restrictions. Additional security layers are added by network segmentation and zero trust architecture.
Since human behavior is the most unexpected element of any security system, social engineering continues to be a significant security concern. To successfully counter these dangers, a comprehensive strategy that combines strong policies, technical controls, and—above all—continuous education and awareness is needed.
Security is a human problem as much as a technical one, and organizations need to understand this. We may strengthen our defenses against these advanced manipulation techniques by comprehending the psychology of social engineering and putting in place suitable countermeasures.
Yogesh Yagnik is the Sr. VP Information Security and Data Protection Officer at Anunta. With over three decades in the industry, he has diverse experience in Information Technology, Information Security, Infrastructure Technology Services, and Project Management across industry verticals and geographies.