Social Engineering in the context of cyber security, is when one uses psychological manipulation to have people perform specific actions or to give out confidential information. This differs from the type of social engineering that is found within the social sciences because in the social sciences social engineering does not refer to the divulging of confidential information.
Social engineering within the cyber security industry is found when people are tricked into giving out their information. An example of this would be when a hacker finds a Facebook user and starts a conversation with them; leading to the user gaining the hackers trust and potentially giving out sensitive information, or clicking on a link that allows the hacker into their system.
Related Terms: Phishing, Spoofing Attacks
Source: Anderson, Ross J. (2008). Security engineering: a guide to building dependable distributed systems (2nd ed.). Indianapolis, IN
CyberHoot does have some other resources available for your use. Below are links to all of our resources, feel free to check them out whenever you like:
Note: If you’d like to subscribe to our newsletter, visit any link above (besides infographics) and enter your email address on the right-hand side of the page, and click ‘Send Me Newsletters’.
Discover and share the latest cybersecurity trends, tips and best practices – alongside new threats to watch out for.
Let’s be honest, who hasn’t reset a password at least once this month? For decades, passwords have been our...
Read more
In a shift away from the usual “hack-meets-victim” narrative, a new kind of cyber-assault is emerging. One...
Read more
In cybersecurity, not all attacks happen through fancy malware or zero-day exploits. Some of the most effective...
Read moreGet sharper eyes on human risks, with the positive approach that beats traditional phish testing.
