Cyberattacks aren’t always brute forcing passwords or hacking computer systems. Sometimes all a hacker needs to access sensitive data is your trust. Using techniques known as social engineering, cybercriminals use human psychology against you. Playing on emotions like fear, trust, curiosity, or urgency can give attackers access to computers and data without any traditional hacking. Because of this, social engineering attacks are becoming increasingly common. In fact, they’re one of the most effective forms of attack.
In this blog, we discuss everything you need to know about social engineering. We’ll cover what it is, common types of attacks, how they work, and how you can protect yourself from falling victim.
Social engineering is a tactic used to gain trust or information from targets by manipulating them psychologically. Social engineering attackers don’t usually attack computers directly. Instead, they use people to gain access to restricted information.
They can do this by stealing passwords, asking people to hand over access, or installing malicious programs. Social engineering attacks usually target a person’s weak spots like trust.
Social engineering preys on human psychology and trust which makes it effective for a few reasons:
Humans are naturally trusting. For example, people are more likely to trust someone if they pretend to be their manager, friend, or co-worker.
There are often no traces of the attack. Most social engineering attacks don’t leave malware or perpetrators behind to find.
No one is immune to emotions. An attack that causes fear, curiosity, urgency, or another strong emotion can cause anyone to slip up, even the most experienced users.
The methods of attack are endless. There are many types of social engineering attacks that we will discuss below.
Social engineers have many tactics they can use to manipulate targets. Some of the most common attack types include:
Phishing attacks are some of the most common forms of social engineering. During this attack, a hacker will send what looks to be an official message from your bank, social media site, or coworker in an attempt to harvest data.
The attacker sends what looks to be an official message from a bank, social media site, or coworker.
The message contains a link that takes you to a fake login page that mimics the real site.
Once you enter in your login credentials, the information goes straight to the attacker.
Baiting attacks appeal to curiosity or greed in an attempt to steal data or information. Like phishing attacks, baiting can be done over the internet or in person.
Here are some examples of baiting attacks:
Downloading a “free movie” that installs malware on your computer.
Finding a USB drive and plugging it into your computer that automatically installs malware.
Attackers who use this tactic create a fake scenario in order to gain a victim’s trust. Most pretexting attacks will involve impersonating someone the target knows like a coworker, IT professional, bank teller, or government official.
The attacker will convince the victim that they need to give them their login credentials in order to fix a problem.
Once the attacker has the information they may push being in charge or another authority figure to pressure the victim into giving them the information.
These attacks happen when someone receives a service in exchange for data or information. An example of this would be if your IT department called you saying they would fix the problem if you gave them your login information.
The attacker will offer a service or something of value in exchange.
The victim gives over the sensitive information because they think the request is legitimate.
Attackers use scare tactics to convince users that they have malware on their computer. Users will often be asked to install fake malware protection software to “remove” the viruses.
A pop-up alerts you that your computer is critically infected with malware.
You’re forced to download malware or personal information stealing software to “fix” it.
Tailgating attacks are physical as opposed to online social engineering attacks. These occur when an attacker tries to enter a secured area by following closely behind an authorized employee.
Someone follows closely behind an employee into a secured doorway.
The attacker can then either try to ask to come in if they’re denied entry or pretend they forgot their ID badge.
It may seem impossible to avoid being manipulated by your own emotions but there are a few things you can do to limit your risk:
If you did not initiate a conversation or email, do not open any emails or attachments that are sent to you. If you receive an unexpected request for sensitive information, verify the request using a trusted method of communication other than what was used to make the request.
Enable multi-factor authentication on all your accounts that offer it. 2FA will prevent attackers from logging into your accounts, even if they have your password.
If you’re a business, we offer comprehensive cybersecurity awareness training that includes simulated phishing emails and other social engineering attacks.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t fall for the classic free download or prizes. If you’re confused or unsure, verify the information is legitimate.
Install security patches and keep your software updated.
Social engineering preys on people’s emotions and natural instinct to trust. It’s one of the easiest forms of hacking, which makes it so dangerous. Social engineering attacks can happen to anyone at any time, but there are steps you can take to prevent yourself from falling victim.
At Cyber Security Hive, we provide businesses with penetration testing and vulnerability scans to check for weaknesses in your network. We also offer cybersecurity awareness training to ensure that your employees know how to spot social engineering attacks. Contact us today to learn how we can help you stay resilient to cyber risks.