The Human Factor: How Social Engineering Targets Your Team

What is Social Engineering?

Social engineering refers to malicious network breaches carried out through human interactions. The tactics involve psychological manipulation to deceive people into making security errors or disclosing confidential information.

Social engineering attacks typically unfold in multiple stages. Initially, the attacker researches the target to collect essential background information, identifying potential vulnerabilities and weak security measures. Next, the attacker works to gain the victim’s trust and invites them to carry out actions that compromise security, such as sharing sensitive information or allowing access to crucial resources.

Instructing employees on how to recognize and avoid malicious attacks can save considerable financial and reputational loss for an organization. It is often difficult to detect a cyber attack because of the sophisticated measures that attackers use; from accurate impersonations of fellow employees to fake websites that mirror familiar ones. Therefore, educating employees on the subtle tell-tale signs of social engineering attacks is key. 

Common Social Engineering Tactics used by Attackers

Baiting

Baiting attacks lure users into a divulging personal information or inflicts their systems with malware, generally by promising a reward if the user engages with the disguised malware. Baiting can be done through physical devices, such as flash drives left in public spaces, that when inserted into a computer infect the user’s device with malware. Online forms of baiting include the use of ads that lead to malicious sites, or notifications encouraging users to download a malware-infected application.

Scareware

With scareware, users are tricked by urgent emails and pop-up messages to believe that their system is infected with malware. They are then instructed to install software that gives the hacker access to their information. Scareware is also referred to as “deception software,” “rogue scanner software” and “fraudware.”

Pretexting

In a pretexting scam, attackers use a fake scenario to gather sensitive information. The perpetrator typically poses as a trusted figure, such as a coworker or official, and convinces the victim that they need sensitive information to perform a critical task. By asking questions under the pretext of confirming the victim’s identity, the attacker collects personal data such as social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, bank records, and security details.

Phishing

Phishing scams are a common type of social engineering attack involving email and text message campaigns designed to create a sense of urgency, curiosity, or fear in victims. These scams prompt victims to disclose sensitive information, click on malicious links, or open malware-laden attachments. For example, an email might claim a policy violation and direct users to an illegitimate website that resembles a real one, tricking them into entering their credentials. Because phishing messages are often identical or nearly identical, they are easier for mail servers to detect and block using threat-sharing platforms.

Spear phishing

Spear phishing involves carefully planned deceptions by the attacker and can take weeks or months to execute. These attacks are harder to detect and more likely to succeed if executed skillfully. In a typical spear phishing scenario, an attacker might pose as someone known to employees. The attacker will email them, in a style that mimics the actual person, deceiving recipients into believing the messages are legitimate. The email requests recipients to change their password and includes a link to a malicious site where the attacker can capture their credentials.

Social Engineering Training is crucial to reducing vulnerabilities within an organization. Integrating training into a broader cybersecurity strategy is an essential strategy for any modern business. Creating and reinforcing awareness of common social engineering scams, and building a security-conscious culture will encourage proactive behavior and vigilance amongst employees, as well as providing valuable training on how to react in the event of an attack, paving the way for a more resilient cybersecurity landscape. 

Curious about implementing or improving your organizations social engineering training programs, contact a rewterz expert!