Today, one of the biggest threats to companies everywhere involves social engineering attacks. Everyone needs to understand what social engineering is, some of the most common social engineering techniques, and how they can use this to protect people’s login credentials from phishing attacks. Usually, a social engineering attack is conducted to can someone login credentials. This is usually used to access an email account, credit card information, or even listen in on someone’s phone calls. When people compromise their personal information, they could place not only their information depressed but also the company’s information. Phishing attacks are a major threat today, and companies need to make sure they educate their employees on how a phishing campaign usually unfolds. By protecting personal data and sensitive information from harm, they can protect themselves against social Engineers. As one of the most important cybersecurity components, it is important to understand what phishing emails look like and how they might be used to steal someone’s sensitive information or personal information.
What Are the Most Common Examples of a Social Engineering Attack?
A social engineering attack usually unfolds with someone seeking to use readily available information, such as on social media accounts, to make themselves look like someone they are not. Then, they use this to steal confidential information, such as access to the bank account. When it comes to gaining access to be confidential resources, there are a few common ways that this might be done. These include:
- Phishing Attack: A phishing attack usually uses deceptive emails, websites, landing pages, and text messages to steal personal information.
- Spear Phishing Attack: A spear-phishing attack is a more focused example of a social engineering attack. In a spear-phishing attack, extra information is gained about a single person to try to make the attack look more convincing.
- Quid Pro Quo: A quid pro quo will rely on exchanging information or service to convince someone to surrender their login credentials.
- Tailgating: If a tailgating attack unfolds, this relies on a human trusting someone else to give that person physical access to a secure location. If someone forgets to close the door behind them, this is a great way for someone to enter a confidential environment.
- Vishing: Like phishing attacks, this type of attack uses voicemails to convince someone that they need to act quickly or something bad will happen to them.
- Baiting: If someone is trying to bait someone else online, they are trying to “guilt” them into doing something that will surrender confidential information about them or their company.
- Pretexting: In this type of attack, someone tries to fake their identity to trick someone into surrendering confidential information.
- Water-Holing: This is a sophisticated type of social engineering attack that will affect the website and its visitors with malware types.
These are just a few of the most common types of social engineering attacks. They are evolving every day, and criminals usually take advantage of human emotions to pull off a successful attack. Therefore, companies must educate their employees to ensure they do not fall prey to these types of attacks.
What Are Some of the Most Common Emotions Used in Social Engineering Attacks?
There are several types of emotions that someone might use to convince that person to surrender an email address, a social security number, or other confidential information types. These include:
- Fear: One of the most powerful human emotions is fear. Therefore, criminals will use fear to try to convince someone to surrender confidential information. They might say that the person is under investigation for tax fraud or is being actively investigated for a crime. Then, they will use this information to steal confidential information regarding that person’s taxes or activities.
- Greed: Greed is another powerful human emotion. Sometimes, criminals will tell someone they can transfer a million dollars into their account by giving them their bank account number and routing number. This is one of the most common ways that criminals gain access to someone’s bank account.
- Curiosity: People always want to be the first person to know something. Therefore, criminals will pay attention to the news. Then, they will offer someone confidential information about a recent event that happened on the news in exchange for something else. This is how a quid pro quo phishing attack might happen.
- Helpfulness: There are lots of situations where someone might feel helpless. Therefore, they are looking for someone to lend a helping hand. The reality is that it feels good to help someone. Therefore, someone might feel like they are helping a company member when they give them their login information.
- A Sense of Urgency: If people feel like there is a time limit on something, they do not think straight. Therefore, a sense of urgency is commonly used by cybercriminals to convince someone to act before they are truly ready. Therefore, people must keep their wits about them when they receive information that tells them that they need to surrender their phone number and home address immediately to take care of a sensitive issue.
These are a few of the most common emotions that criminals will use to take advantage of someone. Therefore, companies need to educate their employees on keeping their wits about them and preventing and surrendering confidential information to a potential cybercriminal. With proper education, companies can protect themselves and their employees from harm. When people stick together and educate each other on these cyberattacks, the chances of falling victim to one of them will drop dramatically.
