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What is social engineering

Social engineering is the term used for a broad range of malicious activities accomplished through human interactions. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information.

Social engineering attacks happen in one or more steps. A perpetrator first investigates the intended victim to gather necessary background information, such as potential points of entry and weak security protocols, needed to proceed with the attack. Then, the attacker moves to gain the victim's trust and provide stimuli for subsequent actions that break security practices, such as revealing sensitive information or granting access to critical resources.

What makes social engineering especially dangerous is that it relies on human error, rather than vulnerabilities in software and operating systems. Mistakes made by legitimate users are much less predictable, making them harder to identify and thwart than a malware-based intrusion.

Social engineering attack techniques

Social engineering attacks come in many different forms and can be performed anywhere where human interaction is involved. The following are the five most common forms of digital social engineering assaults.

Baiting

As its name implies, baiting attacks use a false promise to pique a victim's greed or curiosity. They lure users into a trap that steals their personal information or inflicts their systems with malware.

The most reviled form of baiting uses physical media to disperse malware. For example, attackers leave the bait-typically malware-infected flash drives-in conspicuous areas where potential victims are certain to see them (e.g., bathrooms, elevators, the parking lot of a targeted company). The bait has an authentic look to it, such as a label presenting it as the company's payroll list.

Victims pick up the bait out of curiosity and insert it into a work or home computer, resulting in automatic malware installation on the system.

Baiting scams don't necessarily have to be carried out in the physical world. Online forms of baiting consist of enticing ads that lead to malicious sites or that encourage users to download a malware-infected application.

Scareware

Scareware involves victims being bombarded with false alarms and fictitious threats. Users are deceived to think their system is infected with malware, prompting them to install software that has no real benefit (other than for the perpetrator) or is malware itself. Scareware is also referred to as deception software, rogue scanner software and fraudware.

A common scareware example is the legitimate-looking popup banners appearing in your browser while surfing the web, displaying such text such as, "Your computer may be infected with harmful spyware programs." It either offers to install the tool (often malware-infected) for you, or will direct you to a malicious site where your computer becomes infected.

Scareware is also distributed via spam email that doles out bogus warnings, or makes offers for users to buy worthless/harmful services.

Pretexting

Here an attacker obtains information through a series of cleverly crafted lies. The scam is often initiated by a perpetrator pretending to need sensitive information from a victim so as to perform a critical task.

The attacker usually starts by establishing trust with their victim by impersonating co-workers, police, bank and tax officials, or other persons who have right-to-know authority. The pretexter asks questions that are ostensibly required to confirm the victim's identity, through which they gather important personal data.

All sorts of pertinent information and records is gathered using this scam, such as social security numbers, personal addresses and phone numbers, phone records, staff vacation dates, bank records and even security information related to a physical plant.

Phishing

As one of the most popular social engineering attack types, phishing scams are email and text message campaigns aimed at creating a sense of urgency, curiosity or fear in victims. It then prods them into revealing sensitive information, clicking on links to malicious websites, or opening attachments that contain malware.

An example is an email sent to users of an online service that alerts them of a policy violation requiring immediate action on their part, such as a required password change. It includes a link to an illegitimate website-nearly identical in appearance to its legitimate version-prompting the unsuspecting user to enter their current credentials and new password. Upon form submittal the information is sent to the attacker.

Given that identical, or near-identical, messages are sent to all users in phishing campaigns, detecting and blocking them are much easier for mail servers having access to threat sharing platforms.

Spear phishing

This is a more targeted version of the phishing scam whereby an attacker chooses specific individuals or enterprises. They then tailor their messages based on characteristics, job positions, and contacts belonging to their victims to make their attack less conspicuous. Spear phishing requires much more effort on behalf of the perpetrator and may take weeks and months to pull off. They're much harder to detect and have better success rates if done skillfully.

A spear phishing scenario might involve an attacker who, in impersonating an organization's IT consultant, sends an email to one or more employees. It's worded and signed exactly as the consultant normally does, thereby deceiving recipients into thinking it's an authentic message. The message prompts recipients to change their password and provides them with a link that redirects them to a malicious page where the attacker now captures their credentials.

Social engineering prevention

Social engineers manipulate human feelings, such as curiosity or fear, to carry out schemes and draw victims into their traps. Therefore, be wary whenever you feel alarmed by an email, attracted to an offer displayed on a website, or when you come across stray digital media lying about. Being alert can help you protect yourself against most social engineering attacks taking place in the digital realm.

Moreover, the following tips can help improve your vigilance in relation to social engineering hacks.

Don't open emails and attachments from suspicious sources - If you don't know the sender in question, you don't need to answer an email. Even if you do know them and are suspicious about their message, cross-check and confirm the news from other sources, such as via telephone or directly from a service provider's site. Remember that email addresses are spoofed all of the time; even an email purportedly coming from a trusted source may have actually been initiated by an attacker.

Use multifactor authentication - One of the most valuable pieces of information attackers seek are user credentials. Using multifactor authentication helps ensure your account's protection in the event of system compromise. Imperva Login Protect is an easy-to-deploy 2FA solution that can increase account security for your applications.

Be wary of tempting offers - If an offer sounds too enticing, think twice before accepting it as fact. Googling the topic can help you quickly determine whether you're dealing with a legitimate offer or a trap.

Keep your antivirus/antimalware software updated - Make sure automatic updates are engaged, or make it a habit to download the latest signatures first thing each day. Periodically check to make sure that the updates have been applied, and scan your system for possible infections.

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What is Social Engineering | Attack Techniques & Prevention Methods | Imperva

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Social engineering uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information

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Phishing scams are email and text message campaigns aimed at creating a sense of urgency, curiosity or fear in victims.

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Establishing trust with their victim by impersonating co-workers, police, bank and tax officials etc

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Scareware involves victims being bombarded with false alarms and fictitious threats.

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Baiting attacks use a false promise to pique a victim’s greed or curiosity.

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Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages
Look out for Urgency
Look out for emotional motivators
Do not provide personal information unless you are certain of Identity of the person asking for the information
Check for https
Confirm URL before entering information
Install and Update Antivirus
Enforce MFA

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Do not give sensitive information to others unless you are sure that they are indeed who they claim to be and that they should have access to the information.

What is a social engineering attack?

In a social engineering attack, an attacker uses human interaction (social skills) to obtain or compromise information about an organization or its computer systems. An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable, possibly claiming to be a new employee, repair person, or researcher and even offering credentials to support that identity. However, by asking questions, he or she may be able to piece together enough information to infiltrate an organization's network. If an attacker is not able to gather enough information from one source, he or she may contact another source within the same organization and rely on the information from the first source to add to his or her credibility.

What is a phishing attack?

Phishing is a form of social engineering. Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites to solicit personal information by posing as a trustworthy organization. For example, an attacker may send email seemingly from a reputable credit card company or financial institution that requests account information, often suggesting that there is a problem. When users respond with the requested information, attackers can use it to gain access to the accounts.

Phishing attacks may also appear to come from other types of organizations, such as charities. Attackers often take advantage of current events and certain times of the year, such as

Natural disasters (e.g., Hurricane Katrina, Indonesian tsunami)

Epidemics and health scares (e.g., H1N1, COVID-19)

Economic concerns (e.g., IRS scams)

Major political elections

Holidays

What is a vishing attack?

Vishing is the social engineering approach that leverages voice communication. This technique can be combined with other forms of social engineering that entice a victim to call a certain number and divulge sensitive information. Advanced vishing attacks can take place completely over voice communications by exploiting Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions and broadcasting services. VoIP easily allows caller identity (ID) to be spoofed, which can take advantage of the public's misplaced trust in the security of phone services, especially landline services. Landline communication cannot be intercepted without physical access to the line; however, this trait is not beneficial when communicating directly with a malicious actor.

What is a smishing attack?

Smishing is a form of social engineering that exploits SMS, or text, messages. Text messages can contain links to such things as webpages, email addresses or phone numbers that when clicked may automatically open a browser window or email message or dial a number. This integration of email, voice, text message, and web browser functionality increases the likelihood that users will fall victim to engineered malicious activity.

What are common indicators of phishing attempts?

Suspicious sender's address. The sender's address may imitate a legitimate business. Cybercriminals often use an email address that closely resembles one from a reputable company by altering or omitting a few characters.

Generic greetings and signature. Both a generic greeting-such as "Dear Valued Customer" or "Sir/Ma'am"-and a lack of contact information in the signature block are strong indicators of a phishing email. A trusted organization will normally address you by name and provide their contact information.

Spoofed hyperlinks and websites. If you hover your cursor over any links in the body of the email, and the links do not match the text that appears when hovering over them, the link may be spoofed. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net). Additionally, cybercriminals may use a URL shortening service to hide the true destination of the link.

Spelling and layout. Poor grammar and sentence structure, misspellings, and inconsistent formatting are other indicators of a possible phishing attempt. Reputable institutions have dedicated personnel that produce, verify, and proofread customer correspondence.

Suspicious attachments. An unsolicited email requesting a user download and open an attachment is a common delivery mechanism for malware. A cybercriminal may use a false sense of urgency or importance to help persuade a user to download or open an attachment without examining it first.

How do you avoid being a victim?

Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages from individuals asking about employees or other internal information. If an unknown individual claims to be from a legitimate organization, try to verify his or her identity directly with the company.

Do not provide personal information or information about your organization, including its structure or networks, unless you are certain of a person's authority to have the information.

Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes following links sent in email.

Don't send sensitive information over the internet before checking a website's security. (See Protecting Your Privacy for more information.)

Pay attention to the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a website. Look for URLs that begin with "https"-an indication that sites are secure-rather than "http."

Look for a closed padlock icon-a sign your information will be encrypted.

If you are unsure whether an email request is legitimate, try to verify it by contacting the company directly. Do not use contact information provided on a website connected to the request; instead, check previous statements for contact information. Information about known phishing attacks is also available online from groups such as the Anti-Phishing Working Group. (See the APWG eCrime Research Papers).

Install and maintain anti-virus software, firewalls, and email filters to reduce some of this traffic. (See Understanding Firewalls for Home and Small Office Use, Protecting Against Malicious Code, and Reducing Spam for more information.)

Take advantage of any anti-phishing features offered by your email client and web browser.

Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA). (See Supplementing Passwords for more information.)

What do you do if you think you are a victim?

If you believe you might have revealed sensitive information about your organization, report it to the appropriate people within the organization, including network administrators. They can be alert for any suspicious or unusual activity.

If you believe your financial accounts may be compromised, contact your financial institution immediately and close any accounts that may have been compromised. Watch for any unexplainable charges to your account.

Immediately change any passwords you might have revealed. If you used the same password for multiple resources, make sure to change it for each account, and do not use that password in the future.

Watch for other signs of identity theft. (See Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft for more information.)

Consider reporting the attack to the police, and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Authors Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

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Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks | CISA

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What is a social engineering attack? In a social engineering attack, an attacker uses human interaction (social skills) to obtain or compromise information about an organization or its computer systems. An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable, possibly claiming to be a new employee, repair p…

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Here's Why Hackers Don't Need Your Passwords

No matter how strong your password or security setup is, hackers and scammers know there's one vulnerability they can always exploit: You.

Social engineering attacks use the "human loophole" to get around cybersecurity roadblocks. Instead of hacking your accounts to steal your identity, they hack you by using phishing attacks, imposter frauds, and other scams.

So how do you protect yourself, your family, and your business from these ever-evolving types of social engineering attacks? Your best defense is to stay informed.

In this guide, we'll teach you what social engineering is, how to identify red flags of social engineering attacks, and what to do to keep yourself safe.

What Are Social Engineering Attacks?

Hackers use deceptive psychological manipulation to instill fear, excitement, or urgency. Once you're in a heightened emotional state, they'll use that against you to cloud your better judgment.

It only takes one human error to become a victim of a socially engineered attack. And this vulnerability is the reason why criminals are using social engineering techniques more often.

How Do Social Engineering Attacks Work?

Social engineering attacks are relatively straight-forward. All a hacker needs to do is convince one under-informed, stressed, or trusting person to do what they say.

And the results are worth it.

In one of the highest-profile social engineering attacks of all time, hackers tricked Twitter employees into giving them access to internal tools [*]. The hackers then hijacked the accounts of people like Joe Biden, Elon Musk, and Kanye West to try and get their many followers to send Bitcoin to the hackers.

These attacks are incredibly easy to pull off, and they all follow a similar pattern.
The four phases of a social engineering attack are:

1. Discovery and investigation

2. Deception and hook

3. Attack

4. Retreat

1. Discovery and investigation

Scammers start by identifying targets who have what they're seeking. This usually includes credentials, data, unauthorized access, money, confidential information, etc.

Once they know who you are, the hackers use this information to craft the perfect personalized attack. And because the attacker knows so much about you, you'll be more likely to lower your guard.

2. Deception and hook

As scammers learn more about their victims, they'll look for potential entry points. These could include your email address, phone number, and social media account - any avenue by which they can get in touch and open the door for an attack.

Then, they reach out with a "hook" to get you interested.

For example, let's say you just earned a new job title and posted it on LinkedIn. A scammer could easily spoof an email from a well-known industry website and ask you for an interview. It seems harmless and normal, so why wouldn't you respond?

3. Attack

When the hook lures you in, the scammer executes one of several types of social engineering attacks.

For instance, after you click the link to set up an online interview, the scammer secretly installs malware on your device. The next thing you know, your entire corporate network is infected, and the scammer has stolen gigabytes of sensitive data.

Tiny cybersecurity mistakes like this can cost companies huge sums of money. The average cost of a company data breach is a staggering $4.24 million [*].

4. Retreat

As soon as criminals complete their mission, they'll vanish with as little evidence as possible. The average time to detect a cyber attack or data breach is close to 200 days, so you won't even know what's happened until they're long gone.

The 12 Most Common Types of Social Engineering Attacks

1. Phishing attacks

2. Spear phishing

3. Whaling

4. Smishing and vishing

5. Baiting

6. Piggybacking/Tailgating

7. Pretexting

8. Business Email Compromise (BEC)

9. Quid Pro Quo (i.e., tech support scams)

10. Honeytraps (romance scams)

11. Scareware

12. Watering hole attacks

1. Phishing attacks

Phishing is the most common type of social engineering tactic and has increased more than tenfold in the past three years, according to the FBI [*].

Phishing attacks occur when scammers use any form of communication (usually emails) to "fish" for information. These messages look identical to ones from trusted sources like organizations and people you know.

Source: Vade

For example, a scammer might send you an email claiming to be from your bank, stating that your account's password has been compromised. Because the email looks legitimate and the message feels urgent, you'll quickly click on the included link or scan the QR code and enter your account information (which then goes straight to the scammer).

There are three main goals of any phishing scam:

1. Get you to click a link. Phishing emails often include links that install malware on your devices.

2. Get you to download an attachment. Scammers will also disguise malware and viruses as legitimate attachments. For example, hackers will send an email claiming to be from a law firm with a "court notice to appear" attachment. But when you download it, your device becomes infected.

3. Get you to enter your credentials on a website. Many times, hackers will try to get you to go to a legitimate-looking website and enter credentials. For example, they'll send you an email saying an online account was compromised and to change your password. But anything you enter - username, password, etc. - goes straight to them.

Pro tip: Install antivirus software that will warn you about phishing sites and malware.

In the past, you could check to see if a site was secure by looking to see if it used HTTPS (and not HTTP) in its URL. But today, 50% of phishing sites use HTTPS - making malicious links more challenging to spot [*].

2. Spear phishing

Normal phishing attacks have no specific target. But spear phishing attacks occur when hackers target a specific individual or organization.

Nearly 60% of IT decision-makers believe targeted phishing attacks are their top security threat [*].

During 2015, hackers completed a $1 billion heist spanning 40 countries with spear phishing. The scammers sent bank employees phishing emails with an attachment to deploy Carbanak malware. Once clicked, the hackers could control the employees' workstations and were able to infect ATM servers remotely.

A new take on spear phishing is called angler phishing. This occurs when scammers impersonate customer service accounts on social media with the goal of getting you to send them your login information.

3. Whaling

Whaling is a term used to describe phishing attacks that target a specific, high-profile person. Usually, an executive, government official, or celebrity.

The victims of whaling attacks are considered "big fish" to cybercriminals. These targets offer great potential to scammers with either large financial payouts or access to valuable data.

In the case of hacked celebrities, scammers hope to find compromising photos that they can use to extort exorbitant ransoms.

In another example, hackers send spoof emails to C-level employees that appear to come from within the victim's organization. The sender claims to know confidential information about a coworker - but is afraid to report the situation in person.

Instead, they'll share their evidence as a spreadsheet, PDF, or slide deck.

But when victims click the link, they're taken to a malicious website. And if they try to open the attachment, malware infects their system and spreads to their network.

Protect your devices from malware using Aura's advanced antivirus software. Aura protects your devices and networks from malicious attacks.

4. Smishing (SMS phishing) and vishing (voice phishing)

Phishing isn't always limited to emails and fraudulent websites.

Smishing is the term used to describe phishing via the use of SMS text messages. Scammers purchase spoofed phone numbers and blast out messages containing malicious links.

There's also vishing, which is the same as phishing but done over the phone.

Vishing is especially widespread in businesses. Scammers will contact a company's front desk, customer service, HR, or IT and claim to need personal information about an employee. Lies range from mortgage lenders trying to "verify" email addresses to executive assistants requesting password changes on their boss's behalf.

All these forms of phishing can lead to identity theft, malware, and financial devastation.

5. Baiting

Baiting is a type of social engineering attack in which scammers lure victims into providing sensitive information by promising them something valuable in return.

For example, scammers will create pop-up ads that offer free games, music, or movie downloads. If you click on the link, your device will be infected with malware.

Baiting scams also exist in the physical world.

One common example is a strategically placed USB stick with an enticing label like "Payroll Q3" or "Master client database."

A curious employee will pick up the drive and insert it into their workstation, which then infects their entire network.

6. Piggybacking / Tailgating

Piggybacking and tailgating both refer to a type of attack in which an authorized person allows an unauthorized person access to a restricted area.

This form of social engineering may happen at your place of work if you let someone follow you into the building. Or, it could happen at your apartment building as you're leaving for the day.

Scammers may be dressed as delivery drivers, say they forgot their IDs, or pretend that they're "new." Once inside, they can spy on people, access workstations, check the names on mailboxes, and more.

Tailgating also includes giving unauthorized users (like a coworker or child) access to your company devices. They may put your device at risk and spread malicious code throughout the rest of your company.

7. Pretexting

Pretexting occurs when someone creates a fake persona or misuses their actual role. It's what most often happens with data breaches from the inside.

Edward Snowden infamously told his coworkers that he needed their passwords as their system administrator. Victims, respecting his title, willingly complied without giving it a second thought [*].

These scammers establish trust using their title, then convince victims to give them sensitive data. They know people will be hesitant to question them or be too scared to push back on these impersonators, even if something seems off.

8. Business Email Compromise (BEC)

The FBI received close to 20,000 complaints of business email compromise (BEC) in 2021, with companies losing over $2.4 billion [*].

There are three main types of BEC social engineering attacks:

1. Impersonation. This occurs when scammers use spoof emails to pose as employees or trusted vendors and clients. They'll ask their target to send fraudulent payments, change payroll and direct deposit information, or share sensitive information.

2. Account compromise. This occurs when hackers gain access to a legitimate employee email address. Scammers can reply to and send emails company-wide (to clients, vendors, etc.), containing malicious code.

3. Thread hijacking. This is an advanced take on an account compromise attack. Thread hijacking occurs when hackers scan compromised inboxes for subject lines containing "Re:". They then automatically reply with malware-laced messages. Recipients open the hacked email, not thinking twice because they "know" the sender.

BEC attacks usually go unnoticed by cybersecurity teams, so they require specific awareness training to be prevented.

9. Quid Pro Quo attacks (i.e., tech support scams)

Quid pro quo translates to "a favor for a favor."

The most common version of a quid pro quo attack occurs when scammers pretend to be from an IT department or other technical service provider.

They'll call or message you with an offer to speed up your internet, extend a free trial, or even give you free gift cards in return for trying out software.

The only thing that victims need to do is create a free account or give out/verify their login credentials. When scammers receive this sensitive information, they'll use it against the victim or sell it on the Dark Web.

10. Honeytraps (romance scams)

Honeytraps are a type of romance scam in which scammers create fake online dating and social media profiles using attractive stolen photos. For example, in a military romance scam, the fraudster will pose as an active service member stationed far away and unable to meet in person.

Once they identify a target, they'll start sending flirty and provocative messages, and quickly tell their victims they're in love with them. But, they need the victims to prove they feel the same way by sending gifts, cash, or cryptocurrency.

11. Scareware

Scareware - also known as fraudware, deception software, and rogue scanner software - frightens victims into believing they're under imminent threat. For example, you could receive a message saying that your device has been infected with a virus.

Scareware often appears as pop-ups in your browser. It can also appear in spam emails.

Victims are supposed to click on a button to either remove the virus or download software that will uninstall the malicious code. But doing so is what causes the actual malicious software to get in.

12. Watering hole attacks

A watering hole attack occurs when hackers infect a site that they know you regularly visit.

When you visit the site, you automatically download malware (known as a drive-by-download). Or, you'll be taken to a fake version of the site that is designed to steal your credentials.

For example, scammers could divert you away from a normal login page to one designed to steal your account name and password. It will look exactly the same. But anything you enter will go straight to the scammer.

This is where having a password manager becomes so important. Even if a phishing site looks exactly like the real one, a password manager won't automatically enter your credentials.

How to Identify Most Types of Social Engineering Attacks

The one predictable thing about social engineering attacks is that they all follow a similar pattern. This means that once you start to recognize the warning signs, you can quickly tell if someone is trying to scam you online.

So what should you look for if you think you've been targeted by an attack?

Carefully check emails including names, addresses, and copy

If you receive a suspicious email, check for spelling and grammar mistakes.

Does the email address look similar to one in your contact list, but just slightly off? For instance, "vwong@example.com" isn't the same as, "vVVong@example.com."

Recognize common phishing email subject lines

Every phishing email uses an enticing and emotionally charged subject line to hook its victims.

Some of the most effective subject lines to watch out for include:

Notice: Your online account was accessed

IRS Tax Transcript

Celebrate Mom this Sunday with an exquisite $29.96 bouquet

Service cancellation [date]

SHIPPING DOCUMENT / TRACKING CONFIRMATION

Confirmation for your delivery

FBI letter of notification [code 210]

Incoming fax

Notice of payment

Treat as urgent and get back to me

Re: Your installation

Your phone number

Never open emails from senders you don't know. And don't ever open emails in your spam folder either.

Slow down, and assess any emotions that the message generates

Social engineering attacks prey on human instincts such as trust, excitement, fear, greed, and curiosity.

If you have a strong reaction to an email or online offer, take a minute to check in with your better judgment before proceeding.

Credible representatives will never make you feel threatened or demeaned, nor will they pressure you to act quickly. And if an offer is too good to be true, look for the catch.

Verify the identity of anyone who you don't know personally

If you're contacted by an impersonator over the phone or suspect your colleague's email account has been hacked, it's best to act on your suspicions.

Reputable agents will never ask for your sensitive information over the phone or via email. They'll verify your identity using a security question that you preselected. You can directly contact the bank or institution they are impersonating to confirm whether the contact was legitimate.

Never pay a ransom, and report ransomware to the FBI

If you pay hackers to recover your files or stolen data, they'll continue to use these attacks as a viable source of revenue.

If you believe you're a victim of ransomware, you should:

Were you the victim of fraud? Follow our fraud victim's checklist for step-by-step instructions on how to recover from fraud.

Who Are the Main Targets of Social Engineering Attacks?

The goal of every social engineering attack is to gain access to sensitive information such as bank accounts, company data, or Social Security numbers. The more access someone has to what criminals want, the more attractive that target becomes.

Victims of social engineering attacks are most often:

High-worth individuals, high-profile employees, and high-level leaders. Criminals target people with high levels of access. That's why CEO fraud is now a $12 billion scam [*]. It's always a good idea to set up fraud monitoring to alert you if anyone has gained access to your personal financial accounts. ‍

Popular online personalities. People who share more personal information online are more likely to be targets. If your spouse has 50k Instagram followers, or your child is a top video game streamer, they could be targets.‍

Younger generations and employees who are uninformed about cybersecurity threats. One study revealed that 45% of millennial employees don't know what phishing is, even though it's the #1 type of social engineering attack. To make matters worse, only 27% of companies provide social engineering awareness training [*].

These groups aren't the only people who are targeted by scammers. The truth is that anyone can become the victim of a social engineering attack.

How to Protect Yourself From Social Engineering Attacks

Then, follow these tips to secure yourself and your family from social engineering attacks:

Shrink your online footprint. The less you share online and on social media, the harder it is for hackers to target you. Avoid posting personal information. Even things like real-time vacation pictures or your child's school name can be used against you.

Install antivirus software. Ransomware, malware, and spyware exist at unprecedented levels today. Don't let these harmful applications wreak havoc on your privacy. Try an antivirus solution like Aura to keep your devices protected.

Regularly check your credit report and bank statements. Scammers are almost always after your financial accounts. Check for the warning signs of identity theft - such as strange charges on your bank statement or accounts you don't recognize. An identity theft protection service like Aura can monitor your credit and statements for you and alert you to any signs of fraud.

Use a VPN when browsing and shopping online. Aura's VPNscrambles the data you send and makes your location untraceable. ‍

Always use two- or multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA). This is a second-layer of security on all your accounts. So if a hacker tricks you into sending your password, they still need a special code - that only you have - to gain access to your accounts. For the best security, use an authenticator app instead of 2FA over SMS.‍

Monitor the Dark Web for your exposed data. Hackers will often sell your personal data on the Dark Web.

Consider signing up for identity theft protection. Aura's top-rated identity theft protection monitors all of your most sensitive personal information, online accounts, and finances for signs of fraud. If a scammer tries to access your accounts or finances, Aura can help you take action before it's too late. Try Aura's 14-day free trialfor immediate protection while you're most vulnerable.

How to Protect Your Business From Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering attacks don't just come for your personal information. Most of the time, they target your business or employer in order to steal sensitive information and data.

Here are a few final tips to keep your team and company safe from social engineering attacks:

Create a positive security culture. Only 3% of victims report malicious emails to management. By the time they do, serious damage has often already rocked the system [*]. Encourage victims to report potential cybersecurity incidents without fear of repercussions. You want matters handled as soon as possible, before they get worse.

Commit to ongoing security awareness training. Over 60% of IT professionals say new hires are the most susceptible to socially engineered attacks [*]. So make security awareness training mandatory during onboarding.

Regularly test your team. Research outside services that create simulated social engineering attacks. Organize a few penetration tests to see which employees take the bait. These tests aren't aimed to embarrass team members but to show them how easy it is to become a victim.

Keep your site, app, and hardware updated. When hackers notice a vulnerability or weakness in a webpage, they can infect it with malware. This will then rapidly infect all users in what's known as a watering hole attack. Make sure you keep your anti-malware tools, email spam filters, and firewalls current.

Set up data monitoring. Your company's data analytics should include sensitive file monitoring. Check records of when they're accessed, downloaded, and shared. See if you notice unusual behavior, like employees downloading sensitive information after hours.

The Bottom Line: Human Hacking Can Be Avoided

Most Americans are aware of large-scale social engineering attacks. Yet they have trouble picturing how those same attacks could ruin their own reputations, families, and businesses.

Anyone can become a victim of cleverly-designed social engineering techniques. And simple human error has the potential to pack a devastating punch.

Learning how to spot all types of social engineering attacks is the first step. For added protection, consider an identity theft and device protection tool like Aura.

With Aura, you get military-grade encryption, Wi-Fi and network security, malware and phishing alerts, and a full suite of fraud detection and identity theft protection.

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The 12 Latest Types of Social Engineering Attacks (2023)

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Hackers use social engineering attacks to manipulate you into giving them what they want - passwords, data, and money. Here's how to protect yourself.

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How Social Engineering affects Cyber Security

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How Social Engineering affects Cyber Security

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Using social Engineering the attacker can get access to personal information of the victim such as their Login Credentials, Security Questions and personal information such as addresses. Then the attacker uses this information to steal the Identity of Victim.

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Cyber Breach at the South Carolina Dept of Revenue

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The Perfect Weapon (2020): Sony Hack (Clip) | HBO

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Former Ubiquiti Developer Nick Sharp Charged With Extortion and Causing 2020 “Breach”

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Identity Theft Social Engineering Example

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Indictment: 2016 Democrat campaign hacked using phishing

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Clinton staffers who opened the malicious Excel document were directed to a dummy website that stole their personal data; a site controlled by a Russian intelligence organisation. The tactics employed by the alleged Russian hackers are exactly the same kind of social engineering techniques criminals

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The Toyota Boshoku Corporation, a major supplier of Toyota auto parts, reported some distressing news this week. Fraudsters fleeced the company via an email scam to the tune of about ¥ 4 billion (JPY). That works out to just over $37 million at today's exchange rate.

On August 14th, attackers managed to convince someone with financial authority to change account information on an electronic funds transfer. Both Toyota Boshoku Corporation and its subsidiary have been in contact with law enforcement officials and an investigation is under way.

It's not yet know if the company will be able to recover any of the misdirected funds. Understandably, the press release offers few additional details. It does note that the incident may require the company to adjust its March 2020 financial projections.

This type of cyberattack is known as a business email compromise (or BEC), and they've become frightfully common in recent years. According to a report from the FBI, BECs have cost the global business community about $5.3 billion over the last six years. It's believed that 75% of businesses are exposed to at least one attempted BEC in a given year.

The attacker's playbook is fairly straightforward. They start by identifying names and email addresses of potential victims (often in finance and HR departments) and a suitable name and email address from which to launch the attack (an executive, manager, or even a finance staffer who works for a contractor).

If an attacker takes a quick and dirty approach, he or she might simply browse a corporate website or poke around LinkedIn. Spearphishing emails are often sent from an address that looks authentic. For a fairly minimal amount of effort, a cybercriminal might score several thousand dollars.

When the target is a massive corporation like Toyota Boshoku the attacks tend to be more sophisticated. Malware is often involved, with the cybercriminal phishing an employee and then snooping on email messages. Attack emails are sent from a legitimate corporate email account making which makes them much more believable.

A skillful attacker might do months or even years of reconnaissance to learn the victims' communication habits. Once enough background information has been gathered, they'll wait for the right opportunity to strike. Generally the attacker will pounce when an large transfers of funds come up in an email, say, for example, the closing of a real estate deal or payment for services rendered.

What steps can you take to avoid being victimized by a BEC? The FBI has published a list of six mitigations, including verifying any changes to transactions by phone with the requestor and requiring those changes to be authorized by two parties.

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Toyota Parts Supplier Hit By $37 Million Email Scam

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The Toyota Boshoku Corporation, a major supplier of Toyota auto parts, reported some distressing news this week. Fraudsters fleeced the company via an email scam to the tune of about ¥ 4 billion (JPY). That works out to just over $37 million at today's exchange rate.

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Now You See Me (6/11) Movie CLIP - Robbing Tressler (2013) HD