What is Social Engineering?
Social engineering refers to a range of malicious activities accomplished through human interaction. It exploits psychological manipulation to trick individuals into revealing confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. In the context of web application security, social engineering can compromise user accounts, corporate data, and sensitive information by targeting the human element rather than directly exploiting technical vulnerabilities.
Common techniques of social engineering include phishing, pretexting, baiting, and tailgating. Phishing attacks are often executed via deceptive emails that appear to come from legitimate sources, prompting users to click on links or provide information. In contrast, pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario to obtain information from individuals. Baiting leverages curiosity or fear, offering a false promise to manipulate behaviors, while tailgating refers to unauthorized access obtained by following someone with authorized access.
To protect against social engineering attacks, organizations should implement comprehensive security awareness training for employees, establish strict authentication protocols, and encourage skepticism towards unsolicited communications. Regular security assessments and simulated attacks can also enhance an organization’s resilience.