A whopping 98% of cyber-attacks come from social engineering attacks. Cyber criminals use social engineering schemes in order to convince people to open email attachments infected with malware, persuade them  to divulge sensitive information, or even install and run the malware.

What is social engineering?

Social engineering is a method used by cyber attackers to manipulate and deceive people to divulge confidential information, granting access to restricted systems or areas, or performing actions that they normally wouldn't do. It often involves psychological manipulation through human interaction more than technical means. Today, social engineering is known as one of the biggest security threats for companies. It's different from regular hacking because social engineering doesn't always need advanced computer skills and does not necessarily involve breaking into software or systems. But when successful, these attacks allow cybercriminals to gain legitimate access to confidential information.

Types of Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering attacks come in so many different forms, but they are all designed to convince people to release sensitive information or to take certain actions that they normally would not. The following are some common types:

• Phishing: is usually involves sending fraudulent emails, messages, or websites that are designed to appear to be from legitimate, trusted sources in order to lure people into disclosing personal information, such as login information or bank details.
• Spear phishing: is an advanced form of phishing where attackers target specific individuals or organizations. They use personal details about the target to build legitimacy and trust. This information is often gathered from social media or available online sources. By tailoring their approach, attackers increase their chances of success in obtaining sensitive information like financial or trade secrets.
• Pretexting: this involves a story, typically to get the victim's trust, the attacker achieves this by pretending to be someone else, such as a bank representative or IT support. An attacker replies mostly on trust  to get access.
• Baiting: it is a technique used to entice victims by offering a valuable item, like a prize or a free , to lure them to click on malicious links or download files that contain malware.
• Tailgating: This is commonly referred to as piggybacking as it involves physically following someone into a restricted area without proper authorization, usually based on the victim's courtesy or lack of attention.  For example, Tailgating happens when someone asks the victim to hold the door open because they forgot their key card or asks to borrow their phone or laptop to complete a simple task and instead installs malware or steals data.
• Quid Pro Quo: attackers request sensitive information from the victim, tempting them with or reward in return. For instance, they may ask for login details in exchange for some form of compensation. Remember, if something appears overly enticing, it's probably a deceptive tactic.

These are just a few examples of social engineering attacks, all of them rely on some sort of manipulation and deception to exploit human trust. Understanding  of these social engineering techniques is key in developing effective prevention measures. Once people are aware of these tactics, they can strengthen themselves against such tricks.

How to prevent social engineering attacks

1. Be Wary of Unsolicited Requests: Remain cautious when an email pops into your inbox, phone rings or a message pops up on your device, asking for personal information or an urgent favor without requesting a password.

• Pause to think twice before responding to an unannounced request.
• Verify the source of messages, instead of clicking on an embedded link.
• Assess the reality of situations presented, and in particular those that ask one to take an immediate action, or share sensitive information.

2. Verify the Source: Doubly-check the source of the sender when asked to send information.

• Verify the emails for signs of legitimacy, such as official addresses.
• Reach out to  known contacts through trusted channels to confirm the request.

3. Educate Yourself and Others: Increase your understanding of social engineering techniques to be able to recognize and avoid them.

• Stay up-to-date with social engineering techniques that are changing and develop training programs to educate employees about how to recognize and respond to them.

4. Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Use strong passwords to make accounts more secure.

• Develop complex passwords containing letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Avoid password reuse among multiple accounts and consider the use of a password manager.

6. Use Multi-Factor Authentication: Make things more secure by adding more authentication to the mix.

• Set up MFA, especially for important accounts like email and banking.
• Use a mix of things such as devices, and biometrics to achieve authentication.

7. Be Wary of Information Shared on Social Media: Reduce the likelihood of targeted attacks by controlling information shared online.

• Be cautious about what you post online and the information you share.
• Change privacy settings to limit your personal information from being viewed.

8. Create and Implement Policy: Establish exact guidelines on how to treat sensitive information in the workplace.

• Create guidelines on identity verification and the handling of data.
• Update policies regularly and respond to emerging tactics of social engineering.

9. Creating a Security Culture: Develop a culture that fosters awareness on security at every level within the organization.

• Ask employees to report suspicious incidents.
• Remunerate and reward vigilance as well as open up communication about security incidences.

Social engineering will always be a serious and ongoing threat as humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity. It is therefore important for both individuals and businesses to always remain vigilant, aware of social engineering tactics, and have strong security measures to safeguard against such attacks. Awareness is the first step in preventing your company from falling in the trap of these attacks and staying informed and adopting proactive security practices, they can better protect themselves and their data from the dangers of social engineering.

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