Social Engineering in Information Security: Understanding the Threat

What is social engineering in information security?

Social engineering leverages human nature to manipulate individuals into exposing confidential data. How can this manipulation pose a serious threat to information security?

Social Engineering in Information Security: The Manipulation of Human Vulnerabilities

Social engineering in information security refers to the use of psychological manipulation techniques to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information that could potentially lead to unauthorized access to systems.

Social engineering is a term used in the realm of information security to describe a method where subterfuge and human interaction are used to trick individuals into revealing confidential information that may lead to unauthorized access to systems. It is a psychological manipulation technique targeting human vulnerabilities for illicit access to private data.

Techniques used in social engineering include shoulder surfing, where an attacker simply watches over an individual's shoulder to acquire confidential data like a password entry, and dumpster diving, where discarded material is searched for any kind of useful confidential information.

These tactics exploit the trust and natural inclination to help others, creating a serious threat to the security of sensitive information. By understanding the methods employed in social engineering, individuals and organizations can better protect themselves from falling victim to these deceptive practices.