Social Engineering

The attack type most often linked to social engineering is phishing. In phishing, attackers disguise themselves as trusted sources—like banks, employers, or service providers—to trick victims into clicking malicious links, sharing credentials, or downloading malware. Variants include spear phishing (targeted attacks), vishing (voice calls), and smishing (text messages). Phishing remains the most common and successful form of social engineering because it preys on human trust and urgency rather than technical vulnerabilities.

Phishing is a common social engineering attempt that uses emails or websites to deceive users into revealing personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers. The attackers often masquerade as trustworthy entities to trick victims into clicking on malicious links or providing sensitive information.

Yes, social engineering is a collection of techniques used to manipulate individuals into sharing confidential information or performing actions that may compromise security. It often involves psychological manipulation to exploit human behavior.

Many organizations fail to develop information security policies like social engineering or acceptable use policies due to a lack of awareness, resources, or prioritization. Some underestimate the threat or believe existing technical controls are enough. Others may lack dedicated cybersecurity staff or management support to create and enforce such policies. In some cases, rapid growth or limited budgets push security documentation aside. However, without clear policies, employees may act inconsistently, increasing vulnerability to human-based attacks and compliance risks.

People often fall for social engineering because attackers exploit emotions, not technology. Techniques like urgency, fear, curiosity, and trust trick individuals into bypassing caution. Many assume cyber threats only come through technical hacks, overlooking human manipulation. A convincing tone, familiar branding, or authority-based requests (like from “IT support” or “management”) lowers skepticism. Limited cybersecurity awareness and distraction also play major roles. Social engineering works best when human instincts override logical judgment.

Social engineering skills are valuable in roles that rely on understanding, influencing, or assessing human behavior. In cybersecurity, penetration testers, ethical hackers, and red team specialists use social engineering to test how easily employees can be manipulated into revealing information. Security awareness trainers and incident responders use it to educate staff and design stronger defenses. Outside cybersecurity, investigators, intelligence analysts, psychologists, and marketers also use social engineering principles to study decision-making and human interaction.

Organizations are at risk from social engineering when attackers manipulate individuals into revealing sensitive information or granting unauthorized access to systems by exploiting human vulnerabilities such as trust, fear, or lack of awareness. This can lead to data breaches, financial loss, or reputational damage for the organization. It is essential for organizations to educate employees about social engineering tactics and implement security measures to mitigate these risks.

A good Social Engineer will gather all and any information he/she can get his/her hands on. The more information you have regarding the subject or person, the better, because they more you have, the greater the avenues for exploitation become.

The information may include places of employment, daily routines, family life, car/s currently owned as well as cars driven, is the victim married or single, does he/she have children, which school they attended and the like.

The above avenues are some of the information a Engineer may choose to acquire. The actual amount is specific to the individual or company.

Some people may not come clean due to fear of judgment, shame, or consequences of their actions. Additionally, they may believe that hiding the truth will protect them from facing difficult situations or feelings of guilt. It could also be a habit developed over time to avoid vulnerability or accountability.

Well i did some looking around and it seemed about 5gb but that might have been an older version and might have increased but then maybe not

In ancient Greek mythology, the god of the harvest was Demeter, also known as Ceres in Roman mythology. Demeter was responsible for the fertility of the earth and the bountiful harvests that sustained humanity.

This process is known as social engineering. It involves using psychological manipulation to deceive individuals into divulging confidential information or granting access to secure systems. Attackers may use tactics such as phishing emails, pretexting, or impersonation to exploit human vulnerabilities and bypass traditional security measures.

Civil engineers develops our society, they design and build an infrastructure that ensures high rigidity

and enhances the life of people examples - schools, colleges, moals, brigdes, water supply, drainage system, sewage system and many more.

They provide transtportation system. Also provide reliable and safe structures which resists the effect of natural calamities like floods, earthquake etc.

That's why civil engineers are very important for development of society.

Email is the most common vehicle for social engineering attacks, specifically phishing emails. Attackers send fraudulent emails that appear to be from a trustworthy source, enticing recipients to click on malicious links or provide sensitive information. It is essential for individuals to be cautious and verify the legitimacy of emails before taking any action.

An attacker using reverse social engineering to obtain information will present himself as an authority offeringhelp on a particular subject, so that his targets come to him for advice. This is in contrast to simple social engineering, where the attacker portrays himself as needing help.

The type of social engineering attack that relies on impersonation to obtain personal or sensitive information is called pretexting. In this attack, the cybercriminal creates a believable scenario or false identity—such as pretending to be an HR manager, IT technician, or vendor—to trick employees into sharing confidential details. Pretexting often involves gathering small bits of data first to appear legitimate, making it highly convincing and dangerous for businesses that handle customer or financial information.

Social engineering in the context of online activity refers to the manipulation of individuals to disclose confidential information or perform certain actions, such as clicking on links or downloading malware. It often involves psychological manipulation to exploit human behavior rather than technical methods to breach security systems. Social engineers may pose as trustworthy entities to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information.

This practice is known as phishing, where an attacker impersonates a legitimate entity to deceive victims into providing sensitive information such as passwords or credit card details. Phishing is commonly carried out through emails, phone calls, or text messages, and aims to exploit human psychology and trust to gain unauthorized access to accounts or data. It is important to be cautious and verify the authenticity of requests for personal information to protect against phishing attacks.

Originally the expression was 'Ho, beau...', meaning 'Hello, handsome...'

There are a variety of possibilities besides the one mentioned above:

"Ho, boy!", a greeting used among railroad worked in the late 1800's.

"hawbuck" and "hawbaw," meaning "an unmannerly lout", English dialect terms

Hobo for Hoboken, NJ, a railroad hub in the 1900's

Hobo for "hopping boxcars"

"hoe boy", an itinerant farm worker, especially during the Great Depression of the 1930's

All users should be alert and report any suspicious activity, unauthorized access, or unusual behavior on their accounts, except for themselves. Users should promptly report any potential security breaches to the appropriate authorities or IT support team.

Yes, it's important to maintain vigilance and report any unfamiliar users to platform administrators or moderators. This helps ensure the safety and security of the online community by preventing potential risks or harmful behavior. Prompt reporting can help address concerns efficiently and maintain a positive digital environment for all users.

Amphibians.. because they exchange gas partly through their skin, so gases must be able to move in and out - Their skin's got to be permeable and moist.

Some examples of social engineering in movies include "Catch Me If You Can" where the main character cons people by pretending to be a pilot, doctor, and lawyer, and "Hackers" where the characters use social engineering tactics to bypass security protocols. Other movies like "The Social Network" also showcase social engineering as the main character manipulates people to further his own goals.

1. Implement strict access controls to limit access to sensitive information.
2. Provide regular training to employees on how to recognize and respond to social engineering attacks.
3. Encourage employees to verify the identity of anyone requesting sensitive information before sharing it.
4. Implement policies for reporting any suspicious activity or requests for information.

Phishing is a form of social engineering where attackers try to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial details, by pretending to be a trustworthy entity.