Pentest & Red Team
Social Engineering
Manipulation techniques to obtain confidential information from people
Social engineering is a set of psychological techniques for manipulating people to gain access to confidential information or systems. In cybersecurity context, social engineering is one of the most effective attack methods.
Types of Social Engineering Attacks
- Phishing — fake emails and websites
- Vishing — voice phishing over the phone
- Smishing — phishing via SMS
- Pretexting — creating a false scenario
- Baiting — lure (infected USB drives)
- Tailgating — physical intrusion
Protection
- Employee training
- Verifying request sources
- Multi-factor authentication
- Clear security policies
Related Terms
Category
Penetration testing, attack methodologies, Red Team operations