Curriculum
Course: Cyber Security
Login

Curriculum

Cyber Security

Text lesson

Social Engineering

A system is only as strong as its weakest link, often a human. Social engineering specifically targets individuals to trick them into performing unintended actions, making it a popular tactic in some of the largest hacks in history. This method exploits certain human tendencies, such as:

  • The desire to be polite, especially to strangers
  • Professionals’ inclination to seem knowledgeable and competent
  • A tendency to reveal more when praised
  • Most people’s reluctance to lie unnecessarily
  • Positive responses to those who appear concerned for them

Victims of successful social engineering attacks often don’t realize they’ve been targeted.

Social Engineering Scenario: Being Helpful

Humans inherently want to help each other, which can be exploited in social engineering attacks. In this scenario, Eve rushes into a corporate office with coffee-soaked papers, claiming she needs her documents printed for an urgent job interview. She hands the receptionist a malicious USB stick disguised as a request for assistance. This seemingly innocent act could grant attackers access to the internal network, potentially compromising other systems.