Social EngineeringWhat is Social Engineering ?Social engineering is the tactic of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving a victim in order to gain control over a computer system, or to steal personal and financial information. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information. Show
Social engineering attacks happen in one or more steps. A perpetrator first investigates the intended victim to gather necessary background information, such as potential points of entry and weak security protocols, needed to proceed with the attack. Then, the attacker uses a form of pretexting such as impersonation to gain the victim’s trust and provide stimuli for subsequent actions that break security practices, such as revealing sensitive information or granting access to critical resources. Types of Social Engineering AttacksSocial engineering attacks come in many different forms and can be performed anywhere where human interaction is involved. The following are common forms of digital social engineering attacks. Phishing: The process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity using bulk email, SMS text messaging, or by phone. Phishing messages create a sense of urgency, curiosity, or fear in the recipients of the message. The message will prod victims into revealing sensitive information, clicking on links to malicious websites, or opening attachments that contain malware Baiting: A type of social engineering attack where a scammer uses a false promise to lure a victim into a trap which may steal personal and financial information or inflict the system with malware. The trap could be in the form of a malicious attachment with an enticing name. The most common form of baiting uses physical media to disperse malware. For example, attackers leave the bait of a malware-infected flash drives in conspicuous areas where potential victims are certain to see them. When the victim inserts the flash drive into a work or home computer, the malware is automatically installed on the system. Baiting scams are also online in the form of tempting ads that lead to malicious sites or encourage users to download a malware-infected application. Tailgating: Also known as "piggybacking". A physical breach where an unauthorized person manipulates their way into a restricted or employee only authorized area through the use of social engineering tactics. The attacker might impersonate a delivery driver, or custodian worker. Once the employee opens the door, the attacker asks the employee to hold the door, thereby gaining access to the building. Scareware: Scareware involves victims being bombarded with false alarms and fictitious threats. Users are deceived to think their system is infected with malware, prompting them to install software that grants remote access for the criminal or to pay the criminal in a form of bitcoin in order to preserve sensitive video that the criminal claims to have. Dumpster Diving: A scammer will search for sensitive information e.g., bank statements, pre-approved credit cards, student loans, other account information, in the garbage when it hasn’t been properly sanitized or destroyed. Quid Pro Quo: Quid pro quo involves a criminal requesting the exchange of some type of sensitive information such as critical data, login credentials, or monetary value in exchange for a service. For example, a computer user might receive a phone call from the criminal who, posed as a technology expert, offers free IT assistance or technology improvements in exchange for login credentials. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it most likely a scam and not legitimate. Social Engineering Prevention
Who is responsible for the security of a network?Chief information security officers (CISOs) are one of the highest-paying positions in network security. CISOs are responsible for developing and implementing an overall information security program.
What is a person who breaks into computer network or the Internet to steal information called?A hacker is an individual who uses computer, networking or other skills to overcome a technical problem. The term also may refer to anyone who uses their abilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or networks in order to commit crimes.
What is the name for someone who is skilled in breaching computer security?Hacker: According to TechTerms.com, “While this term originally referred to a clever or expert programmer, it is now more commonly used to refer to someone who can gain unauthorized access to other computers. A hacker can "hack" his or her way through the security levels of a computer system or network.
Who is a person who breaks into the computer system usually with damaging implications to the data stored in the computers?A black hat hacker historically has been used to describe one who has malicious intent -- such as theft of information, fraud or disrupting systems -- but increasingly, more specific terms are being used to describe those people.
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