Why Social Engineering Is So Effective

Humans Are Your Security’s Biggest Weakness

When discussing cybersecurity, the initial response for most will be to think about the technological efforts of defense. How strong are my network defenses? Are my firewalls up-to-date? Do we have enough staff to both identify and remediate our vulnerabilities?

While this is a great line of thinking, it’s certainly not the only consideration. The human side of cybersecurity can be just as important. Specifically, social engineering has an impressive — but alarming — success rate in the industry.

What is social engineering? Why is it so effective in our modern society? And what are some tips you can take away to minimize your chances of falling for a social engineering attack? We’ll be diving into all of these topics and more below! 

What Is Social Engineering?

A conversation about social engineering requires a common definition, and Digital Guardian provides a good one. Social engineering is defined in cybersecurity as a “non-technical strategy cyber attackers use that relies heavily on human interaction and often involves tricking people into breaking standard security practices.”

The success of these social engineering campaigns relies solely on the attacker’s ability to manipulate their victims into performing a desired action, such as providing personal information like a password or social security number.

In today’s world, social engineering is recognized as one of the most effective ways to obtain information and break through a defense’s walls. It is so effective because technical defenses (like firewalls and overall software security) have become substantially better at protecting against outside entities. The same can’t be said for humans, who are often referred to as the weakest link in your security posture.

Why Do Cyber Criminals Use Social Engineering?

Cyber criminals use social engineering because it is often easier to exploit human weaknesses than to hack computer systems. Here are the primary reasons for this:

Manipulation of Trust

Social engineering relies heavily on establishing trust and manipulating people’s natural tendencies to trust others. If a cyber criminal can successfully impersonate a trusted individual or organization, they can trick their targets into revealing sensitive information or performing actions that compromise their security.

Bypassing Technical Defenses

Most organizations invest significantly in technical defenses like firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, and more. However, if a cyber criminal can convince a user to click on a malicious link or download a harmful file, they can often bypass these defenses entirely.

Ease and Low Cost

Compared to sophisticated hacking techniques that require specialized knowledge and tools, social engineering attacks can be relatively easy and inexpensive to carry out. They often involve simple tactics like sending phishing emails or making fraudulent phone calls.

Exploitation of Human Psychology

Humans are naturally inclined to help others and seek convenience. Cyber criminals take advantage of these traits by posing as someone in need of assistance or by offering something of value. They know that people are more likely to make security mistakes when they are distracted, rushed, or feel sympathetic.

High Success Rate

Because social engineering plays on human emotions and psychology, these attacks can have a high success rate. People often don’t suspect that they’re under attack until it’s too late.

Harder to Detect and Prevent

Social engineering attacks are often harder to detect and prevent than traditional hacking attacks. They don’t typically leave the same kind of technical traces that other types of cyber attacks do. Additionally, preventing social engineering attacks requires training people to recognize and resist them, which can be more challenging than implementing technical defenses.

Why Is Social Engineering So Effective?

Now that we’ve got a little background on social engineering in the cybersecurity industry, the obvious next question is why is it so effective for attackers in practice?

The basic answer to this question is simple: Humans are flawed. Machines are built with security in mind and are consistently updated to ensure vulnerabilities are patched and defenses are up-to-date. The same can’t be said for humans. Humans’ minds are constantly drifting and thinking about many things that (unless they work in the industry) do not have anything to do with security.

This lack of knowledge and focus is why adversaries have so much success with social engineering. While the most tech-savvy may be able to sniff out a phish or social engineering attempt from a mile away, not everyone has that same “spidey sense.” On top of this, general information like your name, city of residence, address, and even the name of your spouse and children can easily be found online.

This personal information is the key to building trust and establishing a relationship with victims in order to obtain other, more useful information. Additionally, advanced social engineering technology like deep fake videos and voices are becoming more and more realistic by the day, making it harder than ever to tell the difference between a legitimate conversation or information request and a breach attempt.

So now that we know what social engineering is, why it’s so effective in practice, and some of the tactics and technologies that make our lives as victims harder, how do we prevent these attacks?

Types of Social Engineering Techniques and Attacks 

Phishing

Phishing is the most common type of social engineering attack. It typically involves sending emails that seem to come from reputable sources to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, or downloading malware.

Spear Phishing

This is a more targeted version of phishing where the attacker researches their target and personalizes their communications to increase their chance of success. They might impersonate a colleague, friend, or family member in an attempt to gain trust and extract sensitive information.

Smishing and Vishing

These are forms of phishing that take place over SMS (smishing) and voice calls (vishing). For instance, an attacker might send a text message or make a call posing as a bank or a service provider to trick the victim into sharing their personal information.

Pretexting

Pretexting involves creating a false narrative or scenario (the pretext) to persuade the victim to give out information or perform an action. This could involve pretending to need certain bits of information for identity verification.

Baiting

Baiting is based on the promise of a reward. A cyber criminal might leave a malware-infected physical device, like a USB flash drive, in a place where it’s sure to be found. The finder then inserts the device into a workstation or laptop, unintentionally installing the malware.

Quid Pro Quo

Similar to baiting, quid pro quo involves a hacker requesting the exchange of data or login credentials in return for a service. For instance, posing as an IT support technician who requires password confirmation to perform a critical task.

Tailgating or Piggybacking

This attack often happens in person. An attacker seeks entry to a restricted area of a building by following closely behind an authorized user. In a digital context, it might involve an unauthorized person gaining access to sensitive information by leveraging the login of a legitimate user, perhaps obtained through other social engineering techniques.

Watering Hole

In a watering hole attack, the hacker predicts or observes which websites an organization or person often uses and infects those websites with malware, aiming to breach the target’s security when they next visit.

Honey Traps

This technique involves creating a fake online profile to form an intimate relationship with the target and then exploiting that relationship to gather information or influence the target’s actions.

Whaling

A type of phishing aimed at high-profile targets like CEOs or other executives (the “big fish”), hence the term “whaling.” The attacker usually impersonates the senior executive and sends messages to lower-level employees, attempting to trick them into performing actions that compromise the organization’s security.

Dumpster Diving

While not a sophisticated method, dumpster diving is still a prevalent technique. Attackers search the trash for sensitive information that can be used in a later attack, such as discarded documents containing personal or financial data.

Shoulder Surfing

This is a direct observation technique, such as looking over someone’s shoulder to gather personal information. It could be watching someone enter their PIN at an ATM or eavesdropping on a conversation where sensitive information is discussed.

Diversion Theft

In this method, the attacker diverts the delivery of goods or information to a location of their choice. By diverting the route, the attacker can receive the confidential information intended for their victim.

Scareware or Deceptive Software

This technique involves tricking a victim into thinking that their computer is infected with malware, prompting them to install a fake protective solution that is actually malware itself.

Tech Support Scams

The attacker poses as a tech support representative offering to fix non-existent computer issues. The victim is tricked into giving the attacker access to their system where the attacker can then install harmful software or steal sensitive data.

Rogue Security Software 

In this case, attackers trick users into believing that a malicious application is a legitimate security product to collect money or sensitive data.

Each of these methods leverages manipulation and deception, playing on human psychology and trust. The best defense against them is education and awareness. Organizations must train their employees to recognize and respond correctly to these techniques to prevent potential breaches.

Social Media and Social Engineering 

Hackers often use social media as a tool for social engineering attacks. Here’s how they typically leverage it:

Information Gathering

Social media platforms are a treasure trove of personal information. Hackers can learn a lot about a person’s habits, friends, family, workplaces, places they’ve visited, and more, just by looking at their social media profiles. This information can be used to target phishing emails more effectively (spear phishing), impersonate friends or colleagues, or answer security questions.

Fake Friend Requests

By creating a fake profile, hackers can send friend requests to individuals they are targeting. If the request is accepted, they gain access to even more personal information, which can be used to facilitate other forms of attacks. It can also create a level of trust, which could be exploited later.

Posting Malicious Links

Hackers can post malicious links, disguised as something interesting or enticing. If someone clicks the link, they might download malware onto their device, or be tricked into providing sensitive information.

Fake Advertisements

Social media platforms host a variety of ads. Hackers can create fake advertisements that direct users to infected websites, tricking them into downloading malicious software or revealing sensitive information.

Impersonating Real Organizations

Hackers often create pages that impersonate real organizations. They might then post false information or send direct messages to followers, asking them to provide sensitive information or download harmful files.

Quizzes and Games

Those seemingly innocent quizzes and games can be used by hackers to trick users into revealing personal information. They can also be used to spread malware.

Social Bots

Hackers can use automated accounts, or bots, to interact with users and spread phishing links or malware. These bots can also gather personal information and spread false information.

Protection against these tactics includes maintaining strict privacy settings, being cautious about accepting friend requests (especially from unknown individuals), avoiding clicking on suspicious links, and being wary about revealing sensitive information online.

How Can I Prevent a Social Engineering Attack?

We don’t claim to have the answers to every social engineering attack that lives in the wild. However, we have compiled a list of proactive tips you can take away from this post to minimize your chances of being an adversaries’ next victim.

1. Operate Under the Zero Trust Mindset

While Zero Trust has become one of the most “buzzwordy” buzzwords in cybersecurity, operating with zero trust when it comes to external outreach may help you avoid a social engineering attack.

Whether it’s via email, text message, phone call, or another comm channel, operate under the idea that the communication attempt is a form of social engineering. If the message is clearly backed up with undeniable, tangible evidence, you may be in the clear. However, if there’s a shred of doubt that the claim is legitimate, err on the side of caution.

2. Don’t Provide Additional Personal Information

Working in tandem with our zero trust tip is another vital piece of information: Avoid sharing any additional information with a potential adversary.

While it may be reasonable to believe that the individual communicating with you is legitimate, ALWAYS avoid providing additional personally identifiable information (PII) over a form of communication that may be intercepted or hacked in the future.

It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to these communication methods, and it is more than likely that an alternative solution exists in which you can enter required information manually.

3. Find a Good Spam Filter for Your Email

While social engineering has spread to other communication channels than just email, email is still king for adversaries based on its customizability and direct access to a victim’s mailbox.

With this being said, it’s great advice to ensure you have a good spam filter installed on your email (especially your business email). Additionally, you have a personal responsibility to flag every questionable email you receive that somehow sneaks through the cracks of your filter.

If you don’t see the social engineering attacks aimed at you, you can’t fall for them. This simple fact explains just how important it is to have a good spam filter in place and continue to flag all messages that appear phishy.

4. Look for Signs of Threats and Overall Urgency

One of the most successful tactics that attackers use in their social engineering efforts is displaying a tone that conveys a sense of urgency. Don’t fall for this.

Most communication attempts by legitimate companies, vendors, and coworkers will be direct and easily understandable, not made to incite fear. Attempts to get you to perform an action strictly out of the fear of not doing what’s asked are a dead giveaway that you’re dealing with a social engineering attack.

If you find one of these messages enter your email inbox or voicemail, delete it, and move on. If the distress message happens to be legitimate, the company will find a more genuine way to discuss this with you.

5. Spread Social Engineering Education through Your Organization

The previous tips provide actionable steps to prevent message attempts initially and identify them if they pass through your filter. However, widespread education of the dangers of phishing and social engineering is vital to your organization’s safety. So, what should be taught throughout your organization? 

All of your employees should be educated on how to update their spam filters and other useful firewalls, as well as how to identify and report social engineering attacks. This knowledge will both minimize the damage these campaigns have on your weakest security link and provide your security team with useful information about where the attacks came from, how they’re passing filters, and the tactics used to lure victims.

By following and implementing these five tips, both your personal accounts and your organization as a whole will be safer.