Social engineering is a tactic used by cybercriminals to manipulate people into giving away sensitive information or performing certain actions, such as transferring funds or installing malware. These attacks take advantage of human psychology and can be very convincing.
One common form of social engineering is phishing, where attackers send fake emails or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources, such as banks or government agencies, asking for personal information or to click on a link. The link may lead to a fake website or download malware.
Baiting is another tactic, where attackers offer something of value in exchange for information or to perform an action.
Pretexting is a different approach where attacker creates a fake scenario, assume a false identity to trick the victim into giving information or performing an action.
To protect yourself from social engineering attacks, it’s important to be cautious when giving out personal information or clicking on links from unknown sources. Be skeptical of unsolicited emails, double-check sender information and website’s URL, look out for pressure or scare tactics and always think twice before providing any sensitive information.
Additionally, you should use security software such as anti-virus and anti-phishing programs, and practice safe browsing. Stay informed and stay aware of the latest social engineering tactics to better protect yourself.
It’s also important to always be on the lookout for any suspicious activity on your accounts and report any suspicious activity immediately. Be proactive with your cybersecurity defense and keep your system and software up-to-date.
