Social Engineering Attacks and How to Defend Yourself Against Them

Hackers often access systems and networks by exploiting users' vulnerabilities. This sort of psychological manipulation is known as "social engineering," and it is used to coerce victims into divulging private information or allowing hackers access to protected networks. In most cases, these scammers might pretend to work in IT support and trick users into giving up sensitive information. 

Social engineering attacks usually involve the use of deception and other sorts of manipulation to gain access to a system or to collect information from a target audience. In this post, we will explore the concept of social engineering attacks and how you can defend yourself against them.

Types of Social Engineering Attacks

There are many applications of social engineering attacks. Therefore, it is essential to have an in-depth understanding of how social engineering works. Here are just a few of the most common types of social engineering attacks:

Pretexting

In this kind of attack, the perpetrator diverts the target's attention to trick them into divulging confidential information. A web-based poll, for instance, can seem harmless at first, but it might subsequently ask for your financial details. Someone else might show up claiming to be conducting an audit of the business's internal systems. However, this person may not be who they claim to be and may be attempting to steal your personal data.

Phishing

Phishing attacks frequently take the form of email or SMS messages purportedly from reputable businesses or institutions. Emails purporting to be from banks often utilize this tactic by asking recipients to "confirm" personal information before redirecting them to a bogus website where they are prompted to submit their login data. Similarly, spear phishing refers to an attack wherein hackers seek sensitive information from a single target within an organization using an email purporting to come from a high-ranking official.

Vishing

One variant of phishing—a form of social engineering—is called "voice phishing or vishing," and it consists of a call from the culprit to the victim asking for specific information over the phone. The criminal may pretend to be a friend or coworker, such as a member of IT support, to gain access to your account and steal your password. 

Quid Pro Quo

Social engineering takes several forms, many of which involve tricking victims into giving information or granting access in exchange for some sort of gain. The so-called scareware works by tricking users into downloading an unnecessary update, under the false impression that their system is infected with a dangerous virus.

Farming 

This kind of cyber attack is similar to phishing, the main difference is that the redirection to a bogus website is carried out by spoofing the IP address of a legitimate site through malware installed on the victim's computer. 

To be successful, some forms of social engineering necessitate the attacker to establish a trusting relationship with the target. When an attacker uses the tactic known as "farming," they put themselves in a more precarious situation since they increase their likelihood of being discovered. If they manage to infiltrate, though, that information might be invaluable to their plot.

How to Avoid Social Engineering Attacks

Attacks that use social engineering are notoriously difficult to fight because they rely on such fundamental human characteristics as curiosity, respect for authority, and the desire to aid friends and relatives. Here are some tips for spotting potential instances of social engineering:

1. Verify the Source

Before accepting something at face value, verify the source. It shouldn't be too difficult to confirm the source. By comparing the header of an email to that of other emails from the same sender, you can determine whether or not the email is real. Verify the destination of the links before clicking on them; fake links will appear odd when you move the mouse pointer over them. 

Since legitimate banks employ teams of trained professionals to handle customer communications, you can assume that an email with numerous spelling mistakes did not come from them. Visit the official website and make contact with an official representative if you have any doubts about the legitimacy of the email or message. They will be able to confirm whether or not the message was sent in good faith.

2. Don’t Act with Urgency

Using a sense of urgency is a common tactic in social engineering. The goal of the attackers is to have their target respond on reflex rather than giving the situation any thought. As a result, pausing for thought can forestall such attacks or expose their lies.

Instead of providing sensitive information over the phone or through a link, you should call the official number or visit the official website by entering the URL. If you need to verify the credibility of the source, you should use a different mode of contact. If a friend ever asks you to wire them money and you get an email from them, it is important to double-check by calling or texting them on their phone.

3. Insist on Proof of Identity

Social engineering fraud can take many forms, so avoid giving in to the pressure. It is usually necessary to ask for identification. Checking the caller's identity and number using PhoneHistory is a good idea after receiving a request for information over the phone. You should also research the organization chart or phone numbers for the corporation before disclosing any private data. 

You can always pretend you need to verify it with someone else before getting back to the person asking for it if you feel uneasy about giving the information outright, especially if you do not know them.

4. Find a Spam Filter That You Can Trust

It is possible that you need to adjust your spam filter or suspicious message detection settings in your email. To decide which messages are most likely spam, advanced spam filters use a variety of criteria. The contents of communications may be evaluated to determine which are likely hoaxes, or a blacklist of known malicious IP addresses or sender IDs could be maintained.

Conclusion

Since it takes advantage of innocent-seeming situations for malicious purposes, social engineering is to be avoided at all costs. If you familiarize yourself with social engineering and take some simple precautions, you can significantly reduce the likelihood that you will fall for a social engineering scheme.