Page 25 - Cyber Defense eMagazine December 2023

What’s The Role of Gaslighting in The Cyber

Security Context of Social Engineering?

By Anna Drescher, Freelance Writer and Mental Health Specialist

A few years ago, I received an email from Apple stating that someone had made a purchase from my
account. They urged me to update my details immediately as they were concerned it could be a security
breach. Panicked, I clicked on the link and typed in all my personal and banking details. Not long after,
my bank contacted me about an unusual transaction – someone had purchased a handbag worth £3000
using my account. I got my money back, but my reality had been stirred up and I felt violated, ashamed,
and stupid.

What does this have to do with gaslighting? Let’s explore.

Gaslighting is a term normally used in the context of relationships, but social engineering relies on some
of the same psychological tricks. They are both forms of psychological manipulation and exploit human
suggestibility, empathy, and vulnerability and involve the elements of reality distortion and power

Cyber Defense eMagazine – December 2023 Edition 25
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