Page 102 - Cyber Defense eMagazine October 2023
P. 102
Combatting Social Engineering – The Invisible
Threat
By Brendan Horton, Security Analyst at FoxPointe Solutions
Cybersecurity is often associated with technical vulnerabilities and sophisticated defenses. However, one
popular cyber-attack method known as social engineering leverages human psychology to gather
information and perform attacks instead.
Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging
confidential information. This invisible threat poses serious risk to today’s organizations.
The following represent key social engineering principles and techniques to be wary of, as well as best
practices for fortifying your organization against these dangerous attacks:
Social Engineering Principles
A key concept of social engineering is understanding how humans react, and how stress or pressure can
be leveraged to meet a desired action. As a result, attackers generally leverage seven key principles
when engineering an individual – often combining multiple principles into a single attack. Understanding
Cyber Defense eMagazine – October 2023 Edition 102
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