What is social engineering in cybersecurity and how to prevent it?

A social engineering attack is a technique used by cybercriminals to gain sensitive information or access to systems by using the psychological manipulation of users. The aim is to persuade the victim to disclose personal, financial or system access information without knowing that they are being deceived. This can be done by impersonation, creating pretexting, exploiting trust, or using persuasion techniques to gain unauthorised information or access. Social engineering attacks can be extremely effective, as they target the person rather than the technology, and exploit human weakness rather than technological vulnerability.

What is social engineering and how is it identified?

Social engineering attacks can take many forms, ranging from the identity theft from a friend or colleague to creating a false sense of urgency to force the victim to act quickly. One of the most common methods is phishing, which involves the use of fake emails or fraudulent websites to trick users into entering sensitive information such as passwords or banking information.

Other methods include online deception or the use of in-person persuasion techniques, such as posing as an employee or representative of a legitimate company to gain unauthorised access or information. Education and awareness are critical to preventing social engineering attacks, as the best way to prevent social engineering attacks is to avoid falling into the trap is to be aware of the techniques used and to be alert to any suspicious behaviour.

Main techniques with which to develop social engineering actions

Social engineering, as we have seen, is a hacking technique which is based on manipulating people to perform actions that may compromise their security or that of their organisation. Here we review a more extensive list of some social engineering techniques:

• Pretextingimpersonating another person, either by telephone, email or in person, to obtain information or access to a system.
• Phishingis the sending of emails that appear legitimate, but are in fact fake, with the aim of tricking people into providing personal information or clicking on a malicious link.
• Spear phishingphishing is a variant of phishing that focuses on specific targets, such as employees of a company or members of an organisation.
• BaitingThis involves leaving some kind of "bait" for someone to find, such as a USB device with a virus on it, in the hope that the person will connect it to their computer.
• Vishingis a technique that uses the telephone instead of email. An attacker can call a person posing as a representative of a legitimate company to obtain personal information.
• Dumpster divingis the search for information in the trash, such as printed emails, passwords, account numbers and other sensitive information.
• Shoulder surfingThe following is the observation of a person's actions, such as typing in passwords or confidential information, in order to gain access to that information.
• Reverse social engineeringThe attacker: It consists of making a person believe that he or she is manipulating the attacker, when in fact it is the attacker who is manipulating the person.

How to avoid social engineering

To avoid becoming a victim of these attacks, it is essential to follow a few simple rules network security keys. Firstly, it is important to be aware of attempts at persuasion and manipulation that can occur both online and in person. Be wary of any request for personal information or access to systems that is not clearly justified or that arouses suspicion. It is also necessary to avoid opening suspicious emails or clicking on suspicious links that can be used for phishing.

Another important key to preventing social engineering is education and security training. Users should be aware of the techniques used by cybercriminals and keep up to date with the latest security trends in order to protect yourself effectively. It is necessary to use strong passwords and change them regularly, as well as to keep software up to date and use security tools such as firewalls or antivirus. In addition, it is important to be cautious about posting personal information online and to limit access to it to those who really need to have it. 

How to defend yourself against social engineering?

Prevention and education are the main keys to mitigating the risk and success of social engineering scams, and protecting yourself from cyber-attacksbut we will expand on some of the recommended measures:

• AwarenessEducation and awareness are essential to avoid falling into the trap. Be aware of the techniques used by cybercriminals and be aware of attempts at persuasion and manipulation.
• Mistrusthesitate any request for personal information or access to systems which is not clearly justified or which gives rise to suspicion.
• VerificationCheck the identity of applicants and check the legitimacy of e-mails or websites before providing any personal information.
• Secure passwordsUse strong passwords and change them regularly, and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
• ProtectionKeep software up to date and use security tools such as firewalls or anti-virus.
• Accesslimit access to personal information to those who really need to have it and avoid publishing personal information online.
• CommunicationBe on the lookout for unsolicited and suspicious communication, and avoid replying to or clicking on suspicious links that could be used for phishing.
• Security policieshave clear and effective security policies in place, and ensure that employees are trained and comply with them.

Specialise in the field of cybersecurity with IMMUNE

The demand for specialised professionals in this area is steadily increasing. IMMUNE Technology Instituteas a centre of reference in technological training, offers specialised training programmes in cybersecurity, such as the Cybersecurity Bootcamp or the Master's Degree in Cybersecurity OnlineThe aim is to provide students with the skills and tools necessary to face the challenges of today and tomorrow... 

In this way, IMMUNE students have the opportunity to connect with a vibrant ecosystem that allows them to access a constantly growing job market that increasingly demands specialised professionals with these skills.

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