In this digital era, we are increasingly relying on smart devices and spending most of our time online. From working to shopping and playing to socializing, almost everything can be done online. It makes the online world vast cyberspace and an attractive target for cybercriminals. In any security chain, humans are usually the weakest link. However, machines can be tricked, but humans are highly susceptible to falling for any kind of manipulative tactics. These tactics by cybercriminals are referred to as social engineering attacks.
Hackers are developing different types of social engineering attacks to access private information, steal data and money. No matter how big or small your organization is, there are chances of exploitation. Money is not always a target. For cybercriminals, data and information of customers are more important. Social engineering is a growing field and art of manipulating users to provide confidential information.
In this article, we will discuss social engineering attacks, their common types, and the best ways to prevent them. Let’s get started.
What is a social engineering attack?
Social engineering attack is used for a wide range of malicious activities attained via human interactions. It utilized psychological manipulation to trap users into sharing sensitive information or making other security mistakes. Social engineering attacks take place in multiple steps. First of all, the criminal investigates the target to collect necessary information, such as potential security flaws, points of entry, weak security protocols required to initiate the attack.
After that, they move to gain the target’s trust and provide incentives for subsequent actions breaking security measures, such as granting access to critical resources or revealing sensitive information. Generally, social engineering attacks involve email or other communication invoking fear, urgency, or similar emotions in the victim. It leads them to instantly reveal sensitive information, open a malicious file, or click a malicious link.
Social engineering attacks life cycle
A social engineering attack takes place in the following four steps.
Preparing the ground for the attack
- Identify victim
- Gather background information
- Select attack methods
Deceive victim to gain a foothold
- Engage the target
- Spin a story
- Take control of the interaction
Gain access to information over a while
- Expand the foothold
- Execute attack
- Disrupt business
Close the interaction
- Eliminate all traces of malware
- Cover attacks
- Bring the charade to a natural end.
What does a social engineering attack look like?
Have you ever been faced a social engineering attack? You might not have noticed because these attacks take on many different forms. Social engineering attacks usually appear as an email, voice message, or text from a seemingly legit source.
EMAIL from a friend
If a criminal manages to socially engineer a person’s email address and password, they can access their contact list. Once the criminal gains access to critical information, they send emails to the person’s contact list and all their social pages.
Taking advantage of your trust, these messages will contain a link. As the link comes from a friend, you get curious and click the link infected with malware. The criminal can take over the machine and collect users’ contact info, and the chain continues.
Email from a trusted source
A phishing attack is a subset of social engineering attack imitating a trusted source and making a logical scenario for tricking into providing login credentials and other sensitive data. Using a compelling story or pretext, these emails may ungently ask for help.
Apart from it, criminals use a phishing attempt with a legitimate background. Typically they send an email or a text message appearing to come from a reputed organization. Preying on generosity and kindness, these criminals ask for help for a disaster, charity, or a political campaign.
Social Engineering Attack Techniques
Social engineering attacks come in different forms and can be performed anywhere where human interaction is involved. Here are some common techniques of social engineering attacks used by cybercriminals.
1. Baiting
Baiting technique leverage a false promise to enhance a victim’s curiosity or greed. Criminals lure users into a trap stealing their sensitive information or inflicting their systems with malware. The most common form of baiting uses physical media to spread malware. For instance, hackers leave a bait, usually a malware-infected drive, in areas where potential targets are certain to see them.
People pick up the bait out of curiosity and insert it into their systems. It results in automatic malware installation. Baiting scams do not only carried out in the physical world. However, online baiting forms consist of enticing advertisements leading to malicious sites.
2. Pretexting
In this method, hackers gather information using a series of efficiently crafted lies. The scam is usually initiated by a perpetrator that pretends to require sensitive information from the target. Criminals start by building trust by impersonating co-workers, bank or tax officials, police, or other persons having the right to know the authority.
The pre-texters ask questions required to confirm the victim’s identity. The information gathers using this scam includes social security numbers, phone numbers, addresses, staff vacation dates, phone records, and bank information.
3. Phishing attacks
Phishing attacks are commonly used to attack. It involves sending fraudulent emails to users pretending to be coming from a legitimate source. These emails often appear reliable but link the user to a malicious file or software to access your device or data, such as user financial or personal information.
These attacks usually take place through social networks or other online communities using direct messages from users with hidden intent. Cybercriminals use social engineering and public information sources to gather information about their work, activities, and interests. It helps them to convince users to believe what they are saying.
Like malware, phishing attacks also have various types, such as
- Spear phishing_ These are targeted attacks directed at specific individuals or organizations.
- Pharming_ It uses DNS cache poisoning to get user credentials using a fake login landing page.
- Whaling_ These attacks usually target stakeholders and senior executives within an organization.
Phishing attacks can also occur using a phone call or a text message, known as SMS phishing.
4. Scareware
Criminals use scareware to threaten users with false alarms and fictitious threats. Victims are deceived to think that their system is infected with malware that prompts them to install software with no real benefits or is malware itself. Scareware is also known as deception software, fraudware or rogue scanner software.
A common example includes legitimate popup banners that appear in your browser. These popups often display messages like ‘Your system may be infected with harmful spyware programs’ offering to install a tool or directing you to a malicious site. Scareware is also distributed through spam emails making offers to buy services or products.
Tips to prevent social engineering attacks
Here are some of the best cybersecurity measures that you can use to keep yourself protected from social engineering attacks.
1. Do not provide personal information
Beware of the suspicious activities that offer you something appealing, ask you to do something right away, or require your personal information. Think twice before you click a link or provide your sensitive information.
2. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Make sure to use multi-factor authentication for all your accounts and devices. Extra authentication steps add an extra protection layer. At least, two-factor authentication should be implemented to high-value and official accounts.
3. Keep your system up to date
It’s particularly important with your Internet security software and operating systems. Hackers frequently use known flaws or exploits in your system to gain access. Packing those flaws and exploits can mitigate the risk of attack.
4. Set your spam filter to high
Your email account must have spam filters. Go to your settings and select these to high. Do not forget to check your spam folder periodically to check if legitimate emails have been trapped there accidentally.
5. Research the source
Always be cautious of any unsolicited emails. Check the domain links to authenticate if they are real and the person sending you is the actual member of the organization. Utilize the search engine and go to the company’s website from where you receive the email.
Do not become a victim
If you do not want to become a victim of social engineering attack, keep the following tips in mind.
- Criminals want you to act first and then think. If the email conveys a sense of urgency, never let their urgency influence you.
- Be careful of any unsolicited emails. If the message seems to come from a legitimate company, do your search.
- Hackers taking control of users’ email accounts have become common. Even if the sender appears to be known, if you do not expect an email with a link from them, do not open it.
- Beware of any download from an unknown source. If you do not know the sender personally, downloading anything is a mistake.
- If you receive an email asking for money from an unknown relative or request to transfer funds, it is guaranteed to be a scam. Beware of it.
Final Words
Social engineering is a dangerous technique used by cybercriminals because it takes perfectly normal scenarios and manipulates them for the malicious end. However, if you are fully aware of the technique, how it works and taking precautionary measures, you will be far less likely to be a victim of social engineering. Think about what you are sharing online and avoid oversharing personal information on websites.