In the era of digitization, we have all become potential victims of cybercrime. While most cybercrime involves technical attacks, social engineering stands out as a method driven by audacious human behavior. By exploiting human vulnerabilities, such as trust, kindness, overwhelm, or helplessness, perpetrators play on human emotions.
How does modern cybercriminality work to personally, professionally, or financially harm you while enriching criminals?
Spear phishing is a variant of the classic phishing attack, targeting only specific individuals or entities through email. The audacity lies in the attackers' sophistication in crafting emails that appear trustworthy. The victim is led to believe that the email is from a colleague, superior, or business partner. Besides the fact that the sender appears deceptively authentic, the design, signature, and content of the email can entice victims to click malicious links or disclose confidential information.
Pretexting also involves impersonating someone else, again with the aim of gaining your trust. Perpetrators adopt identities that inspire trust, such as police officers, IT support, doctors, lawyers, bank employees, and government officials. Under the pretext of a fabricated story, victims are often coerced into revealing sensitive information.
Blending "voice" and "phishing," vishing operates through phone calls in which, as for pretexting, the perpetrator pretends to be a trusted individual. Their goal is usually to obtain passwords or credit card details.
Baiting capitalizes on victims' curiosity or desire for gain. Attackers set traps, promising benefits like a free movie download in exchange for a specific action – often the sharing of personal data. Once the alleged movie is downloaded and opened, your device becomes infected.
Dubious quizzes and surveys exploit people's need to express opinions and confirm their thoughts. They are often placed on social networks, and participants answer seemingly harmless questions about personal information. These data points can be later exploited by criminals for various harmful purposes.
In conclusion, social engineering is an advanced form of cybercrime of unparalleled audacity, leveraging human vulnerabilities. Protect yourself by exercising vigilance and extreme caution. Prevention is better than cure. Don't hesitate to seek clarification before disclosing sensitive information. If you run a business, educate your employees. We are here to provide comprehensive advice on potential risks and conduct workshops with your company. We look forward to hearing from you.