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What is Social engineering

Chapter 3
Modern Theories and Practices for Cyber Ethics and Security Compliance
The manipulation of victims to obtain trust for exploitation.
Published in Chapter:
Towards a Theory for Explaining Socially-Engineered Cyber Deception and Theft
Paul Danquah (Heritage Christian College, Ghana), Olumide Babatope Longe (American University of Nigeria, Nigeria), Jojo Desmond Lartey (Heritage Christian College, Ghana), and Peter Ebo Tobbin (Center for IT Professional Development, Ghana)
Copyright: © 2020 |Pages: 15
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-3149-5.ch003
Abstract
Socially engineered cyber deception and theft seems to have gained prominence in cybercrime. Given the contextual background of inadequate theoretical explanations of socially engineered cyber deception and theft cybercrime, there is the need for theory to better explain and possibly predict activities involved in socially engineered cyber deception and theft. This chapter proposes a theory of socially engineered cyber deception and theft (SECT), with routine activity theory, crime displacement theory, the space transition theory, and empirical review as its foundation. It iteratively combines deductive and inductive approaches to infer the occurrence of socially engineered cyber deception and theft. While the deductive approach serves the deduction leading to the inference, the inductive approach extracts and suggests empirical evidence for a deterministic prediction of the crime occurrence. It is recommended that the theory is further validated to test its applicability.
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Chapter 11
Redesigning the User Interface of a Learning Platform for Social Engineering Integrating Web Accessibility Basics
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Chapter 19
Combating Computer Fraud
An activity that is conducted by perpetrators on individuals in the hopes of gaining some personal information, such as credit card numbers, banking information, user names, passwords, and so forth. Social engineering can take the form of e-mails, mail, and phone calls. The authors of social engineering activities exploit individuals willing to trust, often with bad consequences. It often relies on non-technical means and involves tricking individuals to give up personal information. Social engineering perpetrators often rely on the goodness and natural tendency of people to help others.
Published in Chapter: Combating Computer Fraud; From: Encyclopedia of Information Technology Curriculum Integration
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Chapter 46
Social Research Methods in Cybersecurity: From Criminology to Industrial Cybersecurity
It can be defined as the mechanism to obtain information or data of a sensitive nature. In essence, they are persuasive tactics that tend to use the goodwill and lack of caution of users.
Published in Chapter: Social Research Methods in Cybersecurity: From Criminology to Industrial Cybersecurity; From: Handbook of Research on Advanced Research Methodologies for a Digital Society
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Chapter 34
The Ethics of Deception in Cyberspace
Techniques to manipulate people to obtain information from them that they would not give you voluntarily.
Published in Chapter: The Ethics of Deception in Cyberspace; From: Handbook of Research on Technoethics
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Chapter 144
Understanding Computer Security
An activity that is conducted by perpetrators on individuals in the hopes of gaining some personal information, such as credit card numbers, banking information, user names, passwords, and so forth. Social engineering can take the form of e-mails, mail, and phone calls. The authors of social engineering activities exploit individuals willing to trust, often with bad consequences. It often relies on non-technical means and involves tricking individuals to give up personal information. Social engineering perpetrators often rely on the goodness and natural tendency of people to help others.
Published in Chapter: Understanding Computer Security; From: Encyclopedia of Information Technology Curriculum Integration
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Chapter 4
Attributed State Actors
Uses various real-world and electronic methods to coerce users into unknowingly facilitate a compromise whether it be revealing credentials or trying to persuade them to click on a malicious URL link or malware laden file.
Published in Chapter: Attributed State Actors; From: Real-Time and Retrospective Analyses of Cyber Security
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Chapter 10
Social Engineering and Data Privacy
The use of deception to let someone disclose their personal/ confidential information that may be used later for malicious intent
Published in Chapter: Social Engineering and Data Privacy; From: Fraud Prevention, Confidentiality, and Data Security for Modern Businesses
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Chapter 37
Guarding Corporate Data from Social Engineering Attacks
The act of gaining either unauthorized access to a system or sensitive information, such as passwords, through the use of trust and relationship building with those who have access to such information.
Published in Chapter: Guarding Corporate Data from Social Engineering Attacks; From: Handbook of Research on Information Security and Assurance
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Chapter 4
The Insider Threat Landscape and the FinTech Sector: Attacks, Defenses, and Emerging Challenges
Tricking human users and relying on their actions to gain access to restricted information or systems, e.g., calling an employee pretending to be the human resource department and getting them to grant access to their private documents.
Published in Chapter: The Insider Threat Landscape and the FinTech Sector: Attacks, Defenses, and Emerging Challenges; From: Handbook of Research on Cybersecurity Issues and Challenges for Business and FinTech Applications
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Chapter 25
The Anatomy of Phishing Attacks and the Detection and Prevention of Fake Domain Names
It refers to a broad range of malicious activities performed through human interactions. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into revealing sensitive information or making security mistakes.
Published in Chapter: The Anatomy of Phishing Attacks and the Detection and Prevention of Fake Domain Names; From: Handbook of Research on Cyber Approaches to Public Administration and Social Policy
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Chapter 16
Emerging Cyber Security Threats During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Possible Countermeasures
Social engineering is an attack vector that relies heavily on human interaction and often involves manipulating people into breaking normal security procedures and best practices to gain unauthorized access to systems, networks, or physical locations or for financial gain.
Published in Chapter: Emerging Cyber Security Threats During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Possible Countermeasures; From: Handbook of Research on Technical, Privacy, and Security Challenges in a Modern World
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Chapter 9
Realizing a Multi-Layered Mobile Strategy for Underserved Areas for Cybersecurity Leadership
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Chapter 478
An Overview of Threats to Information Security
An attack where the perpetrator uses social skills to trick or manipulate a legitimate employee into providing confidential company information.
Published in Chapter: An Overview of Threats to Information Security; From: Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition
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Chapter 56
Online Phishing and Solutions
An attack that uses personal and social skills to persuade the target to behave in violation of security principles.
Published in Chapter: Online Phishing and Solutions; From: Encyclopedia of Criminal Activities and the Deep Web
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Chapter 1
Social Engineering in Information Security Breaches and the Factors That Explain Its Success: An Organizational Perspective
An attack technique carried out by social engineers seeking unauthorized access to valuable information assets. This technique exploits human vulnerability in the interaction with humans by using deception and manipulation in order to bypass information security policy.
Published in Chapter: Social Engineering in Information Security Breaches and the Factors That Explain Its Success: An Organizational Perspective; From: Handbook of Research on Information and Cyber Security in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
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Chapter 33
Online Social and Business Networks’ Implications for Corporate Strategy
Act of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information, rather than by breaking in or using technical cracking techniques.
Published in Chapter: Online Social and Business Networks’ Implications for Corporate Strategy; From: Handbook of Research on Business Social Networking: Organizational, Managerial, and Technological Dimensions
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Chapter 533
Marketing Vulnerabilities in an Age of Online Commerce
Manipulating people through their natural trust or desire to help in order to trick them into divulging information or performing actions.
Published in Chapter: Marketing Vulnerabilities in an Age of Online Commerce; From: Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition
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Chapter 401
Marketing Vulnerabilities in an Age of Online Commerce
Manipulating people through their natural trust or desire to help in order to trick them into divulging information or performing actions.
Published in Chapter: Marketing Vulnerabilities in an Age of Online Commerce; From: Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition
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Chapter 444
Network Worms
A type of attack taking advantage of human gullibility.
Published in Chapter: Network Worms; From: Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition
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Chapter 65
The Importance of the Human-Centric Approach in Combating Cyber Threats
The psychological manipulation of victims by cyber perpetrators, in order to get victims to divulge sensitive confidential information, or to perform certain actions that help perpetrators to successfully execute their cyberattacks.
Published in Chapter: The Importance of the Human-Centric Approach in Combating Cyber Threats; From: Encyclopedia of Criminal Activities and the Deep Web
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Chapter 20
Reviewing the Security Features in Contemporary Security Policies and Models for Multiple Platforms
It is the art of manipulating the mental state of the people in an attempt of divulging the sensitive information. It is the most dangerous danger that today’s enterprises are facing.
Published in Chapter: Reviewing the Security Features in Contemporary Security Policies and Models for Multiple Platforms; From: Handbook of Research on Modern Cryptographic Solutions for Computer and Cyber Security
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Chapter 2
The Complex New World of Information Security
A collection of techniques used to manipulate people, often via a computer or telephone, into performing acts or divulging confidential information to facilitate the execution of a fraud.
Published in Chapter: The Complex New World of Information Security; From: Handbook of Research on Social and Organizational Liabilities in Information Security
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Chapter 25
Dark Web: A Breeding Ground for ID Theft and Financial Crimes
The art of influencing and manipulating an individual into acting a certain way that they may or may not intend to do otherwise, and that may or may not be in their best interest.
Published in Chapter: Dark Web: A Breeding Ground for ID Theft and Financial Crimes; From: Handbook of Research on Theory and Practice of Financial Crimes
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Chapter 19
The Vulnerability of Children in Cyberspace
Social engineering involves criminals making direct contact with you usually by phone or email. They want to gain your confidence and usually pose as a customer service agent so you’ll give the necessary information needed. This is typically a password, the company you work for, or bank information. Cybercriminals will find out what they can about you on the internet and then attempt to add you as a friend on social accounts. Once they gain access to an account, they can sell your information or secure accounts in your name.
Published in Chapter: The Vulnerability of Children in Cyberspace; From: Handbook of Research on Cyber Law, Data Protection, and Privacy
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Chapter 9
Data Privacy vs. Data Security
Manipulating people to reveal confidential information that will usually be used in criminal activities.
Published in Chapter: Data Privacy vs. Data Security; From: Global Business Leadership Development for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
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Chapter 20
The Security Impacts on Social Media Platforms
The act of obtaining private information through non-technical means.
Published in Chapter: The Security Impacts on Social Media Platforms; From: Handbook of Research on Threat Detection and Countermeasures in Network Security
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Chapter 14
Social Engineering and its Countermeasures
The exploitation of psychological triggers and cognitive biases as a means to gain unauthorized access to information or information systems.
Published in Chapter: Social Engineering and its Countermeasures; From: Handbook of Research on Social and Organizational Liabilities in Information Security
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Chapter 4
Trends in Malware Attacks: Identification and Mitigation Strategies
Social engineering, in the context of information security, is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
Published in Chapter: Trends in Malware Attacks: Identification and Mitigation Strategies; From: Critical Concepts, Standards, and Techniques in Cyber Forensics
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Chapter 14
Emerging Cybercrime Variants in the Socio-Technical Space
the design and implementation of logical procedures to persuade victims to supply confidential information to a spoofed entity.
Published in Chapter: Emerging Cybercrime Variants in the Socio-Technical Space; From: Handbook of Research on Socio-Technical Design and Social Networking Systems
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Chapter 5
Social Engineering Techniques, Password Selection, and Health Care Legislation: A Health Care Setting
The art and science of manipulating people and processes to get what an attacker wants.
Published in Chapter: Social Engineering Techniques, Password Selection, and Health Care Legislation: A Health Care Setting; From: Handbook of Research on Emerging Developments in Data Privacy
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Chapter 20
Digital Security Strategy
A form of cyberattack that involves psychologically manipulating people into providing sensitive information (e.g., usernames, passwords, credit card numbers).
Published in Chapter: Digital Security Strategy; From: The Strategies of Informing Technology in the 21st Century
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Chapter 16
Potential Threats of Social Engineering Practices to Social Work: Concepts, Challenges, and Solutions
It refers to a wide range of malicious activities carried out through human interactions. It is based on psychological manipulation to trick users into revealing sensitive information or making security mistakes.
Published in Chapter: Potential Threats of Social Engineering Practices to Social Work: Concepts, Challenges, and Solutions; From: Handbook of Research on Policies, Protocols, and Practices for Social Work in the Digital World
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Chapter 42
Critical Success Factors and Indicators to Improve Information Systems Security Management Actions
Acquiring information about computer systems through non-technical means (Winkler, 1996). Also defined as the practice of obtaining confidential information by manipulation of legitimate users (Wikipedia, 2006).
Published in Chapter: Critical Success Factors and Indicators to Improve Information Systems Security Management Actions; From: Handbook of Research on Information Security and Assurance
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Chapter 1
Malicious Software in Mobile Devices
Social engineering is an attack method taking advantage of human nature.
Published in Chapter: Malicious Software in Mobile Devices; From: Handbook of Research on Wireless Security
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Chapter 2
Safe Distances: Online and RL Hyper-Personal Relationships as Potential Attack Surfaces
The manipulation of another human being to reveal sensitive or private information (such as through deception), often used to commit fraud.
Published in Chapter: Safe Distances: Online and RL Hyper-Personal Relationships as Potential Attack Surfaces; From: Handbook of Research on Information and Cyber Security in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
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Chapter 16
Identity Theft through the Web
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Chapter 25
A Routine Activity Theory-Based Framework for Combating Cybercrime
Psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
Published in Chapter: A Routine Activity Theory-Based Framework for Combating Cybercrime; From: Handbook of Research on Digital Crime, Cyberspace Security, and Information Assurance
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