We all know the stereotype of the hacker who uses his technical expertise to infiltrate protected computer systems and compromise sensitive data. This type of malicious actor constantly makes the headlines. But they’re not the only ones making headlines. The same goes for “social engineers,” individuals who use phone calls and other means of communication to tap into human psychology and trick users into providing access to an organization’s sensitive information.
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L’social engineering is the art of manipulating people into giving up confidential information. The types of information these criminals are looking for can vary, but when it comes to individuals, the criminals usually try to trick you into giving them your passwords or banking information, or accessing your computer to find it. secretly install a malware which will give them access to your Passwordsyour banking information and will allow them to control your computer.
How does social engineering work?
Criminals use social engineering tactics because exploiting your natural tendency to trust is usually easier than discovering ways to hack your software. For example, it’s much easier to trick someone into giving you their password than trying to hack it (unless the password is really weak).
Knowing when to take a person at their word and when the person you are communicating with is who they say they are is important. The same applies to online interactions and the use of Web sites : when should you trust the legitimacy of the website you are using or the security of the information it contains?
Ask any security professional and they will tell you that the weakest link in the security chain is always people. No matter how many locks and locks on your doors and Windowsor if you have dogs guards, alarm systems, spotlightsfences with barbed wire and armed security personnel, if you trust the person at the entrance who says they’re the pizza delivery guy and you let them in without first checking if they’re legit, you’re completely exposed to the risk it represents.
Preventing these attacks: spotting the warning signs
One of the best ways to protect against social engineering is to understand the warning signs and stay away from attacks. Here are some behaviors that should alert you. If your interlocutor:
- requests immediate assistance;
- request to verify your information;
- acts too friendly or enthusiastic;
- at theair nervous in case of counter-questioning;
- insists on details;
- entices you with offers that are too good to be true;
- threat of reprimands if his demands are ignored.
Cut off the communication immediately and report it to the service of cybersecurity of your company or to the competent authorities if you are an individual.
Good practices to adopt
It is possible to prevent these attacks without becoming paranoid. Here are some ways that can help you.
- Set spam filters to a high level. Each program of messaging has spam filters. To find out, look carefully at your setting options and set them too high. This will help you to stay away from unwanted messages to a great extent.
- Never use the same password for different accounts. If the attacker gets their hands on an account, they will be able to hack into other accounts as well.
- Use two or more factor authentication. A single password is no longer enough to secure your account. Extra layers are simply crucial. It can be a security question, a captcha, a digital print or of codes confirmation by SMS.
- If in doubt, change your password immediately. If you think you gave your password to a spammer, change all your passwords immediately.
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