Social engineering attacks are a vicious form of cyber-attacks where the threat does not target technology but the user itself.
Social engineering attacks prey on the trust of unsuspecting users to obtain data and private information from victims.
These attacks manipulate victims into disclosing personal information.
This information helps the threat actors (the ones carrying out the attack) gain access to protected networks and spread malware.
Usually, these attacks have one of two goals in mind:(a) sabotaging or corrupting data, or
(b) theft of sensitive information such as passwords or account details.
Social engineering attacks follow a basic formula:– The threat actor gathers background information and necessary details to carry out the attack.
- Then, they establish a relationship with the user. They create a false sense of security for the user, making them responsible for compromising their data.
- The threat actor withdraws from the situation as soon as the attack is complete.
This entire process can take several months or a single phone call or email.