In this post we will explain how social engineering attacks work, and discuss how you can protect your systems against this form of cybercrime.
What is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is a type of cyberattack that relies on the psychology of persuasion to trick people into divulging personal information, or accessing malicious links or attachments.
How Does Social Engineering Work?
Many social engineering attacks start with a cybercriminal communicating directly with their intended target. This might be via an email, a text message, or a telephone call.
The cybercriminal will pretend to be from a trusted organisation, or they may even attempt to impersonate a specific person, such as a manager or an IT consultant. In any case, the aim is to trick the target into taking an intended action. This could be to divulge sensitive information, such as bank details or a password, or to click on a malicious link, or to open a malicious email attachment.
What Happens If You Fall Victim to a Social Engineering Attack?
If someone falls for a social engineering attack, then they may themselves become victims of identity theft or other forms of fraud. But in most cases, the cybercriminal’s aim is to breach a secure system. They may target an employee of a company, for example, in order to access the company’s systems or data. Or they may try to gain entry to an employee’s computer in order to hit the whole company with a ransomware attack.
This is why social engineering attacks can be so dangerous. Cybercriminals can target multiple people in an organisation at the same time. And in order for their attack to be successful, it only needs to work against one person.
The Different Types of Social Engineering Attacks
- Phishing – This involves sending a message, such as an email, that claims to be from a trusted individual or organisation. The aim is to trick the recipient into divulging sensitive information, or to take some other desired action, such as clicking a link or opening an attachment.
- Baiting – This might also be referred to as a “watering hole attack”. It involves setting up a fake, malicious website that looks identical to a trusted organisation’s website. Of course, entering your login information on this fake website essentially means that you are sharing your username and password directly with cybercriminals.
- Physical Social Engineering Attacks – Some social engineering attacks may be more personal. You might get a phone call, apparently from your bank, urging you to share certain information so as to correct some kind of bank error. Or, a cybercriminal may post as an IT support worker, in order to gain direct access to a system.
How To Protect Yourself, Your Employees, and Your Business Against Social Engineering
Social engineering attacks are particularly dangerous as they target the weakest link in any cybersecurity system – people. This means that even the most advanced of cybersecurity systems can still be vulnerable to a social engineering attack.
And as cybercriminals are getting smarter and more sophisticated all the time, even the savviest and most experienced of IT professionals may still fall victim to a social engineering ploy.
Constant vigilance is your best defence against social engineering, underpinned by a robust IT security framework.
Essential Cybersecurity Measures Against Social Engineering Attacks
- Staff Training – It is essential that you, and everyone else in your business, understands the risks, and the red flags that could suggest that a message or phone call is not what it seems. This training should be tailored to reflect the unique risks that might exist for your organisation, and the specific forms of attack that cybercriminals may attempt to gain access to your system.
- Password Management – Set clear guidelines on password security, including procedures for when employees should update their passwords, and a strict rule that employees must not share passwords with anyone, at any time.
- Multi–Factor Authentication – This means that people will need more than one security credential in order to access a system. For instance, employees may have to provide one-time passcodes, as well as biometric information, in addition to their passwords.
- Zero Trust Security – This is a cybersecurity framework whereby every user must provide credentials at every point of access, without exception. This, combined with multi-factor authentication, will make it much harder for cybercriminals to access your system, even if their social engineering attacks are successful.
How to Respond To Social Engineering Attacks
Your cybersecurity policy should also outline how you respond to a social engineering attack.
Employees should know who to report to, and what actions they should take, if they suspect they have fallen victim to an attack. This might involve changing their passwords or notifying IT staff, who may be able to take appropriate action before it is too late.
This is one area where cyber insurance can make a huge difference. As well as covering your liabilities during a cyberattack, cyber insurance can also cover certain expenses associated with your response, including the costs of notifying clients or customers whose data may have been compromised by a breach.
Read our full guide to how cyber insurance can help protect your business.
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