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#KTLCyberSecurity, social engineering – the art of deception! What is #SocialEngineering? Tricking users into divulging sensitive information is nothing new in the world of cybersecurity. The only thing that’s changed is the method of attack, the stories used to obtain information, and sophisticated attacks from organised groups incorporating other threats such as phishing. In the 1990s, social engineering involved calling users to trick them into divulging their credentials or providing the dial-in landline number that connected a threat actor to an internal corporate server. Now, attackers use social engineering to trick targeted users into sending potentially millions of euros to offshore bank accounts. What are the signs of a social engineering attack? Unprofessional website links: Phishing links are sometimes used with social engineering to trick users into divulging sensitive information. Too good to be true: Scammers often promise money in exchange for compensation of your time. If the offer is too good to be true, then it is probably a scam. Malicious attachments: Instead of tricking targeted users into divulging private information, a sophisticated attack might work towards installing malware on a corporate machine using email attachments. How to not be a victim of social engineering? Research before responding: If the scam is common, you will find others talking about the social engineering method online. Don’t interact with a web page from a link: If an email sender claims to be from an official business, don’t click the link and authenticate and enter the official link manually instead. Be aware of strange behaviour from friends: Attackers use stolen email accounts to trick users, so be suspicious if a friend sends an email with a link to a website with little other communication. Don’t download files: If an email requests to urgently download files, ignore the request or ask for assistance to ensure that the request is legitimate. Check out the common types of social engineering as displayed. #KTL, #ConnectingCommunities, #cybersafe

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