6 Types of Social Engineering Attacks

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Social engineering attacks are among the most common cybersecurity threats that cybercriminals use to steal sensitive company information. A report reveals that 77% of business email compromise (BEC) attacks target employees outside of finance and executive roles. These users are tricked into unwittingly divulging sensitive information – either fulfilling the attackers’ desires or cluing them in on next steps for further infiltration. While most social engineering attacks focus on non-executive employees, executives are still frequently targeted and are looked to as leaders, setting the tone for organizational values and awareness. This highlights the importance of executives staying informed about the various types of social engineering attacks and implementing strategies to protect themselves and their organizations.

What is Social Engineering?

Social Engineering is a type of cybersecurity attack that is used to manipulate people into sharing information that they shouldn’t share, downloading software that they shouldn’t download or otherwise compromising their personal or organizational security. Social engineering attacks abuse human psychology (e.g. the desire to appear well-informed or helpful) to obtain protected information or cause unwarranted changes. A malicious actor will masquerade as someone from a trusted organization, an authority figure, or someone with extenuating circumstances (a distressed mother, a frightened child, an irate customer etc.) to gain the trust of a target. Once the target has lowered their guard, the attacker gets to work. This could entail siphoning personal information from the victim, tricking an administrator into changing an account’s password or authentication method, getting the victim to install a malicious file, learning about extant security flaws in an organization, and so much more. Social engineering can be baked into any of these attack chains. That is to say, social engineering can lead to any number of undesirable outcomes.

How Social Engineering Techniques Work

Social engineering attacks happen in one or more steps, and they usually involve human interaction. Hacking on the human level means that technological solutions – like antivirus software – are of no use. The only defenses against social engineering are proper training, awareness, and vigilance.

The process of a social engineering attack typically involves the following steps:

Reconnaissance: The attacker gathers information about the target, including their background, interests, and security protocols.
Establishing trust: The attacker creates a sense of trust with the target, often by impersonating a trusted figure or using social proof.
Creating a sense of urgency: The attacker creates a sense of urgency or fear to prompt the target into taking action.
Making a request: The attacker makes a request for sensitive information or access to a system.
Executing the attack: The attacker uses the information or access gained to carry out the attack.

Social engineering techniques can be used in various forms, including phishing, spear phishing, pretexting, baiting, and quid pro quo. These techniques can be used to gain access to personal and financial information, including bank account details, credit card numbers, and social security numbers.

Six Types of Social Engineering Tactics:

Cybercriminals exploit human trust in many diverse ways. Below are six common social engineering tactics they use to deceive individuals and gain unauthorized access:

Pretexting

Attackers fabricate a convincing story or “pretext” to gain trust and eventually manipulate their victims. There is no limit to the cover stories they may use. Common ones include posing as members of the HR or finance department at the target organization, a customer in urgent need, or even a candidate for a job opening.

Whaling (Executive Phishing)

Whaling attacks target high-level executives. By posing as legitimate entities, attackers deceive executives into revealing sensitive information or transferring funds. These highly targeted attacks often rely on convincing emails or communications tailored to their victims. The attackers exploit the high-profile, often public-facing image that many executives possess to feed the plausibility of their attack.

Quid Pro Quo

This method leverages social interaction to trick victims. Attackers offer something that appears valuable in exchange for information or access. For example, they may claim to provide tech support or a reward, gaining the victim’s trust and ultimately compromising their data or systems.

Tailgating (Piggybacking)

Tailgating occurs when an unauthorized person gains physical access to secure areas by following authorized personnel. This plays on the human urge to appear helpful, even to complete strangers. It can also extend to digital environments, where attackers use shared access points to breach sensitive systems. Tailgating is often an early step in attack chains that culminate in unauthorized network access or data exfiltration.

Phishing

Phishing is the most common social engineering attack. Billions of phishing messages are sent every day, and these cause 90% of organizational compromises. These attacks leverage phony emails, messages, or websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive data like usernames, passwords, or payment information. Phishing often involves malicious websites that trick users into providing their credentials and performing MFA for the attacker.

Baiting

In this tactic, attackers leave infected devices, such as USB drives, in areas where victims are likely to find them. When the victim plugs the device into their system, malicious software is installed, giving the attacker access to sensitive information or networks.

By understanding these tactics, organizations and individuals can better protect themselves against social engineering attacks. Cybersecurity awareness and training are essential to staying one step ahead of malicious actors.

How do I protect myself and my organization against social engineering?

Unlike hacking software or hardware vulnerabilities, social engineering targets people, making it harder to detect and prevent without proper safeguards. Businesses can significantly reduce their risk through comprehensive employee training and robust security policies.

Invest in Awareness Training

Awareness training is crucial in defending against social engineering attacks. Regular, customized training programs educate employees about the tactics attackers use and how to recognize and respond to them. Key components of effective training include:

Simulations and Real-World Examples: Conduct scenarios where attackers might pose as trusted entities. For example: A fake email from a senior manager (with a spoofed email address) asking for an urgent payment transfer. Simulations help employees identify red flags and respond appropriately to prevent potential incidents.

Security is Everyone’s Business: Training should emphasize the importance of each employee’s role in maintaining a secure environment. When employees understand how their actions impact overall security, they are more likely to follow best practices.

Establish Clear Security Policies

Strong security policies provide a framework for employees to make informed decisions when confronted with social engineering attempts. Important policies to implement include:

Password Management:

Enforce guidelines for strong passwords, including length and complexity requirements.

Educate employees never to share passwords, even with high-ranking officials.

Implement password managers to securely store and manage passwords.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

Require MFA for accessing high-risk services, such as VPNs and sensitive databases.

MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring two forms of authentication. These can be any combination of something you know, something you have, something you are (biometrics), and somewhere you are.

Email Security with Anti-Phishing Measures:

Deploy advanced email security solutions with built-in anti-phishing defenses.

Use email filters and spam detection to block malicious emails before they reach employees.

Educate employees to verify the legitimacy of suspicious emails by checking sender details and avoiding clicking on unknown links or attachments.

Stay up to date on security protocols, to prevent attackers from leveraging legacy methods that cannot provide robust security.

Implement Layered Security Measures

A multi-layered approach to security combines various strategies and tools to protect against social engineering attacks:

Regular Security Audits:

Conduct periodic security assessments to identify vulnerabilities and improve defenses.

Automated tools are available to scan servers and endpoints for up-to-the-hour vulnerabilities.

Use penetration testing to simulate attacks and evaluate the effectiveness of security measures.

Incident Response Planning:

Develop and maintain an incident response plan to handle security breaches effectively.

Ensure employees know how to report suspicious activities and whom to contact in case of an incident.

Continuous Monitoring and Updates:

Monitor systems continuously for unusual activities and potential threats.

Keep security software and systems updated with the latest patches and upgrades.

How PSM Partners Can Help Protect You from Social Engineering Attacks

At PSM Partners, we specialize in cybersecurity services designed to safeguard businesses and institutions. Our managed cybersecurity services offer full IT system protection, including 24/7 monitoring, regular maintenance, and critical updates, all seamlessly integrated into your managed IT solutions.

If you prefer a flexible approach, our Security as a Service (SECaaS) focuses solely on securing your systems. We also excel in identity and access management (IAM), ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive data. Our team will set up permissions, implement advanced security software, and configure cloud-based solutions to prevent unauthorized access and reduce fraud risks.

Ready to enhance your IT security? Contact us today to learn more about our preventative cybersecurity solutions.

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