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Glossary Security

Social engineering

Social engineering is manipulating people, rather than breaking technology, to get them to reveal information or take a harmful action.

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In more detail

Attackers exploit trust, urgency, fear and helpfulness: a caller claiming to be IT support, a fake invoice, a "boss" asking for gift cards. Phishing is the best-known form. Defences are verifying requests through a second channel, a culture where it is safe to say "let me check", and processes that do not rely on a single person's judgement.

See also

  • Glossary Phishing
    Phishing is a scam in which attackers pose as a trusted organisation or person, usually by email or text.
  • Glossary Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires two or more kinds of proof to sign in.
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