What is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is a term that refers to psychological and social techniques often used to manipulate or deceive people. These methods are often used to build trust, manipulate people’s emotional responses, or manipulate people’s behavior. Social engineering is an important topic in areas dealing with cybersecurity, information security and vulnerabilities.
Social engineering is a tactic that hackers, fraudsters, and malicious actors can use to circumvent technical systems or gain access to personal information. For example, an attacker could collect personal information on social media to gain a person’s trust and use that information to access user accounts to answer security questions.
That’s why it’s important to be wary of social engineering attacks and protect your personal information. Being wary and suspicious of requests or links, especially from unknown sources, can help protect you from potential social engineering attacks. Also, keeping your passwords strong and unique will further protect against phishing attempts.
Phishing Attacks and Examples
Phishing attacks are cyber attacks that use social engineering techniques to trick people, often through fake or fraudulent messages. Such attacks are usually carried out over communication channels such as e-mail, SMS, instant messaging applications or social media. Attackers try to steal victims’ personal information or financial data by using seemingly innocent messages.
Phishing attacks can be carried out in a variety of ways and are becoming more sophisticated every day. Here are some common phishing attacks and examples:
Email Phishing: Attackers try to scam victims by sending seemingly official emails. For example, they may receive an email indicating suspicious activity in your bank account and ask you to verify your account information. This type of email may actually be fake and is a fishing rod in the hands of attackers, even though it looks like it came from your real bank.
SMS (Short Message Service) Phishing: Attackers can try to entrap victims by sending fake links or messages via text messages. For example, a scammer might send you an SMS stating that you won a prize or that a package was undeliverable, prompting you to click on a link or enter your personal information.
Spear Phishing: Attackers create private fake messages using the private information of the target people. Such attacks increase the likelihood of gaining the target’s trust. For example, a fake email sent by someone who appears to be an official of the target’s organization may aim to obtain the target’s internal username and password.
Phishing: Attackers impersonate a real website by redirecting users to fake websites. For example, they can redirect users to a fake website that imitates a bank’s official website, thereby capturing users’ login information.
Vishing (Voice Phishing): Attackers can make fake calls by calling victims over the phone, asking them to provide their financial or personal information. These types of vishing attacks are usually done by being known as a “bank official” or “tech support representative”.
To protect against phishing attacks, it is important to be wary of links and messages from unknown sources, always verify the source before sharing your personal information, and verify it using a reliable communication channel. It’s also important to use strong and unique passwords, take security measures like two-factor authentication, and increase your cybersecurity awareness.
Psychological Tactics Used in Social Engineering
Psychological tactics used in social engineering refer to a variety of methods aimed at manipulating people’s emotional responses and behavior. Using these tactics, social engineers develop various techniques to mislead people, gain their trust, and get the results they want. Here are some psychological tactics commonly used in social engineering:
Trust Building: Social engineers use a variety of ways to gain the trust of their victims. People often trust their acquaintances and authorities. Therefore, attackers try to gain the trust of victims by posing as a person, organization or expert they trust.
Urgency and Fear: Social engineers manipulate victims’ feelings of urgency and fear to speed up their response. For example, they may send messages that imply frightening or urgent situations, such as suspicious activity on their account or the end of a service, prompting people to panic and make quick decisions.
Forgiveness and Doing Good: Social engineers can use people’s emotional connections and feelings of empathy. For example, they can stimulate people’s feelings of compassion by running fake fundraisers on behalf of charities or asking for help in an emergency, persuading people to donate or provide information they want.
The Principle of Reciprocity: People tend to reciprocate a favor or gesture from others. By making a small request or gift first, social engineers can make victims more willing to request a larger request or share information.
Authority and Recognition: Social engineers may try to influence victims by impersonating authority figures or public figures. For example, they may pretend to be a senior manager and solicit sensitive information from their employees.
Referral to Personal Preferences and Interests: Social engineers can further influence victims by providing messages and offers tailored to their personal preferences and interests. For example, victims can be made to hurry by being told that a product or service is discounted and only available for a limited time.
The purpose of these tactics is to use people’s natural emotional reactions to persuade them to give information or take desired actions without thinking or doubting. That’s why it’s important to be wary of social engineering attacks, be wary of suspicious messages, and protect your personal information.
The Role of Social Media
Social media plays an important role in modern society and has a number of effects and functions. Here are some key topics on the role of social media:
Communication and Connectivity: Social media allows people to connect with people around the world. It brings people together by facilitating communication with family, friends or acquaintances in distant places. It also allows like-minded people to connect and interact through communities, groups, and platforms built around their interests.
News and Information Source: Social media provides quick access to current news, events and trends. People can follow the developments in the world instantly through news, articles and other content.
Social Awareness and Activism: Social media is a powerful tool to raise awareness of social issues and take action for social change. Announcing and supporting campaigns, donations and social justice issues is common through social media platforms.
Commerce and Advertising: Companies use social media to promote their products and services, expand their customer base, and increase brand awareness. Social media enables businesses to interact with potential customers and provide solutions that fit their needs.
Entertainment and Content Sharing: Social media allows users to have fun and share their experiences through photos, videos and different types of content. Engaging and entertaining content allows users to stay and engage longer on platforms.
Digital Activity and Job Opportunities: Social media contributes to digital content creation and the emergence of interactive professions. New job opportunities arise, such as content producers, digital marketers, social media managers, and influencers.
Democratic Communication: Social media allows people to share their ideas and thoughts and thus have an impact on communities. While traditional media may have a certain control and filtering mechanism, social media platforms offer a more democratic communication opportunity.
However, there are also some negative aspects of using social media. For example, the spread of misinformation, privacy violations, addiction and online harassment are some of the problems of social media. Therefore, ethical and safe use of social media is important.
Human-Based Attacks in Companies
Human-based attacks in companies are cyber attacks carried out with the aim of manipulating company employees using social engineering techniques to leak information and data, phishing or endanger the security of the company. Such attacks can be effective by targeting the human factor, no matter how strong the cybersecurity measures. Companies take important steps to increase the awareness of their employees and to provide protection against such attacks through training.
Here are the types of human-based attacks that are common in companies:
Phishing: Attackers try to gain the trust of company employees by sending fake e-mails, SMSs or social media messages. In these fake messages, employees are often asked to click on a link or enter their personal information (username, password, credit card information, etc.).
Spear Phishing: Spear phishing is a more sophisticated type of phishing by searching the target’s personal information and creating fake messages specific to him. By using the target’s information, attackers send more believable and target-specific messages, increasing their chances of success.
CEO Fraud: Attackers try to deceive an employee who is authorized to make financial transactions by pretending to be a senior executive within the company. The attacker attempts to defraud the employee by calling the target or sending fake emails, stating that there is an urgent payment situation, or requesting a fraudulent financial transaction.
Social Engineering Data Collection: Using social engineering techniques, attackers manipulate employees to collect personal information. For example, by monitoring social media profiles or offline conversations, attackers can identify employees’ usernames, dates of birth, or answers to security questions.
Social Engineering with Relevant Information: Attackers can attempt to spoof information by building trust and friendly relationships among employees. Based on relevant information, they can persuade an employee to provide information or allow access to privileges.
Companies should make their employees aware of such tactics by organizing cyber security trainings and awareness campaigns in order to take precautions against such attacks. It is also important to update security protocols and protect business processes from such attacks.
Next Generation Technologies and Social Engineering
Next-generation technologies and social engineering mean that cyber attackers develop more sophisticated and effective tactics in accordance with the digital age of our age. Emerging technology gives cyber attackers access to more data and tools and makes social engineering attacks more complex. While social engineering focuses on using psychological tactics to deceive and manipulate people, next-generation technologies are used to supplement and make these tactics more effective.
Some examples between next generation technologies and social engineering are:
Artificial Intelligence and Social Engineering: Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can create more believable fake messages by analyzing users’ online behavior and delivering personalized content. AI-based attacks can be more effective by better understanding the target’s behavior.
Advanced Phishing Campaigns: Social engineering attackers can create sophisticated phishing campaigns in which personal information is collected and victims’ tendencies and interests are better understood. Information from social media platforms and other online sources helps attackers form more personal connections with their targets.
Deepfake Technology: Deepfake is an artificial intelligence-based technology that manipulates people’s voice and image. By using deepfake technology, imitating someone’s voice, or manipulating video footage, social engineers can make victims believe that the people delivering the fake messages are real people.
Targeted Social Engineering: Thanks to advanced data analysis and profiling, attackers can conduct tailor-made social engineering attacks. Data from social media and other online platforms allows target people to learn more about their preferences and behavior.
Automated Social Engineering Tools: Social engineers can create large-scale attack campaigns using automated tools. Such tools make it easy to send fake messages to thousands of destinations at once and monitor interactions.
The development of new generation technologies has made social engineering attacks more sophisticated and complex. Therefore, individuals and institutions should raise awareness of cybersecurity, update their security measures, and be more cautious and skeptical of social engineering attacks.
Countermeasures in Social Engineering
Measures to be taken against social engineering attacks are possible by raising awareness of companies and individuals and taking preventive steps. Here are some precautions that can be taken against social engineering attacks:
Education and Awareness: Companies and individuals should receive regular training to understand social engineering techniques and common attack types. Raising awareness about information security and social engineering allows employees and users to better recognize these types of attacks.
Recognizing Fake Messages: Employees and users should be careful to recognize fake messages. Before clicking on suspicious e-mails or messages, the sender and content of the message should be thoroughly examined and verified if necessary.
Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication: Companies and individuals should use strong and unique passwords. At the same time, additional security measures such as two-factor authentication should be used effectively.
Caution in Social Media Sharing: Publicly sharing your personal information and answers to your security questions should be avoided on social media platforms. Social media profiles should be set private and allow access to a limited set of people.
Authorization and Access Control: Companies should limit the information that employees can access and only allow access to this information when necessary.
Authentication and Approval Processes: Especially in financial transactions, high-risk authorization or approval processes should be applied. For example, confirmation of financial transaction requests from the CEO by phone or face-to-face verification.
Reporting Suspicious Conditions: Employees and users should promptly report suspicious messages or activity and notify the security team.
Current Security Solutions: Companies should update their security measures and use security solutions that protect against new threats.
These measures will help you be more resistant to social engineering attacks. However, it should be noted that social engineering tactics are constantly evolving and attackers can find new ways. Therefore, it is important to take an informed and skeptical approach.
