Today, there are countless types of ransom software attacks that can disrupt things. But social engineering must be one of the scariest of them all. Statistics show that 33% of all data breaches occurring in organisations are cases of government intervention. While 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses.
If you’re just getting started, a social engineering cyber attack can be absolutely devastating to your progress. That is why it is so important to have knowledge on your side and to know your vulnerabilities when it comes to social engineering attacks.
This blog discusses the most common ways to target your business.
What are social engineering attacks?
Social engineering is a tactic that hackers use to manipulate a person or a few people. The aim is to gain access to the company’s system and its private information.
The general principle of manufacturability is that it plays with our familiar human nature. For cybercriminals, social engineering is one of the easiest ways to hack into a corporate database and cause damage.
Most social engineering attacks include emails, social media, phone calls, identity theft, and more. The ultimate goal is to mislead employees by offering them confidential information to hack into the company’s system.
How am I supposed to protect you? A good starting point is a solid IT foundation and good IT management by an outsourced specialist like Bits Technology Group – visit their website for more information.
What are the most common forms of social engineering attacks you need to know? Immersion:
1. Riding behind or on the back of a horse
This type of attack is also called piggybacking. A hacker attack is when a hacker detects a verified employee or brings him back to the protected area of your company. Usually these kinds of attacks take place physically on your premises.
One of the most common ways hackers gain access is by posing as deliverers or sellers. Another popular way to sneak in is to have a conversation, hit an employee and then sneak past the counter.
Spinning is common in small businesses. It is not very popular in large companies because most employees use key cards to access restricted areas. Hackers are looking for access to your servers or data rooms, so make sure these rooms are always secure.
2. Exchange of information or counterpart
This social engineering tactic is based on the principle of an exchange between two parties – in most cases this exchange is based on confidential information. The advantage of this type of exchange is the form of service.
For example, a hacker poses as someone else and then asks for your information in exchange for help with maintenance.
One of the most common forms of social engineering is posing as an employee of the American Social Security Administration (SSA). Hackers are looking for your personal information, especially your social security number, to commit identity theft.
In other cases, scammers create fake SSA websites and present themselves as employees offering a service to help you use your social security cards. Instead of helping you, they steal your information.
It is imperative that all employees are aware of these common scams that confuse too many people.
3. Phishing
It is probably the best known form of social engineering. Most employees are well aware of phishing scams, but nowadays they can seem very legitimate and trap even the most resourceful employee.
Phishing scam has three main objectives. The first step is to obtain personal information such as addresses and social security numbers. The second is to drive users to phishing sites, and the third is to use fear or a sense of urgency to make users react quickly and often thoughtlessly.
Most phishing attacks use phishing emails to lure end users. Although most people already know what to look for in a phishing email, they may still look legitimate.
It is important that employees never click on links in suspicious emails because hackers will redirect you to phishing sites to steal your personal information.
4. The pretext
The aim of these manufacturability tactics is to create an attractive pretext for the end user. In fact, it is a false scenario in which a hacker pretends to be someone else to steal personal information. They then use this information to hack into your company’s systems if possible.
In a surreptitious attack, the scammer poses as someone who needs more information to confirm your identity. As a banker, for example, he may call you and ask you to confirm your contact details because suspicious activities have been detected on your card.
They then use this data to carry out secondary attacks on your company. It’s dangerous to pretend, because scammers use a fake script to create a sense of trust with your employees. They play on a person’s vulnerability.
In some cases, the scammer may also impersonate an IT, human resources or finance representative to gain access to your facility. This allows them to focus on senior management, which can be disastrous for the company.
5. Ace
The bait is very similar to phishing attacks. The only difference is the promise of goods in exchange for confidential information – hence the term bait.
The most important part of this attack is to offer your employees login or login information for free things like music, movie downloads, etc.
The bait is also used to exploit our curiosity with physical media such as CDs or USBs. If your company has already received one of these items and they are not labelled or look suspicious, don’t put them in your computer(s)!
What’s new in business, technology, sport and travel?
Social engineering attacks are taking place all over the world on a daily basis. While some are not so easy to recognize, others should be clear if you and your staff know what they need to know.
Stay up to date with the latest technological and business developments to deepen your knowledge of what to look for in the field of cyber security. Explore the rest of this page for daily updates….
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