Social Engineering
Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
In plain English
Tricking people (not computers) into doing something that helps the attacker—like clicking a link, giving a password, or “verifying” info on a fake page.
In cybersecurity, social engineering often takes the form of phishing, where attackers play on emotions like fear (e.g., 'your account is locked') or curiosity (e.g., 'see this private photo') to trick people into clicking dangerous links.
Human error is the biggest security risk. By using verification tools to inspect links and emails before interacting with them, you can significantly reduce your vulnerability to these tactics.
Examples & Usage
Common Scenarios
"Pretexting (impersonating an IT tech), Baiting (offering something free), or Quid Pro Quo (asking for a password to 'fix' a problem)."