For most of us, the first thing we do after buying a new phone or laptop is to install our favorite antivirus. By doing that, we believe we have protected our gadgets from online attacks. After all, the most common attack vectors are viruses and malware.
While this is a great first line of defense for your devices, it might do little to protect your systems. That's because, over the years, cybercriminals have evolved and become more sophisticated in their tactics. While we go about with our lives, attackers are working tirelessly to continuously develop new methods to bypass security measures and evade traditional antivirus detection. In fact, many cyberattacks now target vulnerabilities in software, human behavior, and network infrastructure that antivirus software alone cannot address.
That's why relying solely on an antivirus no longer cuts its. You need to arm yourself with the latest knowledge on social engineering attacks. To help you with that, here are five social engineering attacks you should know about in 2024.
Dumpster Diving
When a document has served its purpose, most of us throw it in a dustbin, or in the case of a laptop, we send it to the bin. What you may not know is that an attacker can exploit discarded documents to access sensitive data. Always use mindful disposal to prevent this threat, whether you work in a grocery shop or provide professional essay writing service.
Be cautious about what you throw away, especially items containing personal information like bank statements, receipts, or utility bills. If you don't need a document, take your time to cut it into tiny pieces, preferably with scissors or a shredder, so that if you throw it in the dustbin, it will be impossible to piece it together.
Better yet, burn them because you never know who is lurking around waiting to search your trash to find passwords or access codes written on sticky notes or scraps of paper to use the information to carry out social engineering attacks.
Honey Trap
This social engineering threat doesn't seem like it will end any time soon because it uses psychological vulnerabilities and online interactions, which have become quite popular over the years. It works because the allure of an attractive or sympathetic persona can lower your guard, and in your vulnerable moment, you disclose sensitive information or engage in risky behavior online.
Also, the secretive characteristic of the internet promotes deception. That is, it is simpler for attackers to utilize authentic identities and construct false identities to emotionally entrap people without considering the repercussions. Human emotions and trust play a role; these are easy to target and undermine on a scale that infringes on security and privacy.
In other terms, in order to avoid the dangers related to such deceptive techniques, one must maintain a healthy level of distrust of any online relationship, especially if it originates from a stranger.
Smishing
Nowadays, almost everyone has a smartphone. We use it to do many things, including sending and receiving messages. The widespread adoption of mobile devices means attackers have a large potential pool of targets to exploit. Additionally, we are accustomed to receiving and responding to text messages, making us more likely to engage in smishing attempts without suspicion.
An even greater problem is that SMS messages have limited screen space and formatting restrictions, making it difficult for recipients to assess sender authenticity and content quality. This leads to a greater number of smishing scams. These opportunities are exploited by attackers who use effective language and psychological triggers to encourage recipients to follow a link, provide personal information, or install malware. As a result, successful smishing attacks occur.
Pretexting
Imagine a scenario where you receive a call at work from someone claiming to be a new colleague. They tell you they urgently need your help to fix a tech issue. They mention recent projects and deadlines. In the process, they convince you to share your login details so they can assist you remotely. This is pretexting.
This type of social engineering threat continues to be effective because it exploits human psychology and trust. Attackers use convincing scenarios and detailed knowledge to deceive targets, often catching them off guard. Moreover, most people prioritize helpfulness over caution in today's fast-paced environments, especially when pressured or facing urgent requests.
What makes it an easy job is that there is an abundance of personal and professional information available online that anyone, even those who buy an essay, might access at the click of a button. The attackers can use online information to tailor their pretexts to appear legitimate. This increases the likelihood of success.
Vishing (News - Alert)
Most of us are naturally inclined to believe phone calls, especially when they originate from reputable companies. Attackers could use this trust as leverage to force you to reveal sensitive information. When there are no visual cues or background information available, it can be challenging to verify if the person on the other end of the phone is telling the truth.
In short, vishing/ voice phishing is all about attackers using phone calls to deceive targets into providing sensitive information or taking specific actions. The attacker creates a sense of urgency or authority to manipulate you into complying with the requests.
Final Thoughts
Cybercriminals now have a worldwide platform to operate from anywhere in the globe, thanks to the internet. This enables them to target people and even businesses that operate internationally. As a result, social engineering has become one of the top cyber threats responsible for business compromise.
While it's impossible to predict and have a solution for every attack vector, arming yourself with knowledge will go a long way in ensuring you don't make mistakes that will lead to your system or that of your organization being compromised.
A great way to look at cybersecurity is with the analogy of the Trojan horse story. In this case, the Trojan horse represents the deceptive element that attackers will use to gain access to what you assume to be your secure environment. Once they access your device, they exploit its vulnerabilities for nefarious purposes. But if you know what social engineering attacks look like, you are less likely to become a victim. So always update your knowledge and stay vigilant!
