The 4 Stages of a Social Engineering Attack
Social engineering is a common technique by scammers that uses deception to manipulate people into revealing confidential information. It is a form of hacking that relies on human interaction and often involves tricking people into breaking security procedures. These attacks can be very successful because they exploit the trusting nature of people. In this article, we'll discuss the four stages of a social engineering attack and what you can do to prevent them.
What is social engineering?
Scammers will commonly use phishing emails in order to gain access to your passwords or private bank information through social engineering. This can also involve them pretending to be technical support via phone calls, text messages, or even face-to-face interactions in order to get you to install harmful software on your device. Social media is also a major avenue for these types of scams because it can be relatively easy to gather the necessary information from a person's various social accounts.
Knowing what to look for in these cyber threats is a key part of not becoming a victim of a social engineering attack. Many of them follow a similar pattern, so catching the red flags early is key. Here are the four distinct phases of a social engineering attack:
Phase 1 – Reconnaissance
In this stage, the hacker gathers information about their target, such as what type of system they are using and what kind of data is stored on it. Cybercriminals can use social media to their advantage by "friending" you and then looking through all of your photos. By doing this, they are able to find small pieces of information about you that give them an easy way into your life.
Similarly, they might try to gather personal information about the people who work at your company or who also use the system to create a more believable story to get you on the hook.
Phase 2 – Elicitation
The hacker tries to get the target to give them sensitive information, such as passwords or login credentials. They may do this by pretending to be a customer or employee, or by sending phishing emails that look like they came from a legitimate source. Because of the information they gathered in phase 1, these emails or interactions may appear to be from a reliable source within your close network.
A hacker will take advantage of whatever makes it easier for you to trust them; this is them trying to build a strong enough relationship with you so that they can pull the information they want out of you. It may start subtly but it will likely escalate to a point where they have access to your private information that they can then use for nefarious purposes.
Phase 3 – Exploitation
Once the hacker has gathered enough information, they will attempt to exploit it in order to gain access to the system or network. To do this, they might send you what looks like a legitimate link about something you have an interest in, or trick you into giving them your email or password. This may involve using stolen login credentials, installing malware on your computer, or simply calling up and asking for help with your account.
Any personal information you end up giving them will likely be used against you. This step requires you to take some action and is a great opportunity for training to make a big difference. It could be as little as where you work or live, but could easily escalate to bank account info or passwords to key data.
Phase 4 – Installation
Once the hacker has gained access to the system, they will install malware or other tools that will allow them to stay in control of it long term. You will likely not be aware you have been hacked until after the fact, and unfortunately, by that point, the scammer will be long gone and have covered their tracks.
While this may be a regularly used pattern, not all social engineering attacks will follow this series. However, knowing them in the first place is a good way to recognize any form of social engineering.
How to Prevent a Social Engineering Attack
Here are some successful ways to prevent yourself and your company from being a victim of a scam.
1. Never give out your personal information.
Whether it be over the phone or through email, never give personal info to anyone who you don't know and trust. If you receive an unsolicited email from an unknown address asking for such things as passwords or social security numbers, do not respond. Let your IT team know as well so they can be prepared and take any necessary action.
2. Keep your devices secure by using antivirus software and a firewall.
Make sure your software is up to date, and be wary of any pop-ups or websites that request you to download something or update your Flash player. Also, when in public, protect your screen by using special phone settings or keeping the screen hidden when entering passwords or other sensitive data.
3. Be cautious about the type of information you share online.
Never post your social security number, home address, or other personal details on public social media sites or blogs. Scammers can use this information to commit fraud against you or gain access to your accounts.
By following these tips, you can be better protected from being a victim of social engineering attacks. Take care when browsing the internet, and if you or your company have any questions about how to protect your data, contact us at Ozark Technology, your dedicated business technology partner!
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