It's easy to think of Social Engineering as peer pressure from fraudsters - instead of relying on hacking skills, they manipulate you into providing information willingly. The following illustrates a Social Engineering email - receiving an email from your CEO requesting money because of a personal emergency would be intimidating. Obviously you don't want to let down your ultimate boss, you're flattered she'd turn to you, and what a great opportunity to score some brownie points. Your initial response might be to click the link. However, if you take a minute to ask yourself a few questions, you might see that's not such a great idea. How often would your CEO be in a position to need money? Are you really the person she would contact before friends and family? Does this situation feel like it could be legitimate?
It's always a good idea to trust your instincts and verify a request is legitimate before responding to an email, clicking a link, or opening an attachment. Even in an "emergency" situation, you'll be seen as a hero for verifying before acting.
Fore more information about Social Engineering, tap the image below.
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