Fraudsters are wheeling around to find the victim. With digitalization happening at the fastest pace, cyber-attacks are going nowhere. Amidst all, social engineering attacks have taken a more sophisticated form, disrupting the overall business operations of an organization. According to studies, a general organization is affected by over 700 social engineering attacks each year.
But what exactly is a social engineering attack? The context goes a long way!
In this article, we'll cover everything about social engineering attacks and strategies for avoiding being a victim of them.
What is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is a cyberattack that involves a range of malicious activities through human interaction. It psychologically manipulates or tricks users into giving away sensitive information. The main goal of a social engineering attack is to disrupt the organization's network, steal information, gain unauthorized access, or steal money.
Different Types of Social Engineering Attacks
Here are the types of social engineering attacks individuals and organizations face daily.
Phishing
When a malicious attacker sends an email that looks legitimate and from a trusted source, it tricks the user into sharing personal and financial information, leading to loss.
Baiting
Baiting is a social engineering attack that draws a victim by promising something, creating a sense of urgency and greediness. This encourages the target to install software or click on links that put malware into the system.
Honey Trap
Social engineers manipulate individuals into sharing confidential information or carrying out harmful actions.
Spear Phishing
This is a kind of social engineering attack in which, typically, the attackers do a background check on the victim's personal information in order to get access to the right plea.
How to Detect a Social Engineering Attack?
To identify a social engineering attack, you can check out the following signs:
- Unsolicited emails asking users to download or open the file may indicate a malware attack.
- An emotional message that leverages excitement, anger, curiosity, fear, or guilt
- A general greeting saying, "Dear Sir" or "Valued Customer" with missing contact information in the signature block indicates a phishing attack.
- Creating a sense of urgency in the message or email
- Cyber attackers tend to emulate the email address of a legitimate business when sending an email.
Social Engineering Prevention Strategies
Preventing social engineering attacks is not a big deal if you follow the right approach. Social engineers trick humans with fear or curiosity to lure victims into their trap. Therefore, you must be careful while dealing with the online world. Being vigilant at every step can help you avoid attackers.
The following strategies can help you to defend against social engineering attacks.
1] Update Antivirus/Anti-Malware Software
Make sure to keep everything updated! In addition, right from automated updates to downloading the latest versions of antivirus software, your system should be running smoothly without any hassles. Plus, it is important to check if the updates are applied and scan your system for any possible malware.
2] Use Multi-Factor Authentication
It is essential to incorporate the best possible practices to avoid social engineering attacks. Simply using a password is not enough to keep your account secure. Additional layers of security are a must! This is what multi-factor authentication refers to, meaning adding a security code sent to an email or phone number, fingerprint, CAPTCHA, or security question.
For instance, an attacker who tries to gain access to an organization's system will have to go through a long loop, which is quite a task. Additionally, this process involves multiple security measures that need to be bypassed before any sensitive information can be accessed.
3] SSL Certificate
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a security protocol that creates an encrypted connection between a web server and a browser. It prevents any third parties from accessing or modifying any information. Before you access any website, make sure to check for a green HTTPS padlock icon in the address bar. It acts as a shield to the bad actors, preventing them from stealing sensitive information.
4] Arrange a Security Awareness Training
One ideal way to safeguard against social engineering attacks is to ensure that all employees are aware of cyber criminals. Thus, arranging a secure awareness and training program would benefit your organization and employees.
For example, Phishing is one of the most common social engineering attacks. It comes in the form of email and tricks the user into clicking on the malicious link or file provided, which gives attackers access to the network or system.
5] Perform a Safe Communication
Additionally, online frauds are increasing rapidly with the never like before use of social media. Therefore, be very careful when communicating online on any platform such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. Furthermore, only trust people whose identity you can confirm. Additionally, do not randomly click on suspicious links and provide sensitive information if asked.
6] Use Strong Passwords for Your Accounts
Weak passwords can put you and your organization in trouble. Social engineers can quickly identify if you use passwords with numbers such as 1 to 9 or letters. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on creating a strong password for your system and never repeating it for multiple sites or accounts. Additionally, you can use a password manager to organize them in one place.
The Final Lines
Shield your business with the right prevention strategies mentioned above. The dangers of social engineering attacks are devastating, all you need to do is stay secure, stay vigilant in every step of your digital journey. For more interesting and insightful information on such cybersecurity related topics, visit our blog now.
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