Defend against sophisticated social engineering attacks
How to Protect Your Company from Social Engineering Attacks
Over the years, social engineering attacks on businesses have gotten more notorious. It has become even more advanced. Cybercrime will not be put on hold any time soon. As a result, hackers have had to get more inventive in their attempts to trick employees and others into disclosing their personal information. It’s time for companies like yours to perform proper research and use the necessary tools to stay ahead of scammers.
What Is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is a form of cyberattack where hackers utilize psychological manipulation to trick unwitting victims into making security blunders and handing over their personal data. Social engineering is the manipulation of human emotions like greed, fear, rage, curiosity, etc., to get victims to click on harmful URLs or participate in physical tailgaters.
The purpose of social engineering attackers is one of two things:
- They want to disrupt a company’s operation by tampering with its data, or
- They want to steal data and/or money.
When posing as IT helpdesk staff, for example, an intruder could act as a user and ask for personal information such as a user name and password. The fact that so many individuals are willing to give over their personal information, especially if it appears to be coming from a reputable representative, is astonishing. Essentially, social engineering is the use of deception to persuade others to give up their personal information or data to gain access to it.
Social Engineering Attacks: Recognizing the Telltale Signs
Understanding the warning signs and avoiding attacks are two of the greatest strategies to protect your company from social engineering attacks. Some of the indicators that you should be on the lookout for include:
- Requesting emergency help.
- Asking for proof of your identity.
- Excessively friendly speech.
- An excessive focus on specifics.
- Using offerings that sound too good to be true in an attempt to lure customers in.
- Threatening strict reprimands if their demands are not met.
Comprehensive Information Security Services with AWA
The dangers of social engineering attacks are on the rise, and they are now a big concern for companies of all kinds when it comes to cybersecurity. To avoid being a victim of social engineering, make sure your company has the right defenses in place. Your company’s security staff has to be notified as soon as a security event occurs so that they can take prompt action.
Learn more about AWA’s social engineering testing services.
