What is social engineering? How can we prevent it?

Social Engineering in IT: What It Is and How to Prevent It

Social engineering in the IT field is a fairly familiar concept. It is a type of cyberattack that has been growing rapidly in recent years, and many organizations have become victims due to a lack of knowledge and preparedness. So, what is social engineering and how can it be prevented? NSV will answer these questions below.

What Is Social Engineering?

Social engineering, also known as non-technical attacks, is the art of manipulating users into revealing confidential information. The information sought by criminals may vary, but when individuals are targeted, attackers often try to trick them into providing passwords, banking details, or granting access to their computers to secretly install malware. This gives attackers access to passwords, financial information, and even full control over the victim’s device.

Criminals use social engineering techniques because it is often easier to exploit trust than to hack systems. For example, tricking someone into giving up their password is much easier than trying to crack it (unless the password is extremely weak).

What makes social engineering especially dangerous is that it relies on human error rather than software or operating system vulnerabilities. Human mistakes are unpredictable, making them harder to detect and prevent than malware-based attacks.

Common Forms of Social Engineering

Scareware

Scareware involves attacking victims with fake alerts and false threats. Users are tricked into believing their system is infected with malware, leading them to install unnecessary or malicious software. Scareware is also known as rogue software, fake antivirus, or fraudware.

A common example is pop-up messages appearing in browsers while surfing the web, displaying warnings such as:
“Your computer may be infected with harmful spyware.”
These messages often provide infected installation tools or redirect users to malicious websites.

Scareware is also spread via spam emails that contain false warnings or promote useless or harmful services.

Pretexting

In this method, attackers obtain information through carefully crafted lies. The scam usually begins with a criminal pretending to need sensitive information to perform an important task.

Attackers often build trust by impersonating colleagues, police officers, banks, tax authorities, or government agencies. They ask a series of questions to verify the victim’s identity and collect personal data.

Information obtained may include savings accounts, insurance records, addresses, phone numbers, call records, bank details, and other sensitive personal data.

Phishing

Phishing is one of the most common social engineering attacks. Criminals use email and text message campaigns to create urgency, curiosity, or fear. Victims are then tricked into revealing sensitive information, clicking malicious links, or opening infected attachments.

For example, users may receive an email claiming their account has violated policies and requires immediate action, such as changing their password. The email contains a link to a fake website that looks legitimate. Victims enter their credentials, which are then sent to attackers.

Since phishing emails are usually sent in bulk, they are easier for security systems to detect and block.

Spear Phishing

Spear phishing targets specific individuals or organizations. Attackers customize their messages based on the victim’s role, job position, and contact information, making them harder to detect.

These attacks require more effort and preparation and may take weeks or months. However, they have a higher success rate when executed skillfully.

A common scenario involves attackers impersonating an organization’s IT consultant and sending emails that closely match the consultant’s writing style. Victims are instructed to change their passwords via a malicious link, allowing attackers to capture login credentials.

How to Prevent Social Engineering Attacks

Do Not Open Suspicious Emails and Attachments

If you do not recognize the sender, do not respond. Even if the sender seems familiar, verify the message through other channels such as phone calls or official websites. Remember that email addresses can be spoofed.

Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Credentials are among the most valuable targets for attackers. MFA provides an extra layer of protection if accounts are compromised.

Be Cautious of Attractive Offers

If an offer seems too good to be true, think carefully before trusting it. You can search online to verify its legitimacy.

Keep Antivirus Software Up to Date

Enable automatic updates or regularly download the latest virus definitions. Periodically check that updates are applied and scan your system for possible infections.