Your employees and you receive many emails throughout the day, most are valid. Then you receive an email that is questionable. The email appears to be from a sender that you have had previous correspondences with, but there is an attachment. The attachment says it is for an invoice. You are unsure of why you would be receiving an invoice from this person when you have not purchased any products and/or services from them. You click on the attachment, then realize that you were a victim of social engineering. What is social engineering?
Social engineering is a method of manipulating individuals to divulge sensitive information or perform actions that they would not typically do. Social engineering attacks can take many forms, but here are some common types of social engineering:
Phishing: Phishing is the most common form of social engineering. It involves sending fake emails or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.
Pretexting: Pretexting involves creating a false scenario or pretext to obtain sensitive information from individuals. For example, an attacker might pose as a bank employee and ask for personal information to "verify" an account.
Baiting: Baiting involves offering something of value, such as a free USB drive, to lure individuals into revealing sensitive information or installing malware on their computers.
Tailgating: Tailgating involves following someone into a restricted area without permission. This can be used to gain access to sensitive information or physical assets.
Impersonation: Impersonation involves posing as someone else to gain access to sensitive information or physical assets. For example, an attacker might pose as a maintenance worker to gain access to a building.
Watering hole: Watering hole attacks involve compromising a website that is frequently visited by a target audience. By infecting the website with malware, the attacker can gain access to the computers of individuals who visit the site.
It's important to be aware of these different types of social engineering attacks and to be cautious when receiving unsolicited messages or requests for information.
Social engineering can happen to anyone, through any of the social engineering types identified within this article. If you have any hesitation about any email received, ByteBak Solutions can help your business determine if it is valid. If your business has fallen victim to a social engineering attack, contact ByteBak Solutions by email at info@bytebak.net or by phone at 737.263.2323.