Are you curious as to how much your co-workers earn?
How about what’s inside a USB that’s been left around the office car park addressed to someone else?
These are just a couple of the cyber attack types when it comes to malicious social engineering.
Hackers are using these tricks every day to lure unsuspecting victims into their web of deception., however, you’re smarter than them, because you can now stay one step ahead with our guide below.
Let us walk you through what social engineering is and a couple of ways you can stay safe from this type of cyber attack
Introducing The Bad Kind Of Social Engineering
Social engineering in the context of a hack occurs when a hacker plays a confidence trick, with the intention of influencing the end-user to divulge sensitive information or take an action that is not in their best interests.
What does it look like?
Social engineering comes in many different forms, however, one of the most common is baiting. Baiting occurs when a hacker uses a false promise to peak an end user’s greed, curiosity, or another strong emotion, to essentially lure into the ‘trap’ Examples include a physical USB drive being left around the office premises, a phishing email, or a well-designed yet malicious online ad.
A couple of ways to keep your organisation safe
#1 Using SPAM Filter Software
A simple yet effective measure is to ensure you have implemented all preventative SPAM filters across your network and browsers.
By installing anti-virus software and browser ad-block (as two examples), you can mitigate the risk of SPAM getting through to you in various forms.
#2 Not Giving Away Sensitive Information Online
It is never a good idea to divulge sensitive information or send important files over any unencrypted networks or channels, even to those you trust.
This is emphasised 100x to anyone you aren’t familiar with. Stay alert and vigilant in this respect and you will go a long way towards staying safe.
Conclusion
Hackers think they’re smart, however, we know you’re smarter. By implementing SPAM filter software and staying vigilant online and not providing any sensitive information to anyone, even across trusted networks, you will always be one step ahead of the hackers.