Archives - Social Engineering

Identify social engineering patterns in chats and direct messages

Chats and direct messages (DMs) are essential features of platforms like social media networks and online gaming service. Their acceptance makes them common channels for social engineering scams, though. Don’t click suspicious links or give out sensitive information in these online exchanges, particularly not to people you’ve just virtually met.

Double check who’s connecting with you

Before accepting that friend request or LinkedIn connection, be sure to verify they’re a real person. There are many accounts out there on various social media platforms that are there simply to spread malicious links or skim people’s personal information. If you receive a request from one of these accounts, promptly decline it then report […]

Watch out for strangers on social networks

The Internet makes it easy for people to distort their identities and intentions. Consider restricting the people who are allowed to contact you on these social sites. If you interact with people you do not know, be careful about the amount of information you reveal or especially agreeing to meet them in person.

Stop social engineering for better cybersecurity

According to 2019 data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, about 1,300 complaints were filed with the agency each day that year. A substantial portion of these concerns contained some form of social engineering, a tactic that can be deployed online, over the phone or during in-person interactions. What is social engineering? A 2019 […]

Beware of social engineering attacks

After a hurricane or other natural disaster gets a lot of media attention, scammers will pose as charities via emails and phone calls, claiming that they’re collecting donations to aid the victims. This is an example of social engineering. Protect yourself from this kind of fraud by researching the source and confirming their legitimacy before […]

What is a smishing attack?

Smishing is a form of social engineering that exploits SMS, or text, messages. Text messages can contain links to such things as webpages, email addresses or phone numbers that when clicked may automatically open a browser window or email message or dial a number. This integration of email, voice, text message, and web browser functionality […]