Computers and Personal Info: Beware of Social Engineering
It today's scenario social engineering is more often used for lucrative purpose. Spammers are dependent on social engineering to bypass spam filters in email providers and forcing recipient to open the content. Phishers on other hand skillfully uses social engineering to gain personal and financial information.
Most widely used social engineering tricks includes the email with catchy subject line which includes porno links and images as content. This forces recipient of the email to open and download the attachment. Beware, this downloaded stuff can be dangerous malware.
Hot contemporary political issues can also be taken as content in email delivery. It will generally ask you to contribute in financial support for social cause and you in turn reveal your most privately guarded financial information.
Nigerian emails are quite popular these days. Sender of the emails pretends to be Nigerian citizens and request you to assist him/her in moving large amount of money. In process you are asked for your personal data. A per research many internet users have been fallen prey to these emails and got actually killed all the way from their native land to Nigeria.
Sometimes you are bound to get telephone calls and emails that threaten you a legal punishment if you do not comply to the said procedures in email. You in process, give all the confidential information such as your social security number. Providing this information opens the door to launch second attack.
Gifts attract many people. Free screensavers and freebies which you see all over internet indirectly install malware or adware on to your computer. Most common form of these download includes Games and animated wallpapers.These awesome looking screensavers can prove lethal.
Any gadget related freebies can also mean accepting malware and crimeware. Trojan Horses are most common and deadliest programs that get installed on your computer during this activity.
Cases have been observed where celebrity's names are used to initiate the communication and most of the time real celebrities are not ware of this fact.
Email communication pretending an association with social networking websites entices users to input their real login credentials on fake URL in lure of new service.
Social Engineering will continue to be a most exposed method for gaining private , confidential information .Netizens have now started to take things seriously. Thanks to the wide awareness spread on intenet by good human beings.
Published by Anie Kol
Social Engineering: How to Use Social Engineering in a Penetration Test...This article details the methods and means used by social engineers to gain access to corporate data, systems and areas that are supposed to be restricted. Social engineers focu...- The Use of Law for Social EngineeringThe question that will be discussed is "how the law can be used as a tool for social engineering". With this as the basis for the paper, it raises the possibility of incorporating past methods that have worked, as wel...
- Social Engineering and LawsSocial Engineering is the art and science of getting people to comply with your wishes.
Social Engineering for NewbiesHuman beings are often the weakest link in the security chain. Therefore, people are targeted for sharing sensitive information in social engineering attacks.
Social Engineering BenefitsWhat can i get in social engineering others? the answers is anything. Read my article.
- Part 4: Adware, Malware... Spyware!
- Are You a Victim of Social Engineering?
- Where the Path of Social Engineering Will Take the U.S.
- Protect Yourself from Social Engineering
- What is Social Engineering?
- Know About Methods in Social Engineering
- Criminal Law as a Product of Social Engineering