Page 42 - Third Issue

Article

“The Art of Deception: Red

Flags and Warning Signs of

Social Engineering”
By:
Krishna
The security landscape in our increasingly connected “ Trust Your Gut: When anything looks shady or too
digital world is not merely comprised of technological good to be true, pay attention to your instincts.
flaws. It includes manipulation of people’s behavior as You can identify probable social engineering
well. The sophisticated and deceptive activity of “social initiatives by following your intuition. describe in a
engineering” takes advantage of people’s psychological paragraph”
weaknesses to manipulate and obtain private data
without their knowledge. A time-tested method, it has When it comes to defending oneself from social
advanced with technology and is now more advanced engineering techniques, trusting your intuition is a
and widespread. powerful strategy. Our intuition frequently detects subtle
clues and discrepancies that may not be immediately
Social engineering is the art of forcing others to disclose obvious. Paying attention to your intuition when
private information, allow access to prohibited locations, something seems off or too good to be true is crucial.
or engage in security-compromising activities. It uses
psychological strategies to take advantage of human Attackers who use social engineering are adept at
nature and overcome conventional security measures, playing with people’s emotions and finding weaknesses.
such as deceit, persuasion, and trust-building. Social To entice their prey into their traps, they may utilize
engineering attacks can take many forms, with victims persuasive language, instill a sense of urgency, or offer
frequently being unaware of the manipulation until it is alluring rewards. Our instincts, however, can serve as a
too late, whether it be an innocent phone conversation, protection system by warning us of impending danger.
a deftly written email, or a social media encounter. Step back and consider the issue when something

Social engineering attacks can have serious happens that makes you suspicious. Why does the
circumstance feel odd or seem too wonderful to be
consequences, from financial loss and identity theft to true? Are there any issues or contradictions that stand
the compromise of confidential corporate information or out to you? Not all opportunities should be rejected;
even the jeopardy of national security. Therefore, people, opportunities should be approached with a healthy
organizations, and society must be aware of the warning dosage of care and skepticism.
indications and telltale signs of social engineering
and have the information and resources necessary to “Beware of Unsolicited Calls: Use caution if
recognize and avoid such attacks.
you receive requests for passwords, financial
information, or personal information without your
Safeguarding Against Deceptive Techniques and Cyber consent. Sensitive information is rarely requested
Threats or Social Engineering via email, phone conversations, or social media by
trustworthy businesses.”
42 ICT NEPAL (Issue-3, 2023)