The Psychology Behind Social Engineering Attacks: How Hackers Manipulate Human Behavior

I want to be straight with you: A hacker doesn't necessarily need expensive hardware or sophisticated software to invade a computer. Most of the time, they get into your system by deceiving you through social engineering. It's hard for me to believe every time I see someone get scammed by a phone call or email scam. So, today, we will discuss about the physhology behind social engineering attacks.

Have you witnessed someone receiving an email or phone call and wondered how they could possibly fall for such a scam? That's an example of social engineering at work.

Why Social Engineering Is Successful​

The reason social engineering is so successful is that cybercriminals are skilled at manipulating people's emotions. Cybercriminals don't necessarily exploit personal computer systems first, but rather they attack people's minds.

How many times have you received a message stating that your account is going to get shut down soon if you don't click on a certain link immediately? Basically, that message uses fear to make people act, often without giving it a second thought.

So what causes people to get scammed?

• They are easy to convince;
• People respond to excessive pressure by panicking;
• They want to assist/help someone;
• They never thought they would be deceived by anyone;

Which Emotions Hackers Target Most Often​

• Fear ("Your bank account is locked.")
• Greed ("You have won a huge prize.")
• Curiosity ("Watch this startling clip")
• Trust ("This is your boss.")
• Urgency ("Take care of it immediately.")

People will react without thinking and therefore fall for these tricks.

Common Types of Social Engineering Attacks

Knowing these tricks can help you to avoid being scammed.

Here are some examples of social engineering scams:

Phishing - Fake emails send in order to trick you

Pretexting - Pretending to be someone of authority or standing

Baiting - Luring you in with something free or promised

Tailgating - Following someone through a secure entrance

Vishing - Telephone calls pretending to be technical support

To Avoid Falling Victim to Social Engineering​

If you wish to avoid falling victim to social engineering scams, you can follow these simple guidelines:

• Stop and think before responding to any email, text or telephone call.
• Verify who is contacting you.
• Never provide personal information through email or text.
• Always use two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts.

Be Aware! Awareness is the BEST protection.

Only you can make the difference between falling victim to a social engineering scam or not!

In Summary​

Social engineering does not penetrate your computer. It penetrates your trust.

Social engineering scammers succeed when we do not think before we act.

Take a moment to think when you receive a something urgent or scary! A little bit of time taken will save you a lot of trouble down the road.