What is social engineering in the context of cybersecurity?

Social engineering in the context of cybersecurity refers to the method of manipulating individuals into providing confidential information. This practice relies on psychological tactics that exploit human behavior rather than technological vulnerabilities. Attackers often use social engineering techniques to trick people into revealing sensitive data, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal identification information.

By creating a sense of urgency, fear, or trust, social engineers can encourage individuals to bypass normal security practices. For example, they might impersonate a trusted figure, such as an IT technician, to convince an employee to disclose login credentials. This manipulation makes it crucial for individuals and organizations to be aware of the tactics employed in social engineering attacks and to foster a culture of skepticism regarding unsolicited requests for sensitive information.