When one thinks of a cyberattack, the typical assumption is one thing: a virus. Whether it be ransomware or a Trojan Horse, it is always inferred that some sort of malware has infected your computer, effectively “hacking” it. Social engineering, however, entirely subverts that expectation.
While the traditional “hacker” channels their technological prowess through elaborate scripts or programs, cybercriminals that utilize social engineering, or “social engineers,” take a much different approach. In fact, the methodology behind social engineering is ominously simplistic. Instead of manipulating technology, social engineers manipulate people themselves. Norton, a popular antivirus company, breaks down the process that a social engineer would take when attacking a victim in the following steps:
As you can see, a victim’s personal information is vital for a social engineer. It is the foundation that they need in order to advance their cyberattack. While the effects of social engineering can be devastating, as your accounts can be compromised and potentially never returned, there are ways that this can be prevented.
Redact can make preventing a social engineering attack very easy by deleting what a social engineer is looking for: information. By using Redact, you can delete your posts and messages on various social media sites, ranging from popular platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and more. To get ahead on your online security, download Redact at redact.dev/download.