Social engineering techniques are methods used to deceive individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that could compromise security. Some common techniques include:
- Phishing: Sending fraudulent emails or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources to trick users into providing sensitive information.
- Smishing: Using SMS messages for phishing attacks.
- Vishing: Using voice calls to deceive individuals and elicit information.
- Spear Phishing: Targeting specific individuals or groups with tailored phishing attacks.
- Tailgating: Physically following an authorized person into a restricted area.
- Shoulder Surfing: Observing someone entering sensitive information, such as passwords, over their shoulder.
- Dumpster Diving: Searching through discarded trash for useful information.
- Whaling: A type of spear phishing that targets high-profile individuals like executives.
- Watering Hole Attack: Compromising a website frequently visited by a target group to infect their computers.
- Typo squatting: Registering domain names that are similar to legitimate ones to trick users who make typos into visiting malicious sites.
- Eliciting Information: Extracting sensitive details from individuals through conversation.
- Impersonation: Pretending to be someone else to gain trust or access.