Are you Important Enough to be Socially Engineered?

The short answer is yes. You are. 

Many people think they are not important enough, do not have enough access, or they are too secure to be a target of social engineering, although this threat is alarmingly common.  Cyber experts note that social engineering is the beginning of almost every cyber-attack. Attackers may pose trusted individuals or organizations to exploit sensitive data or access from the victim.  

Unlike traditional hacking, which targets systems, people are the target of social engineering. We call this the “8th layer” of cybersecurity. 

The threat has been serious and is getting even more pervasive. Vishing, a form of social engineering, increased 442% in the back half of 2024 (According to CrowdStrike). AI is making social engineering technical defenses less effective. If you’re not sure that you have access to sensitive data, attackers might steal, access parts of the network, insert malware, or escalate their access to the system. Now is the time to find out. All these actions cause financial loss, reputation damage, operational disruption, and possible legal repercussions. Organizations must prioritize the awareness, training, and layered security standards necessary to mitigate these risks.  

Best Practices: 

1.Educate employees on social engineering tactics and red flags 

• Including phishing, pretexting, baiting, and tailgating 

2. Utilize multi-factor authentication 

• Reduces risk of unauthorized access 

• Works even if credentials are compromised 

3.Simulate phishing campaigns on employees 

• Testing employees’ phishing deterrence abilities 

• Reinforces the training employees receive 

4.Establish strict protocols for identity verification 

• Especially necessary when completing financial transactions or access requests 

5.Monitor systems for unusual or unauthorized activities 

• Unusual login times, login locations, or size of data transfers 

 

Things to Avoid: 

1.Sharing credentials over insecure channels 

• Over email, phone, or unsecure messaging platforms 

2.Clicking on unsafe or suspicious links or attachments 

• Especially from unknown/unexpected sources 

3.Ignoring security updates and training 

• Usually include the latest advisements and policies about company procedures 

4.Assuming internal requests are always legitimate 

• Especially when there is a sense of urgency or unusual request 

 

Social engineering attacks can be detrimental to companies. This can come in the form of financial loss, operations suffering, legal repercussions, and others. These best practices along with the advisement of cybersecurity professionals can help mitigate these risks. 

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