Title: What Is a Social Engineering Attack & How to Stop It | AVG
Headings: What Is Social Engineering and Are You at Risk?
What Is Social Engineering and Are You at Risk?
What is social engineering?
How does social engineering work, exactly?
Why are social engineering attacks online so dangerous?
Spotting a social engineering attack
People react to authority and are more likely to obey when requests come from a respected source.
Too good to be true
The most common types of social engineering attacks online
Spam emails
Baiting
Phishing
Spear phishing
Pretexting
Vishing
Quid pro quo
Famous social engineering attacks
Who's most at risk of falling victim to social engineering?
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of social engineering
Get AVG BreachGuard
Report and delete suspicious emails
Research sources and websites
Install a trusted antivirus
Download AVG AntiVirus FREE
Use a private Wi-Fi connection or a VPN where possible
Implement multi-factor authentication
Always use strong passwords
Use an antivirus in the fight against social engineering
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Content: People react to authority and are more likely to obey when requests come from a respected source. This is why cybercrimes often impersonate well-known companies or government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the US. Always look carefully at emails that claim to be from government or other authoritative sources. Although the IRS knows your personal information, such as your name, address, and social security number, they would never ask you to send it to them in an email. People react to authority and are more likely to obey when requests come from a respected source. A more subtle tactic exploits likability. As humans, we’re more likely to trust people we find attractive and pleasant, which can do wonders for peer-to-peer selling. Multi-level marketing companies like Mary Kay and Avon have built entire empires using this tactic. Attackers can impersonate an attractive person on social media and use a compliment as an excuse to make contact. When the victim feels flattered, they’re more receptive to an attacker’s request, which could be for a donation to their “charity” or some other scam.