Social Engineering & Human Factor Security Flashcards

Which social engineering attack involves sending fraudulent emails that appear to come from a trusted source to steal credentials?

Answer: Phishing

Phishing uses deceptive emails that mimic legitimate organizations to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information.

What is 'pretexting' in the context of social engineering?

Answer: Creating a fabricated scenario to manipulate a victim into revealing information

Pretexting involves an attacker inventing a false situation or identity to gain the victim's trust and extract confidential information.

Which attack technique involves following an authorized person through a secured door without using credentials?

Answer: Tailgating

Tailgating (or piggybacking) is a physical security attack where an unauthorized person follows an authorized individual into a restricted area.

What is the primary goal of security awareness training in an organization?

Answer: To teach employees to recognize and respond to social engineering attacks

Security awareness training educates employees on identifying threats like phishing, pretexting, and other manipulation tactics.

Which principle of influence do attackers exploit when they create a sense of urgency in phishing emails?

Answer: Scarcity

Scarcity and urgency pressure victims into acting quickly without thinking critically, a common manipulation tactic in social engineering.

What is 'vishing' in social engineering?

Answer: Voice-based phishing conducted over phone calls

Vishing (voice phishing) uses phone calls where attackers impersonate trusted entities like banks or government agencies to obtain sensitive data.