What is Social Engineering

What is Social engineering?  Social engineering is a technique used by hackers and cyber criminals to manipulate individuals into giving away sensitive information or performing an action that will compromise their security. It can take many forms, including phishing emails, phone scams, and fake websites. The goal of social engineering is to gain access to information or systems that would not otherwise be accessible to the attacker. Social engineering attacks can have a devastating effect on both individuals and organizations, as the attacker is able to gain access to sensitive information such as login credentials, personal information, and financial data. To protect oneself from social engineering attacks, it is important to be cautious of unsolicited emails or messages, be wary of phone calls from unknown numbers, use strong passwords and two-factor authentication, keep software up-to-date, and seek to verify any suspicious requests directly with the organization involved.