What Is Social Engineering in Cybersecurity?

How many times have you heard the phrase “don’t trust strangers”? The key point today is that many strangers disguise themselves as someone familiar, and that misplaced trust is what leads us to be deceived. Cybercriminals widely use this tactic, and it has a very specific name. Have you ever asked yourself, ‘What is social engineering in cybersecurity?’

A social engineering attack leverages human psychology through manipulation. These tactics are designed to trick people into revealing confidential information or performing actions that compromise security, thereby exposing the entire digital infrastructure.

Defending against social engineering is difficult due to human unpredictability and the fact that anyone can fall victim to deception. While it’s impossible to predict who will be targeted, this doesn’t mean we’re defenseless. Awareness and attentiveness can go a long way in avoiding being caught off guard.

What Is Social Engineering and How Does It Work?

Social engineering differs from other types of cyberattacks in that it does not rely on exploiting technical vulnerabilities, but rather human ones. It manipulates emotions such as trust, curiosity, fear, or lack of awareness to achieve its goal.

Social engineering scams can take many forms, from phone scams to fraudulent emails or social media messages. However, more sophisticated social engineering schemes start long before the attacker directly contacts the victim.

It begins with reconnaissance, where the attacker gathers information that can be used later to manipulate the victim using persuasive techniques like building empathy or establishing false authority. The goal is to create an emotional connection. Once trust is earned, there’s a much higher chance the victim will take the intended action.

Training vs. Simulation: Why Teaching Isn’t Enough

There are many types of social engineering attacks, but the most concerning part is that new traps are created every day. Understanding them is essential to reducing cyber risk, but awareness alone isn’t enough. That’s where simulations come in.

Social engineering simulation tools allow organizations to assess their real risk of experiencing a security incident. This evaluation is crucial for setting realistic goals and reducing the current level of exposure. Risk will always exist, but simulations help reduce it to a level the organization deems acceptable.

Phishing Simulations: An Effective Security Measure

Phishing simulations involve testing employees’ security habits by sending fake emails that mimic real malicious messages.

Cybersecurity companies carry out these tests in controlled environments. This makes it possible to quantify risk based on actual data from the organization, assess the company’s security posture, and identify potential vulnerabilities among employees.

This kind of training, which places potential victims in simulated attack scenarios, has significantly reduced vulnerability to cybersecurity threats. To maximize protection, many companies complement these programs with specialized services.

At LevelBlue, our Exposure and Vulnerability Management service includes penetration testing, as well as red and purple team exercises to test defenses through attack simulations and validation.

Social Engineering Scams: How to Protect Yourself

Preventing social engineering attacks begins with awareness and knowledge. The more familiar you are with manipulation tactics, the better prepared you’ll be to detect and avoid them. Below are some key measures that can help:

• Establish clear information security policies: Define how confidential data should be handled and how to identify and report potential social engineering threats.
• Enable multifactor authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of verification, making it more difficult for attackers to misuse stolen credentials.
• Keep systems up to date: Regularly update operating systems, software, and cybersecurity tools to remain protected from known vulnerabilities.
• Implement Zero Trust policies: Restrict access to sensitive data only to those who need it. Even if a victim is compromised, attackers won’t be able to access everything.
• Lock and secure devices: Especially in public spaces or shared environments.
• Use strong, unique passwords: Each account should have a unique password with a combination of characters. If one is compromised, it won’t endanger the rest.
• Configure email filters: Use spam filters to block suspicious messages before they reach the inbox.

Reverse Social Engineering: When the Attacker Gets You to Reach Out

We’re used to thinking of cybercriminals as the ones who initiate contact and build trust. But what happens when they make you come to them? Welcome to reverse social engineering.

What Is Reverse Social Engineering?

If you already know the basic social engineering meaning, reverse social engineering is a tactic where the attacker doesn’t directly reach out, instead, the victim approaches them willingly and offers the information they need.

One real-world example: the attacker creates a problem or confusion (such as locking someone out of an account) and then presents themselves as the solution (by impersonating IT or technical support). In this way, the victim believes they’re getting help and willingly shares sensitive data such as personal, financial, or login information.

Building a Culture of Cybersecurity

A cybersecurity culture is about embedding security into the organization’s identity and daily operations. It involves concrete, practical measures that apply to everyone, at every level of the business.

At LevelBlue, we help companies face the cybersecurity challenges of the digital era, addressing not only technical issues but also focusing on the human factor through Cybersecurity IQ Training. This service helps employees to understand how their actions impact security within the organization and establishes a way for businesses to measure and improve individual security awareness.

In an increasingly complex environment, defending against social engineering doesn’t rely on technology alone, it requires a comprehensive strategy built on knowledge, prevention, and a shared culture of security.

The content provided herein is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, regulatory, compliance, or cybersecurity advice. Organizations should consult their own legal, compliance, or cybersecurity professionals regarding specific obligations and risk management strategies. While LevelBlue’s Managed Threat Detection and Response solutions are designed to support threat detection and response at the endpoint level, they are not a substitute for comprehensive network monitoring, vulnerability management, or a full cybersecurity program.