Social engineering

Abstract

The realm of cybersecurity is replete with challenges, not least among them being the art of social engineering. This form of attack leverages human tendencies such as trust, leading to potential breaches. Though more covert than brute force or technical hacks, social engineering can be insidiously effective. Within this exposition, we probe various manifestations of social engineering: from phishing to pretexting, baiting to tailgating, and the subtle act of shoulder surfing, concluding with mitigation strategies.