Top 14 Social Engineering Attack Types And Their Subcategories
Social engineering attacks are a type of cyber threat that relies on psychological manipulation to trick people into revealing sensitive information or taking harmful actions. These scams often exploit human vulnerabilities, such as trust and curiosity, to achieve their goals.
1. Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are a common type of social engineering attack where attackers send fake emails, texts, or messages that appear to be from a legitimate source. The goal is to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial information.
2. Romance Scams
Romance scams are a type of social engineering attack where attackers pretend to be romantically interested in the victim. They use fake profiles and flattery to build trust and eventually extract money, personal details, or access to sensitive data from the victim.
3. Honey Traps
Honey traps are a type of social engineering attack where attackers use emotional manipulation to deceive victims. They may pose as friends, family members, or colleagues and use tactics such as flattery, sympathy, or fear to gain the victim's trust.
4. Sextortion Scams
Sextortion scams are a type of social engineering attack where attackers threaten to expose sexual content unless demands are met. These scammers exploit fear and shame to manipulate victims into paying or complying with their demands.
5. Doxing
Doxing is a type of social engineering attack where attackers publicly expose someone's personal details, such as home address, phone number, email, or workplace. This can be done as a threat to intimidate the victim into compliance.
6. Quid Pro Quo Scams
Quid pro quo scams are a type of social engineering attack where attackers offer a benefit or favor in exchange for sensitive information or access. They may pose as IT technicians, service providers, or other trustworthy individuals to gain the victim's trust.
7. Typosquatting
Typosquatting is a type of cybercrime tactic that exploits typing mistakes in website addresses. Attackers register domains nearly identical to popular sites and trick users into entering login credentials or downloading malware.
8. Tech Support Scams
Tech support scams are a type of social engineering attack where attackers falsely claim the victim's computer has a problem. They impersonate support staff from trusted companies to gain remote access or pressure the user into paying for bogus services they do not actually need.
9. Charity Scams
Charity scams are a type of social engineering attack where attackers exploit empathy by asking for donations to fake causes, especially during holidays or disasters.
10. Dumpster Diving
Dumpster diving is a low-tech tactic where scammers rummage through household trash to find discarded documents containing sensitive information. This can reveal names, account numbers, login details, and other personal data.
11. Shoulder Surfing
Shoulder surfing is a tactic where someone watches another person type or view sensitive information, like passwords, PINs, credit card numbers, or other confidential data.
12. Watering Hole Attacks
Watering hole attacks are a type of social engineering attack where hackers compromise websites frequently visited by the target's organization. They inject malicious code into these trusted platforms to infect users' devices without direct interaction.
13. Scareware Scams
Scareware scams are a type of social engineering attack that tricks users into thinking their device is infected with malware. Fake security software creates panic, urging victims to buy bogus antivirus tools or share personal information.
14. Extortion Scams
Extortion scams involve threats to expose sensitive information unless demands are met. These scammers exploit fear and shame to manipulate victims into paying or complying with their demands.
Fighting Back Against Social Engineering: 11 Tips
To protect yourself from social engineering attacks, follow these tips:
- Be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts, or messages that ask for sensitive information.
- Verify the identity of people who contact you online and ask for personal data.
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
- Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
- Be wary of phishing scams that try to trick you into revealing login credentials.
- Never give personal data or financial information over the phone, text message, or email unless you initiated the contact.
- Use reputable security software and keep your operating system and applications up-to-date.
- Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) when using public Wi-Fi networks.
- Beware of social engineering attacks that use emotional manipulation or fear to get you to comply with their demands.
- Keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements for suspicious activity.
- Report any suspected social engineering attacks to the relevant authorities.
By being aware of these common social engineering tactics, you can protect yourself from falling victim to these types of scams and maintain a safer online environment.