PEOPLE HACKING AWARENESS (SOCIAL ENGINEERING): 7: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HACKING AND SOCIAL ENGINEERING

 

 Hacking and social engineering are both methods used to gain unauthorized access to a computer system or network.

However, they are two very different methods.

Hacking is a technical attack that exploits vulnerabilities in software or hardware. Hackers use their knowledge of computer systems to exploit these vulnerabilities and gain access to the system.

Social engineering is a non-technical attack that relies on human interaction.

Social engineers’ trick or manipulate people into giving them access to a system or network.

They may use phishing emails, phone calls, or in-person interactions to gain their victim's trust.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between hacking and social engineering:

HACKING	SOCIAL ENGINEERING
Exploits vulnerabilities in software or hardware	Tricks or manipulates people
Requires technical knowledge	Requires social skills
Can be used to gain access to any system	Typically targets people
Often used in conjunction with social engineering	Can be used on its own

 SOCIAL ENGINEERING INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS

 Social engineering attacks have grown by 400% since 2020.

 It is one of the top threats endangering cybersecurity today.

 91% of successful data breaches start with a social engineering attack like phishing or pretexting. Manipulating people is often the first step hackers take to infiltrate networks.

 Humans are the weakest link. One study found that 15% of people tested opened phishing emails and clicked on malicious links within the first hour.

 It takes just 90 minutes for a skilled social engineer to gather enough information online about a target company to convincingly impersonate an IT worker or executive.

 63% of data breaches resulting from social attacks involve credentials like passwords being exposed. People remain susceptible to giving away login information.

 Only 15% of people claim they can reliably identify a social engineering attack. Yet confidence exceeds competence when it comes to deception detection.

The average cost of a data breach enabled by social engineering is $4 million. The damages from manipulation can be extensive.

 Social proof and authority are two of the most effective levers social engineers use. People are more likely to comply when they think others have or an authority figure directs it.

 One study found that 48% of people comply with requests made over phone compared to just 17% over email. The psychology of voice communication makes pretexting effective.

 Good social engineers do their homework. They spend up to 90% of their time researching targets before attempting an attack. Information is power.