What is Social Engineering?

Social Engineering refers to a non-technical attack method that exploits human psychology, behavioral habits, trust relationships, or information gaps to induce, deceive, or manipulate individuals into voluntarily disclosing sensitive information, performing specific actions (such as clicking malicious links or making transfers), or bypassing security measures. Its core does not rely on computer vulnerabilities, but rather targets the "human vulnerability"—that is, the weaknesses in human cognition and decision-making (such as gullibility, carelessness, fear, and willingness to help).

I. Core Logic: Why Does Social Engineering Work?

The essence of social engineering lies in "exploiting human nature," and its attack logic is based on common psychological tendencies of humans. Typical psychological triggers include:

1. Obedience to Authority: People tend to trust "authoritative figures" (such as impersonated police officers, company leaders, or customer service staff) and will act according to their instructions.
   Example: A scammer poses as a "security center specialist" from a bank and asks the user to provide their bank card password on the pretext of "verifying abnormal account activity."
2. Anxiety from Scarcity: People feel a sense of urgency towards "time-limited or limited-quantity" information or opportunities, making them prone to hasty decisions.
   Example: Receiving a text message stating, "Your account will be frozen soon; click the link to verify and unfreeze it within 1 hour." Users may overlook risks due to fear of account invalidation.
3. Trust Inertia: People lower their guard in familiar contexts, relationships, or with familiar identifiers (such as referrals from acquaintances or "counterfeit interfaces" of frequently used platforms).
   Example: A scammer impersonates a colleague and sends a link labeled "urgent document" via corporate WeChat. Employees click the link because they trust the colleague's identity.
4. Desire to Help: Most people are willing to assist those in "trouble," making them vulnerable to deceptive "requests for help."
   Example: A stranger pretends their "phone is dead" and borrows someone else's phone to make a call, but actually takes the opportunity to access private information on the phone.
5. Fear-Driven Manipulation: By creating panic (such as claiming "involvement in illegal activities" or "a family member in an emergency requiring a transfer"), scammers force victims to abandon rational judgment in a state of tension.
   Example: Fraudsters impersonate "police officers," claim the user is "suspected of money laundering," and demand that the user transfer funds to a "secure account" to prove innocence.

II. Common Types of Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering attacks occur in a wide range of scenarios, both online (network-based) and offline (real-world). Common types include:

Attack Type	Core Methods	Typical Examples
Phishing Attack	Creating interfaces/links highly similar to those of legitimate platforms (banks, e-commerce sites, email services) to trick users into entering sensitive information.	Receiving an email titled "Alipay Account Upgrade Notification," clicking the link to access a counterfeit Alipay page, and having account credentials stolen after entering them.
Pretexting	Fabricating a plausible "pretext" (e.g., "system maintenance," "survey follow-up") and impersonating a specific identity to obtain information.	A scammer poses as an "IT department employee" of a company and asks for an employee's computer login password on the pretext of "needing to upgrade the computer's security system."
Tailgating Attack	Physically following authorized personnel to enter restricted areas (e.g., companies, computer rooms) and bypass physical access control.	A scammer pretends to have "forgotten their employee ID card" and follows an employee to enter the company's office area via access control, then steals files from office computers.
Shoulder Surfing	Secretly observing others enter sensitive information (such as passwords or bank card numbers) from a close distance (e.g., at ATMs or in front of public computers).	Peeking sideways to record a person's bank card password while they enter it at a mall checkout counter.
Baiting Attack	Placing "bait" (e.g., USB drives, power banks) containing malicious programs to trick others into picking them up and using them.	Leaving a USB drive labeled "Employee Salary Sheet" at the company elevator entrance; someone picks it up and inserts it into a computer, leading to virus infiltration.
Social Engineering Database Attack	Collecting and integrating publicly available/leaked personal information (name, phone number, address, historical passwords) for targeted fraud.	Scammers obtain a user's "date of birth + phone number" through a social engineering database and impersonate a friend or relative to defraud the user by asking for "emergency money."

III. The Harms of Social Engineering: More Than Just "Scamming Money"

The targets of social engineering attacks are not limited to personal property; they can also endanger corporate security, public safety, and even national information security. Specific harms include:

• Individual Level: Stolen accounts (social media accounts, game accounts), financial losses (transfer fraud, bank card theft), and privacy leaks (exposure of photos, chat records).
• Corporate Level: Leakage of trade secrets (e.g., product designs, customer data), intrusion into internal systems (injection of ransomware), and damage to brand reputation (e.g., a crisis of trust caused by large-scale user information leaks).
• Public Level: Disruption of critical infrastructure (e.g., impersonating staff to enter power plants or waterworks and sabotage equipment) and spread of disinformation (e.g., forging official notices to trigger public panic).

IV. How to Defend Against Social Engineering Attacks

The core of defense is to "develop rational judgment and not be driven by emotions or inertia." Specific principles to follow include:

1. Stay Alert to "Identities": Do Not Easily Trust "Oral/Written Proof"

• When encountering someone claiming to be "customer service, police, or a leader," verify through official channels (e.g., bank customer service uses phone numbers starting with 955XX; do not call back the number provided by the other party; confirm instructions from company leaders via private messages on corporate WeChat/DingTalk).
• Refuse unreasonable requests from "unfamiliar identities" (e.g., strangers borrowing your phone, asking you to fill in information on their behalf, or helping them receive packages).

2. Stay Sensitive to "Information": Do Not Disclose or Click Casually

• Do not reveal "core sensitive information" to anyone: This includes bank card passwords, SMS verification codes, payment passwords, and ID card numbers (unless you confirm the other party is official and has a legitimate purpose).
• Be wary of "suspicious links/files": When receiving links in text messages or emails, check the domain name first (e.g., a counterfeit Taobao domain like "taobaoo.com" has an extra "o"); do not open attachments sent by strangers (especially files in formats like .exe or .docx, which may contain macro viruses).
• Protect information in public places: Cover the keypad with your hand or an object when entering passwords at ATMs or checkout counters; do not log into sensitive accounts (such as online banking or Alipay) on public computers (e.g., in internet cafes or hotel rooms).

3. Stay in Control of "Emotions": Do Not Be Coerced by "Urgency/Panic"

• When facing "time-limited, urgent" requests (e.g., "Your account will be frozen if you do not act within 1 hour," "A family member is in an emergency and needs an immediate transfer"), take a deep breath to stay calm and verify through "neutral third-party channels" (e.g., contact family members to confirm if there is a real emergency, or call 110 to confirm if it involves a case).
• Do not be dazzled by "temptations": For information such as "low investment, high return," "free gifts," or "prize notifications," first remember that "there is no such thing as a free lunch" to avoid falling into traps due to greed for small gains.

4. Secure Your "Devices": Reduce "Physical/Technical Vulnerabilities"

• Set security passwords for personal devices (enable lock screen passwords for mobile phones and computers, and encrypt important files); avoid using "weak passwords" (e.g., 123456, date of birth) and change passwords regularly.
• Do not use "unknown devices/networks casually": Do not insert unfamiliar USB drives or power banks into your computer; avoid logging into sensitive accounts using public WiFi (e.g., mall or subway WiFi) (you can use your mobile phone's personal hotspot instead).
• Regularly clean up personal information: Before selling old mobile phones or computers, use professional tools to completely delete data; do not disclose private information such as "date of birth, address, or travel plans" on social platforms (to prevent collection by social engineering databases).

Conclusion

Social engineering is the "most hidden security threat"—it does not rely on complex technology, yet can easily bypass seemingly solid security barriers (such as firewalls and access control systems). The key to defense is not to "combat technology," but to "improve oneself": developing the habit of rational judgment and not being swayed by human weaknesses is the fundamental way to resist such attacks.