What is “Social Engineering”?

Social Engineering is a way to get secret information such as passwords by taking advantage of carelessness. Social Engineering mainly uses narrative or peeping. They are “social” techniques. Social Engineering usually does not use electronic techniques. The original meaning of this word is an act getting a password unjustly without direct damage to the computer by using a computer virus or spyware and accessing the computer.

The ways of social engineering which is often used are as follows:

• Calling by using false name such as a director or a big customer, and then asking about password or important information.
• Looking a memo pad which says password and memorizing it.
• Using a hard disk inside the dumped computer.
• Using unjust software.

More Information

• Social engineering (security) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• What is social engineering - a definition from Whatis.com