What is a social engineering attack?
A social engineering attack is a security threat that manipulates human psychology. Its goal is to trick individuals into revealing confidential information, granting unauthorized access, or performing actions that compromise security.
Unlike technical hacks, social engineering attacks are designed to exploit trust, curiosity, or a sense of urgency, often using deception or emotional appeals to bypass technical and procedural safeguards.
Social engineering attacks typically follow a multi-step process:
First, attackers research their targets to gather useful information, such as company roles or security weaknesses.
Then, they establish trust through communication, often by posing as a colleague, authority figure, or legitimate service provider (a tactic sometimes referred to as “pretexting”).
Once trust is gained, they prompt the target to perform an action, such as clicking a malicious link, providing login credentials, or transferring funds.
These attacks are particularly dangerous because they rely on human fallibility rather than software vulnerabilities. Even systems with strong technical controls can be breached if a trusted user is manipulated into bypassing those controls — and a single victim's mistake can compromise an entire organization.
Common types of social engineering attacks
Social engineering attacks such as phishing, spear phishing, vishing, and smishing leverage different methods of communication (email, phone, SMS, etc.). But their objectives are the same: to take control of accounts, commit fraud, or steal funds from unsuspecting individuals or businesses.
Phishing
Phishing is an umbrella term for a type of social engineering attack in which attackers trick victims into revealing sensitive information, downloading malware, or granting unauthorized access. Though phishing is commonly associated with deceptive emails, subvariants include vishing (phone-based) and smishing (SMS-based).
Spear phishing
Spear phishing is a highly targeted form of phishing in which attackers carefully research and tailor their messages to specific individuals or organizations.
Unlike mass phishing scams, spear phishing relies on personalization. Attackers use details such as job roles, contacts, and communication styles to make their messages appear legitimate. These attacks require more effort and planning and are harder to detect than mass phishing attempts, often leading to higher success rates.
For example, an attacker might pose as an organization’s IT consultant and send an email to employees requesting a password reset. The email mimics the consultant’s usual tone and signature, making it seem credible. Victims who follow the provided link unknowingly enter their credentials on a fake login page, giving the attacker access to sensitive systems and data.
A subtype of spear phishing, known as whaling, targets CEOs and other senior executives who may be especially “high value” targets.
Vishing
Vishing, or voice phishing, is a scam in which attackers use fraudulent phone calls or voice messages to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or bank details.
Attackers may spoof phone numbers to appear as representatives from banks, government agencies, or delivery services. They may also use fake caller IDs or VoIP technology to appear legitimate. Some vishing attacks begin with a phishing email that instructs the target to call a number; if they “hook” their target, the scammers then use social engineering tactics to extract personal information.
For example, a scammer might impersonate a bank representative, claiming there is suspicious activity on the victim’s account and urging them to verify their identity. The victim, believing the call is legitimate, may provide their banking details, allowing the scammer to commit fraud.
Vishing often targets vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly or employees in customer-facing roles.
Smishing
Smishing, a blend of "SMS" and "phishing," is a scam in which fraudsters send deceptive text messages to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive information. These messages often appear to come from trusted organizations, such as banks or government agencies, and may even appear within legitimate message threads. By leveraging trust, context, and emotion, attackers manipulate victims into quickly responding without questioning the authenticity of the message.
For example, a smishing scam might involve a text claiming to be from a bank, warning the recipient of suspicious activity on their account and urging them to click a link to "verify" their details. The link leads to a faked copy of the real bank’s website, where the victim unknowingly enters their credentials.
Because SMS messages feel personal and often bypass traditional security filters, smishing remains a highly effective and difficult-to-detect cyber threat.
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a sophisticated cyberattack in which fraudsters impersonate trusted individuals at a business to deceive employees into transferring money or disclosing sensitive information.
Attackers conduct extensive research to create convincing emails that appear urgent and legitimate, often impersonating CEOs, IT staff, or financial officers. Incidents of BEC are increasing, due to the availability of AI-driven impersonation tools.
For example, an attacker might spoof the email of a company’s CEO, requesting a finance team member to urgently wire funds to a specified account for a “confidential deal.” The email appears authentic, mimicking the CEO’s writing style and signature, and discourages verification via phone.
Other types of social engineering attacks
Though the above social engineering attacks are among the most prevalent and pervasive, other variations to watch out for include the following:
Angler phishing occurs when attackers impersonate a company’s customer service team on social media to intercept and manipulate conversations, luring victims into private messages for further deception.
Search engine phishing, also known as SEO poisoning, involves fraudsters creating fake websites and leveraging paid ads or manipulating search rankings to trick users into visiting malicious sites.
URL phishing occurs when malicious links disguised in emails, texts, social media messages, or ads lead users to phishing websites. Attackers use hyperlink masking, shortened URLs, or slightly altered domain names to deceive victims.
In-session phishing, also known as an overlay attack, occurs when a fake login pop-up appears while users browse legitimate websites, tricking them into entering sensitive information. This technique often requires malware.
Watering hole attacks involve cybercriminals compromising trusted websites frequently visited by a targeted industry or group, infecting visitors with malware to gain access to their data or systems.
Baiting is where attackers lure victims with enticing downloads, ads, or infected physical media (e.g., USB drives) to install malware or steal sensitive information.
Tailgating or piggybacking is when an attacker physically follows an authorized person into a restricted area by pretending to be a delivery person, maintenance worker, or colleague.
How social engineering takes advantage of human psychology
Social engineering exploits human psychology by leveraging triggers such as authority, urgency, and trust.
For example, attackers may impersonate trusted figures like executives or IT staff to pressure compliance. Or they may create urgency through time-sensitive threats that trigger fear. To exploit curiosity, they may send enticing links that contain hidden malware.
For longer-term efforts, attackers may test and build commitment, starting with small requests before escalating to more sensitive demands. Likability helps them build rapport, making targets more receptive to requests.
The business impact of social engineering
Social engineering attacks are a significant threat to businesses, with phishing consistently ranking among the leading initial attack vectors in security breaches.
Despite security measures like spam filters, many well-crafted phishing emails still manage to slip through, putting businesses at risk. The cost of a single data breach can be in the millions, and even unsuccessful attacks can be expensive in terms of time spent on recovery and updating systems. These attacks can be particularly devastating for small and mid-sized companies.
Further, the impact of social engineering on businesses extends beyond direct financial losses. Data breaches, fraud, and penalties under regulations like the GDPR can severely damage a company’s financial outlook. Additionally, reputational damage from loss of customer trust can lead to a decrease in revenue.
Warning signs and red flags
Social engineering attacks may vary in their techniques, but the warning signs and red flags generally follow a pattern.
If you receive an unsolicited email, text, or call from an unknown person, with a supposedly very urgent message, which requires you to click on a link or open an attachment — watch out. Often, though certainly not always, the message contains typos and grammatical errors.
Defending your organization against social engineering
Defending your organization against social engineering attacks requires a multi-layered approach.
Security awareness training is essential to educate employees on common tactics like phishing, helping them recognize red flags such as spoofed email addresses or malicious links. Simulating social engineering attempts through phishing tests can help assess employee preparedness and highlight areas for improvement. Additionally, email gateway filtering can block a significant portion of spam and phishing attempts before they reach inboxes.
Establishing strict policies for key procedures, such as requiring face-to-face confirmation for large money transfers, can prevent scams like CEO fraud. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring more than just a password for access. Continuous monitoring of critical systems can help detect suspicious activity early, reducing the chances of a successful attack.
Technology solutions, such as Fourthline’s Client Authentication, can also help organizations prevent some types of social engineering attacks, such as account takeover fraud. For example, Client Authentication adds a selfie check in the event of red flags, such as inconsistencies in device metadata and geolocation or for large transactions.
Social engineering attacks FAQ
How can I tell the difference between legitimate communications and social engineering attempts?
These verification steps help to assess whether a message is legitimate.
Verify the sender’s identity by inspecting email headers, checking the email address for discrepancies, and hovering over links without clicking to see the real destination.
Leverage out-of-band verification. This is the practice of confirming an unusual request through an already verified method of communication, such as known phone numbers or preexisting email chains. For example, you may call a senior figure directly if you receive an email from them requesting sensitive data.
Assess the information provided. Legitimate entities, such as banks, should already have your details on file and will ask security questions before making changes. If they lack key details or ask for unnecessary information, be suspicious.
Break the urgency loop. Social engineering often relies on creating a sense of urgency to force quick decisions. Slow down, question the request, and take time to verify before acting. Attackers often abandon attempts when they sense hesitation.
Ask for identification. If someone claims to be an employee, contractor, or authority figure, request ID or verification, such as confirmation email addresses, domains, or job titles through official directories.
Evaluate realism. If a request sounds too good (or bad) to be true, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.
What should employees do if they suspect a social engineering attack?
If you suspect that you have been a victim of a social engineering attack, these are some things you can do to immediately minimize the risks:
If the message appears to come from a known sender, call them using a verified contact number (not the one in the message) to confirm legitimacy.
Report the incident to your IT or cybersecurity team immediately, by forwarding the suspicious email to them and/or contacting them through official channels.
Immediately disconnect your device from Wi-Fi or the company network to prevent data breaches.
Update your login credentials, especially for critical accounts like work email, banking, and cloud services.
Run a full security scan on your device using built-in security tools like Microsoft Defender or macOS XProtect to detect any malware.
Use your email client’s reporting feature (e.g., Outlook’s phishing report) to prevent similar attacks from bypassing filters in the future.
If the phishing attempt appears to come from a colleague or external partner, inform them in case their account has been compromised.
Share details of the phishing attempt (e.g., sender, subject line, message content) with co-workers to help them recognize and avoid similar attacks.
Are certain departments or roles more often targeted by social engineering attacks?
Certain departments and roles are more frequently targeted by social engineering attacks due to their access to sensitive data or decision-making authority. For example, finance and accounting teams are prime targets because they handle financial transactions and customer account details. IT and engineering staff have elevated access privileges, which means a successful breach can give hackers deep control over company infrastructure. And C-suite executives are high-value targets due to their access to confidential corporate data and their ability to authorize transactions.
