Tech Talk: What is Social Engineering?

Social Engineering & How They Get Your Info

By Jarren Ringle

Does it seem like “they” are out to get you?  Do you ask yourself if it is safe to open an email?  Do you ever wonder how “they” get your personal information?  The term social engineering is used to describe how “they” can learn about you with your help. 

First, let’s address who “they” are.  Many times, the people defrauding or scamming you, trying to appear as you on Facebook, or creating financial havoc are trained professionals.  They are paid to get you to share critical information or to fall for their tricks.  The fact is the more they know about you the easier it is to influence you or those that know you.

Let’s start with Facebook.  It is one of the first places these evil-doers look.  If you share too much on your Facebook profile they can start the collection process.  They might learn your age, where you went to school, who your family is, what your beliefs are, your sexual preference, where you work, your pet’s name, etc.  It can be a data goldmine of information even if you don’t use it frequently.

Once they have that information they will broaden the search.  They will search the county records and see your homeownership status.  Then they will look for the mortgage information.  They will look on LinkedIn to see if you are on the site even if you are retired.  They will look for lawsuits or court cases involving you. 

Again, the more information they gather the easier it is to accomplish their goals.  With all this information they may begin to interact with you through various paths.  They may start to interact with your friends and family.  The goal of these interactions is to “trick” you into giving them important or sensitive information.  That information may be passwords or even giving them remote access to your computer.

Once they have collected information, they can pose as Medicare, the IRS, Social Security, the FBI, your bank, your doctor, the friend from high school, your Facebook “friend”, Microsoft, Google, Apple, your security software provider, etc.  This list is almost endless however the effective attacks are tailored to you based on the information you share or give them.  They know a 20-year-old won’t likely fall for an email from Medicare and an 80-year-old won’t likely interact with a college recruiter. 

So, what can you do?  The first step is to treat your personal information like you would any valuable item.  Protect it by restricting access to it.  Don’t respond to surveys from sources you don’t know.  Don’t answer random phone calls and don’t click links from messages or emails.  You aren’t likely going to have someone initiate assistance out of the blue.  Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc. are not going to call you to help with an “issue”.  An auto warranty company is not going to call you to tell you your car’s warranty is going to expire, and they can help you. 

Be suspicious and question why.  Don’t make it easy for them.  They usually won’t waste their time with someone who ignores them.