26/04/2024
Social Engineering: Th e Art of Human Hacking.......
Social engineering is
the art or better yet, science, of skillfully maneuvering human beings to take action
in some aspect of their lives.
Th is defi nition broadens the horizons of social engineers everywhere. Social
engineering is used in everyday life in the way children get their parents to give in
to their demands. It is used in the way teachers interact with their students, in the
way doctors, lawyers, or psychologists obtain information from their patients or
clients. It is defi nitely used in law enforcement, and in dating—it is truly used in
every human interaction from babies to politicians and everyone in between.
I like to take that defi nition a step further and say that a true defi nition of social
engineering is the act of manipulating a person to take an action that may or may
not be in the “target’s” best interest. Th is may include obtaining information, gaining access, or getting the target to take certain action.
For example, doctors, psychologists, and therapists often use elements I consider
social engineering to “manipulate” their patients to take actions that are good for
them, whereas a con man uses elements of social engineering to convince his target
to take actions that lead to loss for them. Even though the end game is much different, the approach may be very much the same. A psychologist may use a series
of well-conceived questions to help a patient come to a conclusion that change is
needed. Similarly, a con man will use well-crafted questions to move his target into
a vulnerable position.
Both of these examples are social engineering at its truest form, but have very
diff erent goals and results. Social engineering is not just about deceiving people or
lying or acting a part. In a conversation I had with Chris Nickerson, a well-known
social engineer from the TV series Tiger Team, he said, “True social engineering is
not just believing you are playing a part, but for that moment you are that person,
you are that role, it is what your life is.”
Social engineering is not just any one action but a collection of the skills mentioned in the framework that when put together make up the action, the skill, and
the science I call social engineering. In the same way, a wonderful meal is not
just one ingredient, but is made up by the careful combining, mixing, and adding
of many ingredients. Th is is how I imagine social engineering to be, and a good
social engineer is like a master chef. Put in a little dab of elicitation, add a shake of
manipulation, and a few heaping handfuls of pretexting, and bam!—out comes a
great meal of the perfect social engineer.
