Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 08 – Issue 110
Hi, It's Your Bank Calling
So, you receive a call and it’s a local number or it’s the phone number of your bank, should you answer it or let go to voicemail? But the caller ID looks familiar, so you answer. Can you trust that the person that is calling is who they say they are? Was this a sales call, a real call or something called vishing?
Vishing???
Many people reason that if the number…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 08 – Issue 109
Teach Early, Teach Often: Cybersecurity Education for Children
This month marks the 15 year anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the United States, and it is an important time to remember the systems we protect as well as the social systems that affect them. According to National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), their theme this year is that “Cybersecurity is our shared…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 08 – Issue 108
Information Security: How Well is it Being Used to Protect Our Children at School?
August and September are ordinary months to some, but to others they are a time of mixed emotions. It’s the start of another school year. Some are sad to see their children off, while others celebrate that day. The start of the school year brings with it a lot of paperwork and sharing of sensitive information.…
Social Engineering Code of Ethics
The Social Engineering Code of Ethics accomplishes these three important goals:
Promotes professionalism in the industry.
Establishes ethics and policies that dictate how to be a professional SE.
Provides guidance on how to conduct a social engineering business.
Leave Others Feeling Better For Having Met You
Chris Hadnagy, CEO of Social-Engineer, LLC has a motto. It's simple, yet…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 08 – Issue 104
Two-Factor or Not Two-Factor? Why is This a Question?
Two-factor authentication, or “2FA” as the cool kids call it, is a common form of Multi-factor authentication, or MFA. These are not new concepts. In fact, they have been around in one form or another as part of human culture for likely as long as humans started talking to each other. Some examples are asking additional questions or for…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 08 – Issue 102
Corporate Espionage — The Rise of The Cyber-Mafia
Corporate espionage, while a great backdrop for a riveting spy movie or novel, is not very entertaining for the company or government agency that becomes the victim. Corporate espionage has evolved from an employee selling business secrets to a competitor or a hired person infiltrating the company and stealing industrial or government…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 08 – Issue 100
What Has Happened with Social Engineering in the Last 8 Years?
When I actually started thinking about this issue of the newsletter, I was shocked… this is issue 100. Wait. This is ISSUE 100!!!!! That is 8.3 years of newsletters. I could literally reminisce for hours about all the topics, research, and people we’ve spoken with and read about for those issues.
So much has changed. The…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 07 – Issue 99
The Emotional Line of Defense
It is not breaking news that phishing is the leading cause of data breaches in the modern world. It is safe to ask why that is the case though, given how much of this email gets caught up in our spam filters and perimeter defenses. One trick sophisticated attackers use is triggering emotional responses from targets using simple and seemingly innocuous messaging…