Security » Social Engineering

Five things you need to know about social engineering

Social engineering, the act of tricking people into giving up sensitive information, is nothing new. Convicted hacker Kevin Mitnick made a name for himself by cold-calling staffers at major U.S. companies and talking them into giving him information. But today's criminals are having a heyday using e-mail and social networks. A well-written phishing message or virus-laden spam campaign is a cheap, effective way for criminals to get the data they need.

By Robert McMillan | 17 December, 2009 03:47

Tags: security, social engineering

Citing cybercrime, FBI director doesn't bank online

The head of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has stopped banking online after nearly falling for a phishing attempt.

By Robert McMillan | 08 October, 2009 06:15

Tags: fbi, phishing, security

Botnets: 4 Reasons It's Getting Harder to Find and Fight Them

The perpetual proliferation of botnets is hardly surprising when one considers just how easy it is for the bad guys to hijack computers without tipping off the users.

By Bill Brenner | 16 April, 2009 09:20

Tags: botnets, social engineering, social networking

9 Dirty Tricks: Social Engineers' Favourite Pick-Up Lines

What the average guy might call a con is known in the security world as social engineering. Social engineering is the criminal art of scamming a person into doing something or divulging sensitive information. These days, there are thousands of ways for con artists to pull off their tricks (See: Social Engineering: Eight Common Tactics). Here we look at some of the most common lines these people are using to fool their victims..

By Joan Goodchild | 17 February, 2009 09:03

Tags: Facebook, phishing, spam, twitter

How to recruit and retain the best young security employees

The final installment in a series of articles about generational differences and security. Part one looked at managing workers in different age groups. Part two examined the types of security concerns that are most commonly associated with different generations in the general workforce. This article provides recruiting and retention advice for security employees.

Does your generation pose an office security risk?

Whether you were born in the swinging sixties or are part of the slacker generation, some security experts say generational social influences can give you bad habits and make you an office liability.

Security and the generational divide

The generation gap. It's a term that has been used for decades to describe the differences between people in various age groups. Corporations are constantly considering what makes different generations tick when it comes to recruiting and retaining employees. But security experts say companies also need to examine age-based perspectives and habits when it comes to risk assessment and policies.