Social Engineering
Social engineering is a psychological manipulation technique used to deceive individuals into divulging confidential information, performing actions, or compromising security, often by exploiting human trust, curiosity, or authority. It is a key component of cybersecurity attacks, such as phishing, pretexting, and baiting, where attackers bypass technical defenses by targeting human vulnerabilities. This concept is critical in fields like information security, fraud prevention, and ethical hacking to understand and mitigate risks.
Developers should learn social engineering to enhance security awareness, design systems that resist human-based attacks, and contribute to organizational cybersecurity strategies. It is essential for roles in penetration testing, security auditing, and incident response, where understanding attack vectors helps in creating robust defenses and training programs. Knowledge of social engineering is also valuable for developers building authentication systems, user interfaces, or communication tools to prevent exploitation.