Phishing and Social Engineering: Attack Methods and Defense
Phishing and social engineering guide: mass, spear, whaling, BEC, smishing, vishing, QR and AiTM. Cialdini, DMARC, FIDO2 MFA, awareness.
Summary: Manipulating people rather than systems using psychological principles such as authority, urgency, and reciprocity. Tools: phishing (email), vishing (phone), smishing (SMS), pretexting, baiting. Unlike an insider threat, the attacker comes from outside the organization and uses deception to gain access. 91% of all cyberattacks begin with social engineering.
Sources & References
- [1] APWG Phishing Activity Trends Report 2024 - APWG
- [2] BSI Lagebericht zur IT-Sicherheit 2024 - BSI
- [3] Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2024 - Verizon
- [4] Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Trends Report - APWG
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About the Author
M.Sc. in IT Security with more than 5 years of experience in offensive security analysis. Leads the delivery of penetration tests, specializing in web applications, network infrastructure, reverse engineering and hardware security. Responsible for several responsible disclosures.
