What is social engineering in the context of cybersecurity?

Social engineering in the context of cybersecurity refers to the psychological manipulation of individuals to persuade them to divulge confidential or personal information. Attackers leverage tactics that exploit human psychology, often employing tactics like impersonation, urgency, or fear to trick individuals into providing sensitive data such as passwords, account numbers, or other private information.

This approach is significant because it undermines traditional security measures by targeting the human element, which can often be the weakest link in an organization’s security posture. Understanding this aspect of cybersecurity is crucial for developing effective training and awareness programs aimed at preventing such manipulative tactics.