The Art of Deception: Unmasking Social Engineering Attacks

Hackers don't always use code to break in; sometimes they just ask for the keys. This is social engineering, the art of manipulating people into giving up confidential information. This article breaks down the most common tricks in the book. You'll learn to spot the difference between a wide-net phishing email and a targeted spear-phishing attack, understand how attackers use baiting with tempting offers to lure you in, and see how pretexting creates a fake story to gain your trust. It also covers vishing (voice phishing) and smishing (SMS phishing), showing how these psychological tricks work across different platforms.