Understand the Influence Tactic of Framing

The way a question is asked or a statement is presented can dramatically influence the response. This is the power of "framing." This article explains how social engineers use framing to manipulate a target's perception and guide them toward a desired decision, such as phrasing a request in a positive "gain" frame versus a negative "loss" frame. This is a sophisticated influence tactic that moves beyond simple tricks. Learning about framing helps you deconstruct an attacker's message. You'll understand why an email might be worded to sound like an opportunity ("Help us secure the network!") rather than a command, a technique used to build rapport and lower defenses before making a malicious request.