The Unfortunate Issue of Social Engineering

by Brian J. Dooley

The continuing escalation in the war against computer-based security threats, such as break-ins, malware, and viruses, threatens to obscure what has become the number one security weakness -- the individual. While there is a growing body of resources for combating machine-based attacks, the reality is that successful hacking based on social engineering is much more effective and potentially more devastating. Alas, apart from developing strong policies and an internal awareness of these techniques, little can be done about it. You can develop programs to scan networks and systems, log suspicious activity, and "fingerprint" hazardous code. But you cannot do the same for employees.

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The Unfortunate Issue of Social Engineering1 June 2008