Social Engineering Assessment
In the world of penetration testing, myriad techniques are employed to scrutinize a company’s security stance.
The art of Social Engineering Assessment dives deep into the human element and organizational processes, uncovering vulnerabilities inherent in them. Picture this: an ethical hacker, akin to a cyber maestro, orchestrates real-world scenarios—phishing expeditions, USB drops, or impersonation maneuvers—all mirroring the challenges an individual might encounter in the course of their work, leading to potential compromise. The mission of this Assessment? Pinpointing weaknesses in individuals, groups, awareness levels, or processes, while laying out vulnerabilities with a crystal-clear roadmap to remediation.
*Source of Truth: Purplesec | Verizon | Cisco | Vade Stats on Social Engineering Attacks
In a Social Engineering Assessment, there are three key phases: information gathering, victim selection, and engagement. The process involves discreetly collecting data through active and passive reconnaissance, utilizing threat intelligence tools. Victim selection targets individuals who may be less aware, mistreated employees, or those recently fired. The engagement phase focuses on interacting with victims covertly to collect data without raising suspicions. The overall goal is to simulate real-world scenarios, testing an organization’s human-centric security measures while maintaining the integrity of the assessment.
- Discovering & Scoping
- Active reconnaissance
- Passive Reconnaissance
- Additional Threat Intelligence
- Victim Selection
- Attack Vector Identification
- Penetration Attempts
- Guidance & Roadmap
Engaging in a Social Engineering Assessment presents a valuable opportunity for an organization to reflect its security posture, particularly at the most vulnerable points: “the human error of employees”.
To round up this holistic insight into cybersecurity, shedding light on potential vulnerabilities and attack vectors within the organization’s technical framework. This comprehensive approach enables companies to build resilience by identifying these weaknesses. Regardless of the chosen remediation roadmap, the careful verification of industry certifications, and adding a periodic structure of employee assessment ensures the legitimacy and value of the Social Engineering Assessment.
Kinds Of Social Engineering Attacks
Phishing
Phishing is a method that occurs via email and attempts to trick the user in to giving up sensitive information or opening a malicious file that can infect their machine.
Vishing
Vishing is similar to phishing but occurs via phone calls. These phones calls attempt to trick the user into giving up sensitive information.
Smishing
Smishing is similar to phishing but occurs via sms text messages. These text messages have the same intent as phishing.
Impersonation
Actionable recommendations to mitigate risks and enhance security, based on the identified threats and vulnerabilities.
Dumpster Diving
A method where an attacker goes through not only trash but other items in plain sight, such as sticky notes and calendars, to gain useful information about a person or organization.
USB Drops
A method using malicious USB’s dropped in common areas or workspace. The USBs typically, when plugged in, installs malicious software providing a backdoor into to compromise the victims system of network.
Tailgating
Tailgating is a method that is used to bypass physical security measures. You typically see this method used in locations that require a person to scan a key fob to gain entrance.
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