With the increasing challenges of penetrating computer systems using technical means, cyber attackers are finding more humane ways to cause a data breach. The best way they have come up with so far has been social engineering.
This technique is specifically and creatively designed to deceive employees and get them to share their sensitive credentials. The attacker usually has excellent social skills and coercion abilities which they use to convince their prey to divulge confidential information.
Because of its sophistication, it's getting harder and harder to protect enterprises from such attacks. In this article, we will discuss a frequently asked question in cybersecurity, “what is the best countermeasure against social engineering”?
Social engineering is a term used for all the techniques that are used to deceive and psychologically manipulate individuals into performing certain acts or revealing private information that can lead to a security breach.
Criminals usually use human emotions such as fear, anger, greed, curiosity, and worry to trick victims into opening a malicious link, sharing a password, or falling prey to physical tailgating attacks. Cyberattackers use psychological tricks to gain the trust of the victim which can lead to:
One such example of social engineering includes phishing attacks. Phishing is the most commonly and most successfully used technique to manipulate individuals. The fraudsters use e-mails, websites, text messages, or phone calls to persuade an individual or company to share valuable information, download malware, or take other actions that can cause a security breach.
The increasing sophistication of such attackers is becoming a prominent threat to individuals and businesses, which is why it is crucial to take the best precautions against social engineering.
The first step to ensuring your company and employees don't fall prey to social engineering attacks is by teaching them how to identify they could be under attack. Here are some suspicious signs that you should look out for:
You can't expect someone to protect themselves from something if they are not aware of the problem. Organizations should conduct regular training sessions for employees which should teach them the basics of social engineering tactics such as phishing, tailgating, pretexting, or baiting.
The training should also include practical training sessions where the employees are exposed to simulations involving social engineering to test their response skills and knowledge about cybersecurity attacks.
Endpoint security is the process of protecting endpoints/devices such as desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and tablets from cyberattacks and malicious threats. Every remote endpoint could be an entryway for an attack and with the increasing number of endpoints, the threat is only increasing.
Examples of endpoint security include basic solutions such as malware detection software i.e. antivirus to more comprehensive solutions such as threat hunting and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR).
One of the frontlines you can use against social engineering attacks is using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). MFA acts as an extra layer of security that protects your data even if the password has been breached.
Due to this method, users are granted access to an account only after they have successfully presented two or more verification evidence using independent categories of credentials. Examples of MFA include biometric data, SMS-based codes, smart cards, and so on.
MFA can protect users against brute-force attacks which is a practice of trial-and-error to guess login information. The risk of unauthorized access has dramatically decreased ever since companies have started implementing this security layer.
Good password management policies ensure that an attacker is not able to access your account easily. Train your employees to change their passwords regularly and practice cyber hygiene by not sharing their passwords with multiple people.
Security audits can help to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in an enterprise's systems and networks that a cyberattacker can target using social engineering skills. Conducting regular security audits can ensure that your company is constantly strengthening its defenses against cyber attacks and patching any deficiencies.
Audits also make sure that your security policies and procedures are compliant with the industry’s regulations and standards and that you are following all the compliance laws mandated by the government.
The more people who have access to privileged information, the harder it is to protect that particular data. Access levels should be restricted to ensure that only authorized personnel can gain entry to high-risk information.
Grant users only the necessary level of permission that they require to perform their duties and fulfill their responsibilities. Through limited access, organizations can minimize the exposure to privileged information so that unauthorized individuals don’t get a pass.
After discussing the numerous ways you can protect your company and employees from social engineering attacks, it's imperative that you pick the best solution and prioritize it. The best countermeasure against social engineering is educating and training your employees.
Since social engineering is based on psychological manipulation more than any other technical tactic, it’s important that the targets are aware of this malignancy and are trained to avoid giving away vital information without confirmation.
Social engineering feeds on human emotions which means that it is hard to ensure protection against it. The assault is often well thought-out and can seem so genuine that the user ends up believing the attacker.
To protect your company and employees from this malicious threat, implement security controls, limit access to sensitive data, and most importantly, educate your employees today. If you are unable to make these changes yourself, hire the help of expert cybersecurity services to secure your data today.
An attacker will most probably get nervous or angry when you counterquestion them. They will be eager to get information out of you and end the interaction as soon as possible.
Use penetration testing and vulnerability assessment to evaluate the security measures you have taken against social engineering.
Yes. Implementing endpoint security, multi-factor authentication, password protection, and patching are all technical ways of data protection.