Types Of Social Engineering Attacks And Ways To Prevent Them

Introduction

Social engineering attack is one in each of the very important categories in cyber security that brings threat to data. It acts as a big malicious tool for hackers to perform cyber attacks. These attacks appear to be the foremost vital hazard in people’s manner of life. Social engineering attacks use the ways in which of playing with human feeling and science to assemble required information by interacting with them. Even the aggressor sends spam mail or unauthorized mail to victim to urge personal details. Even sends malicious code through mail or information processing system to hack essential details of the user or targeted person. This text states all totally different categories, varieties and so the various tools involved in taking part in attacks. This paper states cause and effects behind the attacks unit of measurement mentioned clearly.

Scare Ware

Scare ware endlessly attack user with false image and fake to be system in threat. Victim thinks that the malicious code is inserted, that prompts them to place in code that has no true profit or is simply a malware itself. Usually the bad person sends a red dangerous alert image to user system by viewing that image user frightens that system is attacked by a harmful virus but it a trickery to make user frighten and install code. Deception code, knave scanner code, and fraud ware are also explicit as scare ware. Scare ware is in addition distributed via spam email that removes counterfeit warnings or provides customers to shop for good-for-nothing or harmful services.

Baiting

Baiting assaults, referred to as road apples, ar phishing attacks that invite users to click on a link to induce free stuff. They bait shoppers tempt to steal their non-public information or impose malware on their devices. The harassment acts like Trojan horses wherever the attack is dead by exploitation unsecured pc devices. For example, attackers leave the bait generally infected with malware flash drives in conspicuous unit of measurement as wherever hidden victims unit of measurement absolute to see them (e.g., feeding hall, lift). The bait has associate authentic examine it, type it ANd gift it as a results of AN worker pay list of an organisation. By their curiosity, the victim picks up the attack and insert into employment or informatics system, leading in AN installation of malicious code. Among the physical world, molestation scams have to be compelled to be assigned an internet molestation kind contains collaborating advertisements resulting in malicious locations or encouraging targets to transfer associate application affected with malware

Phishing

The word “Phishing “emerged in 1990’s. The aggressor creates fake website and sends fake mails and gathers required details from victim. Phishing attack is the practice of sending emails that appear to be from trusted sources with the goal of gaining information or influencing user to do something. It combines social engineering and technical trickery. It could involve an attachment to an email that loads malware to the computer. It also could be an illegitimate website that can trick you into downloading malware or handling over your personal information. For example Phishing attack mainly targets users to submit financial related details or even theft attacks can be undergone for example transferring amount from victim’s bank account without the knowledge of the victim. The process of phishing attack is the aggressor sends fake email which looks like form a government portal or renowned organisation or banking portals. We usually trust the email and start viewing the contents if the person clicks the given URL it directly takes to a website where it looks like a trusted portal. The website asks the victim to enter personal details especially credit card details, ATM unique pin number, bank account details. The victim without analysing about the website enters the details. The aggressor now gathers all the details from the website and attacker can use for looting amount from victims account.

Tailgating

Another social engineering attack is tailgating. The term tailgating is also known as piggybacking or physical access [2]. An unauthorized person wishes to enter into an area or region where tight security is maintained. Then the victim enters the premises by following an authorized person. Example for tailgating attack is wherever someone takes facilitate of a certified person to induce access to restricted areas wherever RFID authentication or another electronic barrier is gift.

Ransomware

The ransom ware is a form of malware from crypto virology that frightens the victim by blackmailing that the aggressor will publish victim’s data if victim fails to pay demanded amount. The amount demanded by the aggressor ranges from hundred dollars to thousand dollars. Ransom ware locks the system to prevent access by the victim but a knowledgeable person can reverse the access. The aggressor with high technical knowledge normally attacks reputed firms or organisation where high security for data is maintained. The attacker steals the sensitive data like quotation for tender and demands organisation to pay the required amount. This is the critical situation for the company and finds there is no other way to overcome the issue other than paying the demanded amount. Organisation pays amount to the cyber criminals to protect their data and goodwill of the company. The attacker normally plays with the goodwill of the company so that there is no other way for them other than paying the amount to save the name of the company.

Prevention techniques

Social engineering attacks are the most significant hazard to digitalised people where they view or process details without victim’s knowledge. Some important precautions need to be followed to overcome these attacks.

Mainly focus on:

1. High level Security system of the computer or mobile phones to be maintained.
2. Enable spam mail detection.
3. Avoid sharing personal information like credit card details, account number to unauthorized person through phone calls or in emails or in websites.

Some of the common techniques to be followed to avoid attacks are:

1. Forbidden e-mails - To avoid phishing attack use anti-phishing tool to detect spam mail and also check URL whether it is trusted person or from trusted organisation and then respond back by sharing your personal details.
2. Security system - High level anti-virus software must be employed in computers in order to prevent installation of malicious software. Check and update anti-virus software periodically. This software is the tool for aggressors to hack or view or process victim’s data without the knowledge of the targeted person.
3. Technical knowledge - To prevent ransom ware and scare ware attack victim must never be emotionally weak. First analyse the situation what happens then the targeted person must have excellence technical knowledge to overcome the attack and also high level security must be used to protect sensitive data.

Conclusion

The paper had reviewed several social engineering attacks. The reason behind these attacks and the problems faced by the victim in day-to-day life is mentioned. The main motto of the aggressor is to make victim emotionally weak and to loot data for their purpose. The victim must follow some security measures to maintain data confidentially. Developments in technologies have various advantages but also some major outcomes need to be rectified as soon as possible. The precautions need to be followed strictly to overcome these attacks.