Con artists have been performing social engineering tricks for centuries. In the age of cybercrimes and online scams, social engineering has become far more threatening: Con artists can now reach out and trick you without ever having to speak a word, and it’s becoming one of the preferred methods of gaining illicit access to secure systems.

Security consulting firm Social Engineer, Inc., defines social engineering in incredibly basic and broadterms: “Any act that influences a person to take an action that may or may not be in their best interest.”

That definition may seem general, but that’s because social engineering attacks take a multitude of forms, both using a computer and in the physical world. With the above definition in mind, it becomes apparent that almost every single security incident starts with at least some kind of social engineering. To learn more about social engineering check out this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

In the download:

• What is social engineering?
• What are real-world examples of social engineering attacks?
• Who is at risk for a social engineering attack?
• How can I protect myself against social engineering hacks?
• And more!