What is one common type of social engineering attack?

Phishing is a widely recognized form of social engineering attack, characterized by attempts to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, often through deceptive emails or websites. This form of attack preys on human psychology, exploiting the trust and urgency that individuals may feel when they receive unexpected communications, such as requests for personal information or account verification.

While spear phishing, pretexting, and shoulder surfing are also types of social engineering, phishing stands out as the most common and broadly applicable method. Spear phishing targets specific individuals or organizations with more personalized attacks, pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario to obtain sensitive information, and shoulder surfing refers to directly observing someone’s private information as they enter it. In contrast, phishing attacks typically cast a wider net, employing broad campaigns to reach many potential victims simultaneously. Understanding phishing is vital, as it forms the foundation of many other more targeted social engineering techniques.