In a world where information systems are protected by military-grade encryption layers, cybercriminals have realized that it’s far easier to ask for the key than to break the lock. Welcome to the age of social engineering, where the vulnerability is no longer in the code, but in the psychology of the person using it.
1. The Neuroscience of Fraud: Hacking “System 1”
Social engineering does not rely on a logical flaw, but on an emotional short circuit. Drawing on the work of Daniel Kahneman, we understand that attackers aim to keep their victims trapped in “System 1”: fast, instinctive, emotional thinking.
– Urgency Bias: By creating a sense of urgency (e.g. “your account will be deleted in 10 minutes”), the attacker prevents the brain from switching to “System 2” (slow, analytical thinking).
– Obedience Reflex: By impersonating an authority figure (CEO, police, technical support), the attacker exploits our social conditioning to comply with hierarchical orders without questioning them.
2. OSINT: When Your Public Data Becomes a Weapon
Before launching an attack, the modern hacker conducts a reconnaissance phase known as OSINT (Open Source Intelligence). This is no longer random spam — it’s a surgical strike.
By compiling information from LinkedIn (your role, your colleagues), Instagram (your habits, your pet’s name), and institutional websites, the attacker builds a “pretext” (scenario) so convincing that it becomes indistinguishable from reality. This is how Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks manage to divert millions of euros by blending seamlessly into legitimate professional conversations.
3. AI and the Boundary of Reality: The Deepfake Era
The original article mentioned the 2020 Twitter hack via phone calls (vishing). Today, artificial intelligence has multiplied this threat.
– Voice Deepfakes: With only 30 seconds of your voice (from a YouTube conference or a podcast), an AI can clone your vocal signature and call your accountant to order an urgent transfer.
– Generative AI: Gone are the spelling mistakes and awkward syntax that once exposed phishing attempts. Tools like ChatGPT allow attackers to craft flawless emails in any language, even perfectly mimicking the tone and style of the targeted company.
4. The Vulnerability of Politeness: Physical Social Engineering
Security often stops where courtesy begins. “Tailgating” is the perfect example: an individual approaches a secured company entrance with their arms full of pizza boxes. Out of politeness, an employee holds the door open, granting full access to the internal network.
This form of “proximity social engineering” proves that badges and cameras are powerless against a deeply ingrained social norm like helpfulness. Bank security audits show that this technique succeeds in over 70% of cases.
5. Shadow IT: Productivity’s Trojan Horse
Often, it’s not malice that creates the breach, but the pursuit of efficiency. Shadow IT refers to employees using unapproved software or personal servers not validated by the IT department.
Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server for state data perfectly illustrates this paradox: flexibility gained at the expense of security. Once professional data flows through a personal Gmail account or an unencrypted USB drive, it escapes corporate oversight and becomes an easy target for social engineering.
6. The Domino Effect of Passwords
Digital hygiene is the first line of defense against social engineering. The Disney+ case is a textbook example: thousands of accounts were compromised at launch, not due to a platform vulnerability, but through credential stuffing.
Users reuse passwords across multiple services. An attacker retrieves your credentials from a breach on a poorly secured e-commerce site, then uses those same credentials to access your professional accounts. The social engineer doesn’t even need to manipulate you anymore — they simply use the keys you left under the doormat of another website.
7. Toward a Culture of Resilience: The “Human Firewall”
How do you counter a threat that evolves faster than software? The answer is threefold:
Defense Pillar | Concrete Action | Benefit
Technical | FIDO2 keys / Passkeys | Neutralizes phishing, even if the user is deceived.
Process | Out-of-band verification | One transfer = one confirmation call to a known number.
Cultural | Right to make mistakes | An employee who reports an error immediately saves the company.
Conclusion: Humans as the Solution
Social engineering is a constant throughout human history — only the technology changes. To protect our organizations, we must stop viewing users as the weakest link and instead recognize them as the most sophisticated security sensor we have. A trained, alert, and psychologically safe workforce is the strongest defense against manipulators operating in the shadows.
(influenceatwork.com)
(social-engineer.com)
(theverge.com)
(bleepingcomputer.com)
(nytimes.com)
(krebsonsecurity.com)
(verizon.com)
(enisa.europa.eu)
(proofpoint.com)
(fidoalliance.org)
(attack.mitre.org)
(yubico.com)