PDF Download 
Cyber security threats have amplified significantly in the last decade, creating security concerns across the globe. Media reports during this period on illegal cyber activities have highlighted how information network systems have been exploited by cyber criminals—as well as States—on numerous occasions for espionage and intelligence gathering.
Even as “experts” on cyber warfare find ingenious ways of conducting their operations, what perhaps makes it easier for them is our sheer dependence on the Internet for everyday communication. Moreover, social networking makes us highly vulnerable to cyber attacks that are carried out by a simple but highly effective technique called “Social Engineering”—a technique where deception or persuasion is used to gain access to information.
According to Symantec, a cyber security firm, the social engineering technique was used in some of the most successful cyber attacks in 2010. In this, the role played by targeted individuals is a crucial factor and needs to be examined. Despite having security mechanisms in place, it has been found that social engineering techniques have tricked individual targets to reveal vital information resulting in serious consequences such as facilitating a cyber intrusion into the network system used by the individual. In a broader sense, Social Engineering methods can be used for gaining information by deceiving victims through other means as well, such as telephone calls and also direct interaction. However, this paper will focus on cyber security concerns related to Social Engineering. The following sections will examine the concepts of Social Engineering and Zero-Day Vulnerability and give a few instances where a combination of both resulted in “compromise” of confidential information, raising security concerns for nations.
The views expressed above belong to the author(s). ORF research and analyses now available on Telegram! Click here to access our curated content — blogs, longforms and interviews.
PREV
