Chapter 4

Social Engineering Attacks

This chapter covers the following subjects:

  • Understanding Phishing

  • Defining Pharming

  • Understanding Malvertising

  • Defining Spear Phishing

  • Understanding SMS Phishing

  • Defining Voice Phishing

  • Defining Whaling

  • Describing Elicitation, Interrogation, and Impersonation (Pretexting)

  • Understanding Social Engineering Motivation Techniques

  • Understanding Shoulder Surfing

  • Understanding USB Key Drop

The number of cyber attacks and exploits is increasing rapidly. You have to understand threat actors’ tactics in order to mimic them and become a better penetration tester. This chapter covers the most common types of attacks and exploits. It starts by describing attacks against the weakest link, which is the human element. ...

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