Hack I.T.: Security Through Penetration Testing

Chapter 8. Social Engineering

Social engineering is quite possibly the least popular means of attacking a network currently employed in penetration testing. It certainly receives the least media attention. These attacks, however, can prove quite costly and should be guarded against. This sort of attack can allow the attacker to bypass the security mechanisms of a network without using any script or hacking tool and without even executing a single piece of code.

Social engineering involves getting employees at target companies to voluntarily surrender their personal or corporate information. This is usually accomplished through nothing more than conversation, often over a telephone and without any direct contact at all. It is essentially a confidence ...