Social Engineering in IT Security: Tools, Tactics, and Techniques

3	Why Social Engineering Works

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.

—Galileo

Effective social engineers are experts in human nature. They know how to prey on weaknesses to manipulate or deceive their victims. The average person’s instincts and reactions are fairly predictable. People are trusting and curious, like free stuff, and, above all, are usually unaware that they are being targeted. From a security professional’s point of view, fighting against this can be difficult. One of the best ways to change people’s mentality when it comes to security is to run a social engineering test that targets them in a safe and controlled environment.

People are the weakest link in any security program. ...