Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking

1.1. Why This Book Is So Valuable

Many books are available on the market on security, hacking, penetration testing, and even social engineering. Many of these books have very valuable information and tips to help their readers. Even with all that the information available, a book was needed that takes social engineering information to the next level and describes these attacks in detail, explaining them from the malicious side of the fence. This book is not merely a collection of cool stories, neat hacks, or wild ideas. This book covers the world's first framework for social engineering. It analyzes and dissects the very foundation of what makes a good social engineer and gives practical advice on how to use these skills to enhance the readers' abilities to test the biggest weakness—the human infrastructure.

1.1.1. The Layout

This book offers a unique approach to social engineering. It is structured closely to the in-depth social engineering framework found at www.social-engineer.org/framework. This framework outlines the skills and the tools (physical, mental, and personality) a person should strive to possess to be an excellent social engineer.

This book takes a "tell and show approach" by first presenting a principle behind a topic then defining, explaining, and dissecting, then showing its application using collections of real stories or case studies. This is not merely a book about stories or neat tricks, but a handbook, a guide through the dark world of social engineering. ...