All In The Mind cover image

All In The Mind

Hacking humans: social engineering and the power of influence

Mar 20, 2022
Chris Hadnagy, founder and CEO of Social Engineer LLC, discusses the psychology of social engineering and the power of influence. Topics include infiltrating a bank through phishing, the role of reciprocity in building trust, and the psychology behind manipulation and exploitation in social engineering attacks.
29:06

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • Social engineering exploits the principles of influence to gain unauthorized access and bypass security.
  • Personality traits and emotional states can impact an individual's vulnerability to social engineering tactics.

Deep dives

The Power of Social Engineering

Social engineering involves using psychology and social interaction techniques to gain unauthorized access to secure locations and sensitive information. It relies on principles such as reciprocity, where giving someone something can make them feel indebted and more likely to give something in return. Through social engineering, individuals have been able to bypass security in banks, energy facilities, and multinational corporations. The technique of pretexting, creating a believable story to gain trust, has proven to be effective. With the right pretext, individuals can blend in and go unnoticed, exploiting vulnerabilities in security.

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