Hacking humans: social engineering and the power of influence
Mar 20, 2022
auto_awesome
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.
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.
Psychological Influence in Social Engineering
Understanding the principles of influence can be crucial in social engineering. Reciprocity, where people feel obligated to reciprocate when given something, can be used to establish rapport and trust. Oxytocin, a chemical in the brain, is released when trust is established. Creating a good pretext, where the reason for being in a particular location at a specific time is explained convincingly, can divert attention from the actual individual, making their appearance irrelevant. Influence techniques can be used for both positive and negative purposes, and being aware of these methods can help individuals protect themselves from manipulation.
Personality Traits and Vulnerability to Social Engineering
Personality traits can influence an individual's vulnerability to social engineering tactics. The Big Five personality traits - openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism - can each have strengths and weaknesses in terms of susceptibility. Conscientious individuals tend to be cautious and thorough, making them less susceptible to manipulation. However, every trait has some vulnerability. Extroverted and open individuals may be more prone to phishing attacks due to their openness to new experiences and their inclination to socialize. The susceptibility to social engineering can also be influenced by the individual's immediate state of mind, as emotional responses can shut down critical thinking.
Chris Hadnagy’s job involves breaking into banks. But he’s not after money, gold or jewels. He’s searching for weaknesses – in systems, in security, and in people.
And he doesn’t use weapons or threats of violence to get past guards and into vaults. He uses a smile - and a few tricks from his toolbox of psychology and social engineering techniques.
Chris is the founder and CEO of Social Engineer LLC and lectures about social engineering around the globe.
On All in the Mind this week, the psychology of influence and what makes some people more vulnerable to being ‘hacked’ than others.[This episode originally aired on 01 August 2021]
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode