The Importance of Social Engineering Test Assessments

Introduction In today’s digital age, businesses have increasingly relied on technology to conduct their operations. This reliance has also led to an increase in cyber threats, making cybersecurity more critical than ever. As a result, businesses need to ensure that their security measures effectively protect their data and systems. One way to do this is through social engineering test assessments conducted by penetration testing companies. This blog post will discuss the importance of social engineering test assessments for electronic and physical social engineering, what a penetration tester looks for, the steps they take, and how reporting is done.

What is Social Engineering?

Social engineering is a tactic cybercriminals use to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that may compromise an organization’s security. This can take many forms, including phishing emails, pretexting, baiting, quid pro quo, and tailgating. Social engineering attacks can be categorized into two main types: electronic social engineering and physical social engineering.

Every 39 seconds a cyber attack takes place and around 85 percent of data breaches are led by a human element

Security Magazine

Electronic Social Engineering

Electronic social engineering is a tactic used by cybercriminals to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that can compromise an organization’s security. One of the most common forms of electronic social engineering is phishing, which involves sending fraudulent emails that appear to be from legitimate sources, such as banks or social media platforms.

• Phishing emails often contain links to fake websites that mimic the appearance of legitimate ones, tricking victims into entering their login credentials and other sensitive information.
• Spear phishing is a more targeted form of phishing that targets specific individuals or organizations. Attackers gather information about their targets from social media, corporate websites, or other sources and use this information to craft convincing phishing emails. Spear phishing attacks can be particularly effective because they are personalized and appear from a trusted source.
• Whaling is another targeted phishing attack aimed at high-level executives or individuals accessing sensitive information. Whaling attacks are more sophisticated than traditional phishing attacks and often involve extensive research and social engineering tactics to gain the victim’s trust. Once the attacker has gained the victim’s trust, they may request confidential information or authorize fraudulent transactions.
• Smishing is a form of electronic social engineering that involves sending text messages to a victim’s phone. The message may contain a link to a fake website or ask the victim to call a fake customer support number. Once the victim interacts with the message, they may be prompted to enter their login credentials or other sensitive information. Smishing attacks are becoming more prevalent as more people use their mobile devices for online banking and other financial transactions.
• Pharming is another electronic social engineering attack that redirects a victim to a fake website, even if they have entered the correct URL in their browser. The attacker may use malware to modify the victim’s DNS settings or exploit vulnerabilities in the victim’s router or other network devices. Once the victim lands on the fake website, they may be prompted to enter their login credentials or other sensitive information.
• Phone spoofing is another form of electronic social engineering that involves manipulating caller ID information to make it appear that the call is coming from a trusted source, such as a bank or government agency. The attacker may use social engineering tactics to trick the victim into providing personal information or authorizing fraudulent transactions. As with other forms of electronic social engineering, phone spoofing attacks rely on psychological manipulation and deception to achieve their goals.

Physical Social Engineering

Physical social engineering is an attack involving manipulating human behavior to gain unauthorized access to a physical space or sensitive information. Attackers may use several physical social engineering tactics, including pretexting, baiting, tailgating, piggybacking, impersonation, eavesdropping, dumpster diving, shoulder surfing, and reverse social engineering.

• Pretexting involves creating a false pretext or story to trick someone into divulging sensitive information. For example, an attacker may pose as an IT technician and ask the victim to provide their login credentials to fix a technical issue.
• Baiting is an attack where an attacker leaves a physical device, such as a USB drive or CD, in a public area, hoping that someone will pick it up and plug it into their computer. The device may contain malware or other malicious software that can compromise the victim’s computer or network.
• Tailgating involves following closely behind an authorized person to gain access to a restricted area. The attacker may dress up like an employee or carry a fake ID to blend in with the crowd and avoid suspicion.
• Piggybacking is similar to tailgating but does not necessarily involve dressing up like an employee or carrying a fake ID. Instead, the attacker waits for someone to enter the restricted area and follows closely behind them.
• Impersonation involves posing as someone with legitimate access to a restricted area or sensitive information. For example, an attacker may pose as a security guard and ask the victim to provide their login credentials or other sensitive information.
• Eavesdropping involves listening to private conversations or phone calls to gather sensitive information. Attackers may use various techniques, such as a listening device or simply standing near the victim and overhearing their conversation.
• Dumpster diving involves searching through someone’s trash to find sensitive information, such as passwords or confidential documents. Attackers may use this information to access a physical space or network.
• Shoulder surfing involves looking over someone’s shoulder to gather sensitive information, such as login credentials or credit card numbers. Attackers may use this technique in public places like coffee shops or airports.
• Reverse social engineering involves the attacker posing as a victim and contacting the organization or individual directly. The attacker may pretend to be a customer or client and ask for sensitive information or access to a physical space.

Organizations should implement strict security policies to protect against physical social engineering attacks, train employees to recognize and respond to social engineering attacks, and regularly conduct security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities. Additionally, employees should be trained to report any suspicious activity or behavior, such as tailgating or unauthorized visitors, to security personnel.

Why are Social Engineering Assessments Important?

Social engineering attacks can be challenging to detect and prevent because they exploit human weaknesses and are often unrelated to technical vulnerabilities. A social engineering assessment can identify these vulnerabilities and help organizations implement effective countermeasures. Through a social engineering test assessment, businesses can evaluate their security measures, identify areas of weakness, and train employees to recognize and respond appropriately to social engineering attacks. Social engineering assessments can help organizations prevent data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage.

What Do Penetration Testers Look for?

Electronic Social Engineering

Penetration testers conduct electronic social engineering test assessments to test the security of an organization’s computer systems and networks. These assessments involve attempting to manipulate employees through various electronic means to obtain sensitive information or access to the network. Here are the steps that penetration testers typically follow when conducting electronic social engineering assessments:

1. Reconnaissance: Before launching an electronic social engineering attack, penetration testers will perform reconnaissance to gather information about the target organization. This may involve researching the organization’s employees, business partners, and vendors to identify potential targets.
2. Crafting the attack: Once the target has been identified, the penetration tester will create a realistic attack scenario tailored to the organization’s industry, culture, and geography. The attack may involve crafting a phishing email, setting up a fake social media account, or creating a fake website to trick employees into giving up sensitive information.
3. Executing the attack: Once the attack scenario has been crafted, the penetration tester will execute the attack by sending phishing emails or other electronic communications to employees. The goal is to see how many employees fall for the attack and provide sensitive information.
4. Analyzing the results: Once the attack has been executed, the penetration tester will analyze the results to determine how effective the attack was. This may involve analyzing the number of employees who fell for the attack and provided sensitive information and any security controls that successfully prevented the attack.
5. Reporting: Finally, the penetration tester will report their findings to the organization’s management team, highlighting any vulnerabilities or weaknesses identified during the assessment. This report will include recommendations for improving the organization’s security posture, such as implementing stronger security controls or providing additional employee training.

The FBI reported that the Business Email Compromise (BEC), aka Email Account Compromise (EAC) — a sophisticated scam targeting both businesses and individuals performing wire transfer payments — cost around $26 billion in losses globally from 2016 to 2019. Based on those figures and other estimates, Cybersecurity Ventures reports total BEC ( Business Email Compromise ) damages from 2013 (when the FBI began tracking it) to 2021 exceed $45 billion.

Business Email Compromise – FBI

Physical Social Engineering

Penetration testers conduct physical social engineering test assessments to test the security of an organization’s physical premises and personnel. These assessments involve attempting to gain physical access to restricted areas or sensitive information by manipulating employees through various tactics. Here are the steps that penetration testers typically follow when conducting physical social engineering assessments:

1. Reconnaissance: Before launching a physical social engineering attack, penetration testers will perform reconnaissance to gather information about the target organization. This may involve researching the organization’s physical premises, identifying key employees, and determining the most vulnerable entry points.
2. Crafting the attack: Once the target has been identified, the penetration tester will create a realistic attack scenario tailored to the organization’s industry, culture, and geography. The attack may involve pretexting, baiting, tailgating, piggybacking, impersonation, or other tactics to gain physical access to restricted areas.
3. Executing the attack: Once the attack scenario has been crafted, the penetration tester will execute the attack by attempting to gain physical access to restricted areas and planting an IoT device on the network to gain remote access (if in scope). This may involve posing as a vendor or service provider, impersonating an employee, or using other tactics to gain employees’ trust and access sensitive information.
4. Analyzing the results: Once the attack has been executed, the penetration tester will analyze the results to determine how effective the attack was. This may involve analyzing the number of employees who fell for the attack and provided sensitive information and any security controls that successfully prevented the attack.
5. Reporting: Finally, the penetration tester will report their findings to the organization’s management team, highlighting any vulnerabilities or weaknesses that were identified during the assessment. This report will include recommendations for improving the organization’s physical security posture, such as implementing stronger access controls or providing additional employee training.

How Reporting is Done

Reporting is crucial to social engineering test assessments, providing organizations valuable insights into their security posture and vulnerabilities. Reporting for social engineering assessments typically involves the following steps:

1. Executive Summary: The report should begin with an executive summary that provides a high-level overview of the assessment’s objectives, methodology, and findings. The executive summary should also include an overall risk rating based on the severity and likelihood of the identified vulnerabilities.
2. Methodology: The report should detail the methods used in the assessment, including the social engineering techniques employed, the scope of the assessment, and any tools or software used during the assessment.
3. Findings: The report should provide a detailed analysis of the vulnerabilities identified during the assessment, including the severity and likelihood of each vulnerability and any potential impacts to the organization’s security posture. The report should also include recommendations for addressing these vulnerabilities, including steps that can be taken to improve the organization’s security posture.
4. Test Results: The report should include a summary of the test results, including the number of successful and unsuccessful social engineering attempts, the percentage of employees who fell for the attack, and other relevant metrics.
5. Conclusion: The report should summarize the overall findings and recommendations for improving the organization’s security posture. The report should also emphasize the importance of ongoing training and awareness to prevent future social engineering attacks.
6. Technical Details: The report should provide technical details on the methods used during the assessment, including the specific social engineering techniques employed and any tools or software used during the assessment.

Reporting for social engineering test assessments should be clear and concise, highlighting the most critical vulnerabilities and providing actionable recommendations for improving the organization’s security posture. The report should also be tailored to the organization’s specific needs, considering the organization’s size, industry, and culture. Finally, the report should be presented to the organization’s management team, highlighting the importance of addressing identified vulnerabilities and implementing a comprehensive security program to prevent future social engineering attacks.

Conclusion

Social engineering test assessments are essential to penetration testing for identifying and mitigating potential cyber threats. These assessments can help organizations identify vulnerabilities in their electronic and physical security measures, evaluate the effectiveness of their security awareness training, and develop countermeasures to prevent social engineering attacks. Through these assessments, businesses can protect their sensitive information, prevent financial losses, and maintain their reputation. As a result, businesses must hire a penetration testing company specializing in social engineering test assessments to help them avoid potential cyber threats.

To learn about penetration testing services, visit our Ultimate Guide to Penetration Testing page.

Do you need a social engineering test assessment for your business? Book a consultation with Artifice Security today!

Artifice Security is recognized as a leading provider of penetration testing services. Companies looking for a trusted partner to perform a pen test should consider Artifice Security for the following reasons:

1. Expertise and Experience: Artifice Security boasts a team of highly skilled and experienced penetration testers who possess a deep understanding of the latest threats and attack techniques. With a wealth of experience working with clients in various industries, they offer a broad perspective on security challenges and solutions.
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3. Customized Approach: Artifice Security takes a customized approach to pen testing, tailoring the scope and depth of the test to meet each client’s specific needs. They work closely with the client to understand their goals and objectives, then develop a testing plan to achieve them.
4. Actionable Results: Artifice Security provides detailed and actionable reports that explicitly identify vulnerabilities and offer recommendations for remediation. These reports are designed to be easily understood by both technical and non-technical stakeholders, providing clear guidance on improving the organization’s security posture.
5. Compliance: Artifice Security’s pen testing services are designed to meet the requirements of various compliance regulations, including PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR. By engaging Artifice Security to perform a pen test, companies can ensure they meet the necessary compliance requirements and avoid potential fines and legal issues.

Artifice Security is a reliable and trusted partner for companies that prioritize safeguarding their assets and data from cyber threats. Their expertise, comprehensive testing approach, customized methodology, actionable results, and experience make Artifice Security an excellent choice for any company seeking to improve its security posture.