Chapter 1
Engagement Management
Course: Comptia Pentest Pt0 003
Subject: Comptia Pentest Plus
Chapter: Attacks And Exploits
Social engineering attacks exploit human psychology to deceive individuals into revealing confidential information, granting unauthorized access, or performing actions that compromise security. Unlike traditional cyberattacks that target software vulnerabilities, social engineering attacks manipulate trust, urgency, fear, and curiosity to achieve malicious objectives.
1. Types of Social Engineering Attacks
1. Phishing: Email-Based Deception
Phishing is one of the most prevalent social engineering techniques, where attackers impersonate legitimate entities to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, clicking on malicious links, or opening malware-laden attachments.
Common Attack Scenarios:
- Email Spoofing: Attackers forge email headers to appear as trusted organizations such as Microsoft, Google, or financial institutions.
- Fake Login Pages: Victims are redirected to cloned websites that steal their login credentials.
- Malware Attachments: Emails contain files that execute keyloggers, spyware, or ransomware upon opening.