TrilogySecurity

Social Engineering

Social engineering testing, also known as social engineering penetration testing or simply “social engineering testing,” is a cybersecurity assessment technique used to evaluate an organization’s vulnerability to manipulative tactics employed by malicious actors to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information, performing actions, or making security compromises. The goal of social engineering testing is to identify weaknesses in an organization’s human-centric security controls and raise awareness about the potential risks associated with social engineering attacks.

Here's an overview of our social engineering testing services:

  1. Phishing Tests: TrilogySecurity simulates phishing attacks by sending deceptive emails, messages, or other forms of communication to staff within an organization. The goal is to identify employees who fall for the phishing attempt, click on malicious links, or provide sensitive information and educate them on how to avoid these tactics in the future.

  2. Pretexting: Pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario or pretext to manipulate individuals into revealing information or taking specific actions. Testers may impersonate trusted authorities, such as IT support personnel, vendors, or coworkers, to gain access to sensitive data.

  3. Baiting: Baiting involves leaving physical or digital “bait” for employees to find. This bait could be infected USB drives, enticing documents, or software downloads. The goal is to see if employees pick up or interact with the bait, potentially compromising security.

  4. Physical Security: Testers attempt to gain unauthorized physical access to a secure facility using various tactics commonly used in the real-world to obtain access.

  5. Vishing (Voice Phishing): In vishing tests, attackers use phone calls to impersonate legitimate individuals or organizations and extract sensitive information from employees over the phone. This can include usernames, passwords, or other confidential data.

  6. Smishing (SMS Phishing): Similar to email phishing, smishing involves sending malicious or deceptive text messages to employees’ mobile devices to trick them into taking specific actions or divulging information.

  7. Spear Phishing: Spear phishing is a targeted form of phishing where attackers customize their messages to specific individuals or organizations. Social engineering testers may employ spear phishing techniques to assess an organization’s susceptibility to highly tailored attacks.

  8. Social Engineering Awareness Training: TrilogySecurity provides in-person speaking engagements as well as online virtual training solutions to test and educate staff on the impact of social engineering. We provide training and awareness solutions to help employees recognize and respond to social engineering threats effectively.
The results of social engineering testing are used to identify weaknesses in an organization’s security awareness, policies, procedures, and employee training. Organizations can then take steps to strengthen their defenses, improve employee awareness, and implement safeguards to mitigate the risk of falling victim to real social engineering attacks.

Incorporating social engineering testing as part of a comprehensive cybersecurity assessment strategy is essential, as human error remains a primary factor in security breaches, and social engineering attacks continue to evolve in sophistication.