Social Engineering

Hiding in Plain Sight, InfoSec Series

By: Patricia Arnold

Narrated by: Rich Grimshaw

The movie industry has glamorized the abilities of technically talented people. From Mission Impossible to The Matrix, we are impressed at what the human mind can accomplish with the assistance of a computer.

This book doesn't underestimate gifted hacker groups, but it does raise the question of how much ammo we giving them to launch their attack.

The human mind can devise ways to think outside of the constructs of the box even when provided with the smallest details.

Even though computers are an important tool, successful hacking doesn't just begin with advanced technical abilities. Sometimes it requires more rudimentary techniques, such as the investigative abilities that you may find in a 1940's gumshoe. Personality goes a long way.

A successful social engineer requires a little bit of charm, persuasiveness and listening abilities to get the information that they need. If you've lost money recently, chances are, a con man in his pajamas could be the culprit rather than a stereotypical hacker in a carefully concealed computer lab.

There's no reason to hide when the information for a preliminary attack is out there. After all, why hide in a bunker when the target (me and you) tells them everything they need to get started?

Social Engineering begins by exploiting the human factor in such a way that can be obvious but is somehow missed. Hiding in Plain Sight will explain my research about this increasing element that allows groups of individuals to steal and often be provided with privileged, personal information.

Yet somehow, we are not adequately aware. If we were, I wouldn't hear of devastating financial losses from individuals that are not usually easily fooled. Many refer to much of this fraudulent activity as identity theft, but I believe that there is more going on here than what can be seen on the surface.

©2012 Patricia Arnold (P)2014 Patricia Arnold