2KKUU7ita

✓ Threatening reprimands if requests aren’t honored
Chapter 5: Social Engineering
✓ Acting nervous when questioned (pursing the lips and fidgeting —
especially the hands and feet because controlling body parts that are
farther from the face requires more conscious effort)
✓ Overemphasizing details
✓ Experiencing physiological changes, such as dilated pupils or changes in
voice pitch
✓ Appearing rushed
✓ Refusing to give information
✓ Volunteering information and answering unasked questions
✓ Knowing information that an outsider should not have
✓ Using insider speech or slang as a known outsider
✓ Asking strange questions
✓ Misspelling words in written communications
A good social engineer isn’t obvious with the preceding actions, but these are
some of the signs that malicious behavior is in the works. Of course, if the
person is a sociopath or psychopath, your experience may vary. Psychology
For Dummies by Adam Cash is a good resource for such complexities of the
human mind.
Social engineers often do a favor for someone and then turn around and ask
that person if he or she would mind helping them. This common social engineering
trick works pretty well. Social engineers also often use what’s called
reverse social engineering. This is where they offer help if a specific problem
arises; some time passes, the problem occurs (often by their doing), and then
they help fix the problem. They may come across as heroes, which can further
their cause. Social engineers might ask an unsuspecting employee for a
favor. Yes — they just outright ask for a favor. Many people fall for this trap.
Impersonating an employee is easy. Social engineers can wear a similar-
looking uniform, make a fake ID badge, or simply dress like the real employees.
People think, “Hey — he looks and acts like me, so he must be one of us.”
Social engineers also pretend to be employees calling from an outside phone
line. This trick is an especially popular way of exploiting help desk and call
center personnel. Social engineers know that these employees fall into a rut
easily because their tasks are repetitive, such as saying, “Hello, can I get your
customer number, please?”
75