Hackers don’t always need to sift through lines of code and inject viruses into your devices. Sometimes, all they need to do is tell a few lies to get what they want. A good hacker isn’t afraid of pretending to be someone they’re not to get levels of access they’re not supposed to have.
And once they have that access, it’s over. Once a hacker has successfully socially engineered someone, they can do anything in your systems. They can collect valuable information and may put your company into jeopardy.
That’s why social engineering prevention is one of the most important cybersecurity steps. Since it doesn’t involve devices or lines of code, people often ignore it. Yet, that lack of social engineering prevention is just a vulnerability for hackers to exploit.
Keep reading below to learn how to protect yourself and your company from hackers who don’t need computers to wreak massive damage.
1. Don’t Rush To Reply
Hackers who use social engineering as their primary tool often depend on a person’s innate work ethic. They turn a person’s desire to finish their work as fast as possible into an opportunity to launch a cyber attack. If a person is constantly rushing to reply to emails or phone calls, they make mistakes.
One of those mistakes may be believing a person without checking if they’re who they say they are. So take your time and verify people are who they say they are. It’s better to spend a bit longer on your work and avoid a cyber attack than to accidentally let one happen.
2. Link Back With Senders Before Clicking Links
Hackers are experts at pretending to be people they’re not. With that, they may try to convince you to click a link in an email, or in a text message. Yet, you shouldn’t ever click a link you’re not absolutely sure about.
Before you click something in an email, check back with the sender in person. Make sure they actually sent it and that the link is safe.
3. Don’t Download Anything You’re Not Sure Of
Downloading a virus can be devastating for your whole company. The right virus can destroy your information systems, or hold your whole network hostage. All it takes is one device catching a virus for your whole IT system to be ruined.
Make sure nobody downloads anything they’re not sure of. Always check things before they’re downloading, and listen to your computer if it says something isn’t safe.
4. Don’t Take Phishing Bait
Phishing is one of the most advanced forms of social engineering. Phishing attacks are about trying to convince victims that a hacker is from an official organization. Hackers may try to convince you they’re from Google or Facebook in an attempt to get you to hand them your passwords.
They can mimic password recovery pages and automated emails from these companies. If you haven’t done anything to justify an email from a major company, don’t open it. If you do, you may just be taking the bait.
Social Engineering Prevention Starts With You
You’re the only one that can stop you from falling victim to a hacker’s lies. Social engineering prevention is about knowing who to believe, and when to double-check something. It’s about knowing who to trust, and when trust needs to be earned.
There is one group of people you’ll always be able to trust, though, and that’s your cybersecurity professionals. When you hire an IT firm to manage your cybersecurity, you’re hiring a team of trained pros to stand up against hackers. Just contact us, and we’ll make sure you and your network stay safe.
