Social Engineering

Technical Practical technology psychology law

Etymology

The phrase once meant top-down efforts to shape society, but in computer security it took a narrower sense, popularized by hacker Kevin Mitnick, who found people easier to fool than firewalls. It covers pretexting, impersonation, and manipulation that bypasses technical defenses entirely. The premise: the weakest part of any system is usually a person.

noun phrase · /SOH-shuhl en-jih-NEER-ing/
Manipulating people into breaking security or giving up secrets, rather than attacking technology directly.
What it names
Hacking the human, exploiting trust and habit instead of code.
Example
No malware was needed — the attacker used social engineering, phoning the help desk and posing as a panicked executive.
Related idea
Phishing is one common technique of social engineering; the broader term covers any con that turns human trust into the point of entry.