Psychology Behind Social Engineering: Importance of Training/Awareness

Muhammad Sajid Iqbal; Ahthasham Sajid; Saqib Rasheed; Syed Bilal Ahmed; Muhammad  Usman; Hadia  Khatoon

doi:10.62019/abbdm.v4i4.270

Authors

Muhammad Sajid Iqbal Department of Information Security and Data Science, Riphah Institute of Systems Engineering, Rpihah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Ahthasham Sajid Riphah Institute of Systems Engineering, Riphah International University, Islamabad
Saqib Rasheed Department of Information Security and Data Science, Riphah Institute of Systems Engineering, Rpihah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Syed Bilal Ahmed Department of Information Security and Data Science, Riphah Institute of Systems Engineering, Rpihah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Muhammad Usman Department of Information Security and Data Science, Riphah Institute of Systems Engineering, Rpihah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Hadia Khatoon Department of Information Security and Data Science, Riphah Institute of Systems Engineering, Rpihah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62019/abbdm.v4i4.270

Keywords:

social engineering, cyberspace security, Big data analytics, Asian firms, Digital technology

Abstract

The article analyses social engineering attacks, considering legitimate approaches to them. As a form of survey method, user strategies to combat social engineering were evaluated. Along with the above, users’ trust in the estimation of potentially hazardous situations and the degree of persuasion targeted by attackers who make use of social engineering were also measured. It was found among the most critical aspects that trust, greed, empathy, and feeling in haste are effective tactics, whilst many people simply delete or do not care to verify unsolicited emails. The need for adequate education, policies, and technologies to combat social engineering is recommended. Besides, the importance of cyberpsychology in developing cyberspace security strategies in businesses is highlighted, which makes them more immune to increasing social engineering attacks.