Social engineering may be a term you’ve heard of – much like with phishing, it’s a method used by hackers and other bad actors. It's essentially a form of manipulation used to get you to reveal sensitive information about yourself that they can then use for malicious purposes. However, while phishing is usually a digital method that often relies on emails or messages intended to steal personal data, social engineering is a more broad term that can include a variety of different techniques.
Social engineering can encompass different types of manipulation to get you to give out personal details and there are a variety of tactics a bad actor might employ. Pretexting, baiting, tailgating or quid pro quo are all example terms of broader social engineering. The goal of social engineering is to get the target to do what the attacker wants, whether that’s giving out additional information or physical access to a location.
