Is Phishing Social Engineering?

Is Phishing Social Engineering? Yes, phishing is considered a form of social engineering.

Phishing is a form of social engineering that uses psychological manipulation to trick users into divulging confidential information or taking actions that compromise security. Social engineering refers to the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. A key component of social engineering attacks is that they exploit human vulnerabilities rather than technological vulnerabilities.

Phishing vs Social Engineering: What’s the Difference?

Phishing and social engineering are inter-connected yet distinct concepts in cyber security. Phishing involves sending misleading emails or messages. It often pretends to be reliable entities to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords, financial details, or personal data.

Social engineering, conversely, refers to a wider range of manipulative techniques that exploit human psychology and trust. Although phishing is a type of social engineering, the latter includes several methods beyond email-based attacks. These can be pretexting, baiting, and tailgating.

Consider the tutorial shared on a cybercrime forum above. The user describes phishing as a single technique.

In contrast, here is an advertisement seeking someone specializing in social engineering. The candidate is expected to generate ideas based on target customers, implying various techniques.

Is Phishing A Form Of Social Engineering?

Yes, phishing is included in the category of social engineering techniques. Phishing is based on controlling human behavior. They particularly focus on curiosity and trust to accomplish their goals.

Phishing attacks try to trick people into doing things that threaten their security. They use psychological concepts and take advantage of weaknesses in human nature. Phishing tactics can be sophisticated email scams, fraudulent websites, or deceptive phone calls. They use social engineering techniques to trick and control unsuspecting victims.

How Is Social Engineering Used In Phishing Attacks?

Below is a table that lists some of the most popular social engineering tactics used in phishing campaigns.

Most popular social engineering tactics

Watch the video below and learn phishing in 6 minutes:

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