Understand

Social engineering targets people, not machines.

Attackers use trust, authority, and pressure to get information — for example pretending to be IT support. The defence is a healthy pause: verify identity through a known channel before acting, and never feel rushed into sharing sensitive details.

Analogy: Social engineering is a con artist's charm aimed at your keyboard instead of your wallet.

See It in Action

Common manipulation levers:

Authority - 'I'm from IT'
Urgency   - 'do this right now'
Trust     - 'we spoke earlier'

Try It Yourself

1. Recall a time someone pressured you for info.
2. Decide how you would verify their identity.
3. Practice a polite 'let me call back' response.

Challenge

Write a script you could use to verify a caller who claims to be IT support.

Success condition: You have a clear plan to verify identity before sharing information.