Social Engineering

Description

Christopher Hadnagy examines the human side of security: the ways attackers obtain information or access by manipulating trust rather than defeating technology directly. He breaks social engineering into techniques such as pretexting, elicitation, impersonation, influence, and the careful collection of details that make a false identity persuasive. Scenarios show how ordinary conversations, workplace routines, and publicly available information can be turned into an attack path. The defensive sections shift attention from the attacker’s craft to organizational habits, explaining how awareness, verification procedures, and clearer security policies can reduce exposure. Written as a practical cybersecurity guide, the book helps readers recognize why people become targets and how technical safeguards can fail when human judgment is pressured or deceived.

Themes