Social Engineering Attacks in Cybersecurity

Abstract

In recent years, social engineering has become one of the most insidious forms of cyber attack, exploiting human vulnerabilities rather than technical flaws. This paper aims to dissect the landscape of social engineering attacks, especially in the context of recent developments during 2024 and 2025. With advancements in artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies, attackers now possess sophisticated tools to deceive, manipulate, and breach systems through human interaction. The study explores traditional and emerging types of social engineering tactics, including phishing, vishing, baiting, pretexting, and impersonation using AI-generated media. It also provides a deep analysis of real-world incidents like the Snowflake data breach, Salesforce loader phishing, and deepfake impersonations. The goal is to foster awareness and reinforce the importance of security training, multi-layered authentication, and psychological resilience against manipulation. Based on current trends and academic research, this paper proposes robust mitigation strategies for organizations and individuals. In conclusion, as human factors remain an attractive vector for cybercriminals, understanding and countering social engineering must become a top priority in cybersecurity frameworks.

Introduction

Overview:
While cybersecurity has traditionally focused on technical defenses like firewalls and encryption, human vulnerability remains the weakest link. Social engineering attacks exploit psychological manipulation—using trust, urgency, or authority—to trick individuals into disclosing confidential data or granting access. The rise of generative AI and abundant personal data online has made these attacks more sophisticated.

Common Types of Social Engineering Attacks:

• Phishing: Mass emails posing as trusted sources to steal credentials.

• Spear Phishing: Targeted phishing using personal info for credibility.

• Baiting: Luring users with free offers that lead to malware infections.

• Pretexting: Fabricating scenarios to extract information.

• Smishing: Phishing via SMS using urgency or threats.

• Quid Pro Quo: Offering a service or help in exchange for access or info.

• Tailgating: Physically following someone into a secure area without authorization.

Real-World Cases (2024–2025):

1. Snowflake Breach (2024): Attackers used stolen credentials and phishing to access accounts lacking MFA, affecting clients like Ticketmaster and Santander.

2. Salesforce Phishing (2025): A fake software update led to credential theft via phishing and vishing.

3. Deepfake Voice Attack (2025): AI-generated audio of political advisor Susie Wiles tricked staff into leaking campaign data.

4. Vishing Attacks on M&S and Co-op (2025): Fake IT calls exploited help desk staff to gain unauthorized system access.

5. Iranian Bank Sepah Hack (2025): Spear phishing led to malware installation and exfiltration of sensitive government data.

Prevention and Mitigation Strategies:

• Security Awareness Training: Regular simulations and real-world scenarios to educate staff.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adds a second layer of protection beyond passwords.

• Incident Response Planning (IRP): Clearly defined procedures for detecting and managing breaches.

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Limits data access based on user roles to contain breaches.

• Email Filtering Tools: AI-driven systems to block phishing and malware.

• Penetration Testing: Simulated attacks to test and improve human and system defenses.

Conclusion

Social engineering remains a major cybersecurity threat because it targets human weaknesses rather than technical flaws. Recent incidents from 2024–2025 highlight how attackers are using advanced methods such as AI-generated deepfakes to trick individuals and organizations. To defend against these evolving threats, a combination of continuous employee training, strong authentication methods like MFA, strict access controls, and well-prepared incident response plans is essential. Regular testing and monitoring further strengthen defenses. Ultimately, enhancing human awareness and promoting security-conscious behavior are critical to reducing the success of social engineering attacks and protecting valuable assets.

References

[1] https://cybersecurity.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42400-021-00094-6 [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958821000749 [3] https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/11/4/89 [4] https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Social+Engineering%3A+The+Science+of+Human+Hacking%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781119433385 [5] https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Art+of+Deception%3A+Controlling+the+Human+Element+of+Security-p-9780764544682 [6] https://asistdl.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/asi.20779 [7] https://www.securityhq.com/blog/7-types-of-social-engineering-attacks-targeting-you [8] https://www.mitnicksecurity.com/blog/types-of-social-engineering-attacks [9] https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/cybersecurity-101/social-engineering/types-of-social-engineering-attacks [10] https://www.terranovasecurity.com/blog/examples-of-social-engineering-attacks [11] https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/5-social-engineering-attacks-to-watch-out-for [12] https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/5-types-of-social-engineering-attacks-and-how-to-mitigate-them [13] https://keepnetlabs.com/blog/what-are-common-examples-of-social-engineering-attacks [14] https://secureframe.com/blog/most-common-social-engineering-attacks

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Dr. S. Gomathi Alias Rohini, Rajashree B, Shubha Sree S. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.