Cyber Security

Social Engineering Issues – How to Combat the Biggest IT Threats

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3 August 2021

Social engineering has become increasingly prevalent in this digitised world. 

Defined as the art of manipulating people into giving away confidential information, many SMEs in the UK can come across social engineering threats and potentially face various types of losses.

In certain IT systems, people are considered as the weakest link due to their susceptibility to cyber attacks such as phishing. With business owners continuing to ignore these serious threats, they may leave their organisation vulnerable to a number of cyber attacks.

At Redpalm, we understand the importance of robust security in every business’ IT infrastructure and know about the best IT practices to strengthen cyber security.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a short guide on what you need to know about social engineering threats and the best way to tackle them.

Let’s take a look.

What Are Social Engineering Threats?

Social engineering is a strategy adopted by cybercriminals to trick people into breaking the company’s standard security practices. These modern-day con artists rely heavily on the susceptibility of victims to manipulate them into revealing confidential information.

Whether it is a lack of awareness of the employee or the absence of security guidelines on the company’s behalf, a social engineering threat is easily one of the biggest cyber attacks a business can face.

When compared to traditional cyber attacks, social engineering risk is different as it has a non-technical approach that does not necessarily include attacking networks or servers. In many cases, criminals behind social engineering attacks can create for themselves authorised access to the company’s networks and then take advantage of confidential information. 

After this, these criminals can pretend to be trusted insiders with easy access to any important credentials and extract whatever information they require.

Types Of Social Engineering Threats

Since social engineering attacks target your employees directly, making sure they are trained and aware of the different attacks is a necessary measure all businesses need to consider.

Here are the common types of social engineering threats you need to look out for:

1) Phishing

Many times, a cybercriminal makes fraudulent conversations with a victim, pretending to be a legitimate insider to trick the employee into thinking that they are trustworthy. After this, the employee is made to reveal sensitive information or download software that gives way to the cybercriminal to access information. This practice is known as phishing.

2) Baiting 

Baiting is done through malware–infected devices such as a USB or flash drive. These devices are randomly placed in a space near the employee to tempt them to run the device on their computer and laptop. The malware then affects the device allowing the attacker access to the system.

3) Tailgating

Tailgating is a technique in which the criminal physically follows the employee to a secure location to threaten and obtain valuable information and data. Criminals have many creative ways to do this, making it necessary for employees to stay alert of any suspicious behaviour. 

6 Ways To Combat Social Engineering Threats

The first step in tackling social engineering threats and attacks is to identify information or areas that cyber criminals may be interested in. After this, you need to prioritise who gets access to such information and ensure that they’re informed about standard security measures and practices to prevent anything from happening on their end.

Additionally, adopting the following practices can help you improve the overall security of your organisation:

1. Opt For Cloud Computing And Regular Updates

Out-of-date systems and networks can make your organisation vulnerable to a number of threats. In such cases, cloud systems can prove to be beneficial in centralising and backing up your data and information rather than having it locally stored across multiple remote devices. 

With this, you also need to ensure that you keep installing the latest updates and patches to get maximum protection against bugs and security issues.

2. Have Robust Cyber Security Measures In Place

Having strong cyber security solutions in place will always work to your advantage. From password management, firewalls and multi-factor authentication procedures to network monitoring and proactive IT help desk, there’s a lot you can implement for your organisation.

By having a dedicated managed service provider like Redpalm, that can stay on top of all IT-related concerns, you can shift your focus to the core operations of your business.

3. Proactively Monitor And Manage Data And Systems

For formulating appropriate data and system management policies, an IT audit is essential to get better insights into your company’s IT infrastructure. From identifying the vulnerable areas to properly organising and managing data, proactive monitoring is beneficial for every type of business.

With this, you can identify social engineering risks beforehand and effectively manage them before they are taken advantage of. 

Most of these approaches can be managed effectively by working with an IT solutions provider like Redpalm. By having professional help, you can rest assured of the overall safety and protection of your organisation.

4. Secure Company Data

When working remotely, your employees only require the necessary access for the tasks at hand. By reducing the amount of critical business data that employees can access outside of the office, you can limit potential damage. 

Additionally, limiting employee permissions according to job roles can help with social engineering risk management. This would also prevent social engineering threats and attacks from causing widespread damage. 

5. Penetration Testing

One of the best ways to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks is by conducting a penetration test. This test helps you detect and expose any vulnerabilities within your organisation. 

If your penetration tester succeeds in endangering your system, you can identify which areas or employees you need to focus on protecting. It also helps you understand which types of social engineering risks your organisation may be prone to. 

6. Provide Education and Training

Many social engineering attacks are successful as the victim is often unaware that they are being used to carry out harmful actions. For this reason, implementing social engineering risk and security awareness programs in your company is essential.  

When educating your employees, you need to break down how social engineering threats and attacks impact your business and how it can affect them personally. You need to emphasise that it’s not just about protecting company information but also protecting their identities and personal details. 

Proper education and training can help you improve your employees’ cybersecurity awareness and protect your business.

Contact Redpalm For IT Support Solutions To Combat Social Engineering Threats

If you want to ensure your organisation is protected against all types of social engineering threats and attacks, having robust IT security solutions in place is a must and with Redpalm, you get exactly that.

Redpalm is an MSP that provides you with professional IT support and the latest security solutions. With our comprehensive IT services and solutions, you’re ensured all-round protection of your business.

We also offer services like vulnerability assessments, technology procurement, incident response, IT audits and health checks and more.

To learn more about our services, click here or contact us to schedule an appointment today!

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