Security Knowledge Base
Learn about the fundamentals of security and common threats
Social engineering is the foundation of most security threats. It refers to psychological manipulation techniques that exploit human error to gain access to valuable information or systems.
Unlike technical hacking methods that exploit system vulnerabilities, social engineering targets the human element—often considered the weakest link in security.
Common Social Engineering Techniques
- Pretexting: Creating a fabricated scenario to obtain information
- Baiting: Offering something enticing to exchange for information
- Quid Pro Quo: Requesting information in exchange for a service
- Tailgating: Following someone into a restricted area
Understanding these techniques is crucial because they form the basis of more sophisticated attacks like phishing, vishing (voice phishing), and spear phishing.
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where attackers disguise themselves as trustworthy entities to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or installing malware.
These attacks typically come via email, text message, or social media and often create a sense of urgency or fear to manipulate victims into acting quickly without careful consideration.
How to Identify Phishing Attempts
- Unexpected communications asking for personal information
- Messages with poor grammar and spelling errors
- Suspicious or mismatched URLs
- Requests for urgent action
- Offers that seem too good to be true
Phishing remains one of the most common and effective attack vectors because it exploits human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities.
Password security is a fundamental aspect of digital protection. Despite advances in authentication technologies, passwords remain the most common form of security control.
Unfortunately, poor password practices are widespread, making them a prime target for attackers using techniques like credential stuffing, brute force attacks, and dictionary attacks.
Password Best Practices
- Use long, complex passwords (at least 12 characters)
- Employ a unique password for each account
- Utilize a password manager to generate and store passwords
- Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible
- Change passwords periodically, especially after a breach
Remember that even the strongest password can be compromised if you fall victim to phishing or social engineering attacks.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an essential extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring two different types of verification before granting access.
Even if an attacker manages to steal your password, they would still need the second factor (something you have, something you are, or somewhere you are) to access your account.
Types of Two-Factor Authentication
- Something you know: Password or PIN
- Something you have: Mobile phone, security key, or authentication app
- Something you are: Fingerprint, face recognition, or other biometrics
- Somewhere you are: Specific location or network
While SMS-based 2FA is better than no 2FA at all, authentication apps like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy provide stronger security as they're not vulnerable to SIM swapping attacks.
Public Wi-Fi networks in cafes, airports, hotels, and other public places offer convenience but pose significant security risks. These networks are often unsecured or have minimal security measures.
When you connect to public Wi-Fi, your data transmissions can be intercepted by attackers on the same network, potentially exposing your sensitive information.
Risks of Public Wi-Fi
- Man-in-the-middle attacks: Intercepting communications between you and websites
- Evil twin attacks: Fake networks that mimic legitimate ones
- Packet sniffing: Capturing data packets transmitted over the network
- Session hijacking: Stealing browser cookies to access your logged-in accounts
Always use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi to encrypt your traffic and protect your data from prying eyes.
Data encryption is the process of converting information into a code to prevent unauthorized access. It's one of the most effective ways to secure sensitive data, both in transit and at rest.
Encryption transforms readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable format (ciphertext) using mathematical algorithms and encryption keys. Only those with the correct decryption key can convert the data back to its original form.
Types of Encryption
- Symmetric encryption: Uses the same key for encryption and decryption
- Asymmetric encryption: Uses different keys for encryption (public key) and decryption (private key)
- End-to-end encryption: Only the communicating users can read the messages
- Full-disk encryption: Encrypts everything on a storage device
Implementing encryption for your sensitive data, communications, and devices is a crucial step in protecting your digital life from unauthorized access.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim's files and demands payment (usually in cryptocurrency) to restore access. It has become one of the most prevalent and damaging cyber threats in recent years.
Ransomware attacks can target individuals, businesses, healthcare facilities, government agencies, and educational institutions, causing significant financial losses and operational disruptions.
Protecting Against Ransomware
- Regular backups: Maintain offline or cloud backups of important data
- Software updates: Keep operating systems and applications up-to-date
- Email vigilance: Be cautious with email attachments and links
- Principle of least privilege: Limit user permissions to only what's necessary
- Security awareness: Train yourself and others to recognize threats
If you do fall victim to ransomware, having recent, secure backups is often the best way to recover without paying the ransom, which is never recommended as it funds criminal activities and doesn't guarantee data recovery.