What does 'social engineering' refer to in the context of security?

In the context of security, 'social engineering' refers to the psychological manipulation of individuals to persuade them to divulge confidential or personal information. This can take various forms, such as phishing emails, impersonation, or other tactics designed to exploit human emotions like fear, trust, or curiosity.

Choosing to define social engineering in this way emphasizes the importance of human factors in security protocols. While technical defenses such as strong passwords, encryption, and security software play critical roles in safeguarding data, attackers often look for the most vulnerable link—humans—because they can be more easily manipulated than systems. Understanding this concept helps organizations train employees on recognizing and responding to social engineering attempts, thereby improving their overall security posture.