Social Engineering & Social Networks: How To Raise Employee Awareness?

Protecting our organizations from cyberattacks on social networks requires awareness and vigilance among all employees. Psychological manipulation, creation of false profiles, collection of information, and cybercrime on social networks continue to grow. This is a trend that does not spare companies, which have a crucial role to play in raising awareness and training among employees.

Recent years have highlighted the challenges of cybersecurity. Indeed, cyberattacks are ever more numerous and sophisticated, and beyond business sites, social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) are increasingly targeted. Bank card fraud, transfer fraud, incitement to humanitarian aid, donations, promises of easy money, or paid work cyberattacks are increasing on these channels.

According to a 2021 FIDO ( Fast IDentity Online ) study, 40% of French users (45% worldwide) have seen their social media accounts compromised or have had a loved one become the victim of a cyberattack. But how do cybercriminals proceed, and what behaviors should be adopted to protect themselves?

Identify The Most Used Attacks

Although hundreds of social media scams exist, some are more widespread than others. In 2023, psychological manipulation will be viral among cybercriminals. After initial contact and the establishment of a relationship of trust with the user of a social network, the cybercriminal encourages the Internet user to acquire a product that they will never receive or to buy cryptocurrencies by directing them to a malicious site that will steal money.

He can also convince him to provide him with personal information, which the cybercriminal can then use to commit fraud or identity theft. Cybercriminals also use fake LinkedIn profiles to pose as colleagues. In the same way as previously, once the relationship of trust has been established, he encourages his victim to click on a link linked to software, which will allow him to interfere with his devices or commit cyber espionage by stealing strategic information from the business.

Another popular tactic is scraping. This process consists of collecting, from several social networks, the personal data (name, date of birth, photos, video, etc.) that an Internet user has shared there in order to usurp their identity for new scams, including false ones—videos and audio generated by generative artificial intelligence.

Adopt Good Reflexes

But protecting yourself against such scams is possible. You need to adopt a few good reflexes. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to limit the number of people authorized to see your publications on social networks. This limitation reduces any visibility and, thus, any possibility of interaction with a hacker. Another way is to deactivate targeted advertising to avoid falling prey to a false advertising campaign encouraging people to buy fake products or click on a phishing site.

Third technique: question their motivations before accepting a connection request and then block anyone who presents themselves as an acquaintance and asks for money or personal information. Behind this behavior is most often a hacker who has stolen the identity of a loved one.

Be Proactive Rather Than Reactive

To enter organizations’ data frameworks (IS), programmers target representatives in the vast majority of cases. Likewise, raising their mindfulness and preparing them for various cyberattack methods, especially those taking advantage of informal organizations, has turned into a vast business issue.

By naming network safety envoys whose mission is to lead correspondence, associations might have the option to contact their crowds. Correspondence missions can cover themes, for example, how to change your protection settings, how to boycott designated notices, or how to detect a deceitful message (grammatical mistakes, inaccurate dates, wrong spaces, and so on.).

Associations must, hence, be proactive in shielding themselves and their workers from cyberattacks via virtual entertainment, as these stages are appealing focuses for various dangers, including social designing, information breaks, and reputational harm. By creating and authorizing apparent virtual entertainment use approaches that frame satisfactory and unsatisfactory ways of behaving and giving mindfulness assets to their workers, associations can diminish their openness to this road of assault.