This module examines how attackers manipulate people — using psychology, OSINT, and network telemetry — to bypass technical controls. It covers an attack lifecycle focused on humans, common techniques, detection signals, defensive controls, practical exercises, and ready-to-use training scripts.
Human-Based Social Engineering — The People Hack (Yes, People Are the Vulnerability) You already learned how packets whisper secrets and how encrypted sessions can be observed and defended. Now meet the other side of the theater: humans — loud, messy, and spectacularly hackable.
Hook: Imagine this chaotic scene At 2:07 PM, the CFO gets a polite call from someone who 'works for IT' — they urgently need credentials to fix a 'critical VPN issue.' The CFO, juggling three meetings and a toddler, hands over the one-time code. The code opens more than a session; ...
What this subtopic actually is (short, sharp definition) Human-based social engineering is the set of techniques attackers use to manipulate real people into performing actions or revealing information that helps breach systems. Think of it as hacking with conversation, context, and emotional leve...
Attack lifecycle: People Edition Reconnaissance OSINT: LinkedIn, social media, company site, comment threads. Passive network intel: previous modules taught you how encrypted traffic metadata and telemetry can reveal services and busy periods — perfect timing intel. Selection & Profiling...
Common techniques (and why they work) Pretexting — Fabricate a role and scenario. Works because people presume legitimacy when context fits. Vishing — Voice calls exploiting authority bias and stress. Phishing / Spearphishing — Email-based, but customized using OSINT and telemetry details. B...
Quick scripts and templates (ethical use only: for red teams and training) Phone pretext script (role-play safe): Hi, this is Pat from IT. We're rolling an emergency patch for the VPN that will kick off sessions for some users. I see your account would be affected. Can you confirm the 6-digi...
Detection signals and defensive controls (people + telemetry) Table: quick compare Technique Indicators Defensive Controls Vishing / Pretext calls Unscheduled requests for codes, urgent tone, caller ID spoofing Phone-based verification policies, callback procedures, call logging and a...
Practical defenses: A human-centric checklist Create and enforce an authentication 'call-back' policy. If someone requests credentials, always verify by calling a known office number. Run role-based phishing simulations and remediate losers with targeted training, not shame. Teach empl...
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