What Exactly is Pretexting? What You Need to Know About the Cyber Security Technique

Pretexting is a technique used by cyber security professionals to test the readiness of an organization by posing as another user or computer to gain access to confidential information. It is a method used by hackers to breach the security of a system, but it can also be beneficial in testing how secure your organization is and how likely you are to fall victim to such a cyber attack. In this blog post, we will explain everything you need to know about pretexting and its effectiveness as a cyber security technique.

What is Pretexting?

Pretexting in cyber security is the act of creating a false scenario in order to convince an individual to willingly hand over sensitive information. In other words, pretexting is the act of pretending to be someone else in order to obtain sensitive data.

Pretexting is often used in social engineering, a type of cyber attack that relies on human error or poor security protocols to gain access to confidential information. Pretexting is the most basic type of social engineering attack.

In order to trick users into giving up their passwords or other sensitive information, an attacker will try to impersonate a legitimate person or organization. Pretexting can be done either over the phone or in person. It can also be done online through email or instant messaging.

Pretexting is not the same as phishing, although both are forms of social engineering. Phishing attacks usually involve sending emails that appear to be from a legitimate source but are designed to trick a user into clicking on a harmful link or downloading malware.

Why Use Pretexting?

Pretexting is a great way to test your organizations security, as it allows you to see how likely you are to be hacked by an outside source. If you use pretexting to test your security and employees fall for it, you know they are not following security protocols.

This can help you to identify weak spots in your organizations security and take steps to fix them before an actual hacker attempts to take advantage of those weaknesses. Pretexting can also help you identify employees who are not following security protocols. If an employee falls for a pretexting attempt, you can reprimand them for not following best practices.

Pretexting is also a great way to test your organizations readiness for GDPR. It can show you which employees need additional training so they know how to protect sensitive data.

Disadvantages of pretexting

Could backfire - If you are using pretexting to test the security of your organization, it is important to make the attempt seem believable. However, if your pretexting attempt is too obvious, it could backfire. This could cause the employee to call security or stop you mid-presentation, which will make it difficult to test how secure your organization really is.

Could result in legal action - If you attempt to obtain data that you are not authorized to have access to, you could put your organization at risk of legal action. This is especially true if you are attempting to gain access to information that is protected by GDPR.

Conclusion

Pretexting is a great way for cyber security professionals to test the security of an organization. It allows you to see where your security is lacking and take steps to address those issues before an actual hacker attempts to exploit those weaknesses. Pretexting is a highly effective technique and should be used by all cyber security professionals who want to be proactive about securing their organization against cyber threats.