social engineering

In the context of information security, social engineering is the use of psychological pressure to influence people to perform actions or divulge confidential information. It has also been more broadly defined as "any act that influences a person to take an action that may or may not be in their best interests." A type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in the sense that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud scheme. Phishing is a type of social engineering. Researchers have developed detection techniques and cybersecurity educational programs.

Researchers in 2019 and 2020 said that social engineering was an increasingly important challenge for organizations and countries. Reports indicated that through 2024, social engineering attacks had increased in intensity and number.