We all know that computers and networks are vulnerable to hacking and malicious actors, but what about us, the humans who interface with these devices? Con games, scams, and strategic deception are far older than computers, and in the modern era, these techniques can make humans the weakest link in even the most secure system. This episode, security consultant and master social engineer, Christopher Hadnagy, joins us to share his stories and wisdom. He describes what it was like to be a social engineer before the world knew what social engineering was and tells some of his amazing stories from his long career in penetration testing. A big thanks to Christopher Hadnagy from social-engineer.org for sharing his stories with us. Check out his book Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking, affiliate link here. Check out his podcast called The Social-Engineer podcast. Sponsors This episode was sponsored by Thinkst Canary. Their canaries attract malicious actors in your network and then send you an alert if someone tries to access them. Great early warning system for knowing when someone is snooping around where they shouldn’t be. Check them out at https://canary.tools. Support for this episode comes from LastPass. LastPass is a great password manager but it can do so much more. It can setup 2FA for your company, or use it to monitor what your users are doing in the network. Visit LastPass.com/Darknet to start your 14 day free trial. Sources https://www.social-engineer.org/ How phishing scammers manipulate your amygdala and oxytocin TEDxFultonStreet DEF CON 22 - Chris Hadnagy - What Your Body Tells Me - Body Language for the SE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Parker Book Recommendations with affiliate links: Social Engineering Influence What Every Body is Saying Emotions Revealed Presence It’s Not About “Me”, Top 10 Techniques for Building Rapport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The story of how a man in the early 20th century duped people into believing he was the grandson of Ulysses S. Grant and convinced them to invest in a non-existent family crypt in New York City.
Chris Hadnagy, the CEO of Social Engineer LLC, discusses how he found his niche in the field of pen testing and how he focuses on people, talking to them and learning how to influence them.
Social engineering, phishing and vishing attacks have become increasingly common with the rise of remote work. Such attacks can be prevented by testing and conducting phishing simulations to identify weak spots within systems and security measures.
Conducting phishing campaigns on employees to improve security is important. However, it is equally important to incentivize healthy behaviors to incentivize good security practices.
Two individuals easily bypass bank security by walking through the front doors and up the stairs, despite the presence of security guards and metal detectors.
The speaker narrates a story of how he made a woman believe he wasn't watching as she typed her computer password, but he was recording it on his phone for an unknown reason.
Two robbers share a close call during a bank heist in which they weren't sure if they were going to get caught.
The speaker shares how he and his team used social engineering to infiltrate a bank's security system by pretending to be auditors, making fake phone calls to employees, and even using a voice double to deceive the security guards.
A person recounts a time when they were in a car with a person who was holding a gun and feeling pressure to stay while being uncomfortable.
While attempting to run a malware scam on individuals who fell for a raffle that promised iPhone prizes, two pen testers were arrested after security guards discovered them. The incident sparked a conversation about the importance and ethics of pen testing.
Learn about the necessary security measures for building networks including firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and how to clean up residual mess from compromised websites.
The speaker recommends the book "Social Engineering the Science of Human Hacking" by Chris and "Influence" by Cialdury for those interested in learning about social engineering techniques.
The speaker shares a personal experience of falling victim to a phishing scam due to stress and lack of critical thinking, despite multiple warning signs. The episode ends with a reminder to support the show via Patreon.