MEPX
Chapter 4 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Who is actually after you
  2. 2Passwords
  3. 3Two factor authentication
  4. 4Phishing and social engineering
  5. 5Updates and patching
  6. 6Encryption
  7. 7Networks and public wifi
  8. 8Malware and ransomware
  9. 9Access and least privilege
  10. 10When something goes wrong

Chapter 4 of 10

Phishing and social engineering

Attacking the person, not the software.

How it works

A message creates urgency and offers a convenient link: a delivery problem, a locked account, an unpaid invoice. The pressure is the tell, because real organisations rarely need an answer in ten minutes.

  • Check the actual domain, not the display name or the logo.
  • Never act on a link in a message. Open the site yourself and check there.

Beyond email

The same pressure arrives by phone, text and chat, now with convincing cloned voices. Any request for a code, a password or an urgent payment deserves a callback on a number you already had.