social engineering

noun

1

: management of human beings in accordance with their place and function in society : applied social science

2

: social methods (such as phishing) that are used to obtain personal or confidential information which can then be used illicitly

The previously noted trend of switching from social engineering to hacking methods in attacks on organizations strengthened …

—San Fernando Valley (California) Business Journal

social engineer noun

plural social engineers

Examples of social engineering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The scammers used spoof emails and social engineering tactics to gain control of Merle’s devices, isolating her from her family and ultimately draining her life savings. —Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024

Phishing attempts have increased in recent years, showing passwords' vulnerability to social engineering. —Mark Vena, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

These groups are also using many of the same tactics to get into a company's systems, such as phishing emails, software vulnerabilities and social engineering, Rubin said. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024

Just like other forms of social engineering, deepfakes are being used in attacks against businesses. —Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

social engineering

noun

1

: management of human beings in accordance with their place and function in society : applied social science

2

: social methods (such as phishing) that are used to obtain personal or confidential information which can then be used illicitly