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

While effective at leveraging social engineering, early versions were limited to visual deception. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Iranian hackers were able to use social engineering tricks against Republican and Democratic campaigns. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024

The three hackers, all of whom have ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, allegedly gained access to the accounts of campaign officials using social engineering and spear phishing, a tactic that attempts to trick victims into disclosing sensitive information. —Emma Roth, The Verge, 27 Sep. 2024

Pig butchering is a social engineering scam that combines elements of trust-building and fake investment opportunities. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 30 Oct. 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