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

Pig butchering is a social engineering scam that combines elements of trust-building and fake investment opportunities. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Many digital scams have traditionally relied on social engineering, or tricking victims into giving away their money willingly, rather than leaning on malware or other highly technical methods. —Matt Burgess, WIRED, 12 Oct. 2024

One example is the latest social engineering tactic reported by the Sekoia threat detection and research team: bypassing web browser protections such as Google Safe Browsing by tricking victims into opening fake Google Meet conference pages that install infostealer malware. —Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Deer Park Community City School District warned parents about a phishing scam at the start of this school year, and last year West Clermont School District lost $1.7 million in a social engineering scam. —Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 28 Sep. 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