Social Engineering

And people say social engineering isn't a hack....

Got this link from the CryptoGram:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...7_scam07m.html

Seems that Washington is having some problems with ID theft through social engineering.

That's no hack. Interesting news that the employee could be duped so easily, though. :thumbsup:

its manipulation, not a hack. i usd it to get threw high school, LOL

Good to know my almost maxed out credit cards are good for something...lol. I don't ever have to worry about someone accomplishing anything with a credit card they stole from me!!
;)

haha so true, I got a visa buxx card, only $75 on it... not enough to do any *real* harm... but I don't think social engineering is a hack, like SarinMage said, Manipulation. :)

Quote:

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its manipulation, not a hack

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Then what is a hack? Isn't it just manpulating a machine to get it to do what you want?

no maipulation isent hacking, it requires more of a.... i dunno.,.... presence i guess you would cal lit. hacking is more like looking for holes or solveing a problem than manipulating things (although it INCLUDES manipulating things)

I see hacking as making a system do something it wasn't supposed to do, and this leads to indepth knowledge of the system (eventually). Social Engineering is simply understanding the human mind enough to cause it to change its course of action (do something it wasn't supposed to be doing), in this aspect hacking and social engineering are very alike. Both lead to increased knowledge.

Not on manipulation or hacking argument but,
You have to admit, it takes skill to socially engineer people like that. And hell, how that guy did it is pretty smart you have to admit, I might have even fallen for it. But anyway, that is just my 2 cents.

social engineering is one of the oldest methods of "hacking".....and yes it is a hack.