Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Social engineering is a non-technical method used by cybercriminals to deceive individuals into divulging confidential or sensitive information. This approach relies on manipulating human psychology rather than exploiting technical vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals may employ tactics such as impersonating authority figures, using psychological tricks to create a sense of urgency, or establishing trust to encourage victims to share personal information, passwords, or access credentials.

In the context of security, while phishing does involve deceptive tactics to collect sensitive information, it is typically executed through electronic communication, making it a more technical method compared to social engineering. Other terms like malware and hacking refer to technical approaches that involve software and system vulnerabilities, whereas social engineering emphasizes the interpersonal interaction aspect. This distinction is what makes social engineering noteworthy as a non-technical method for information gathering.