Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C. Firm News & Events
A successful New Jersey business recently retained a cyber expert to evaluate the effectiveness of its network’s cybersecurity. The expert upgraded the company’s systems and educated its employees on how to recognize, prevent and respond to a cyber-attack. The expert then tested the defenses and was unable, despite multiple attempts, to hack into the company’s network. Satisfied that the network was reasonably secure, he decided to try one last trick. Posing as a friendly client who had an upcoming meeting, he called a receptionist and was given a Wi-Fi password which gave him access to the company’s network and sensitive information.
The good news for the company is that the breach was not real. The bad news is that, despite spending thousands of dollars to bolster its network security, the company’s network was compromised with a simple phone call. This is social engineering at its best.
WHAT IS SOCIAL ENGINEERING?