Social_Engineering

When it comes to technology, it’s not perfect. One may say the reason being is because it’s man-made. Therefore, when it comes to hacking electronics, it can be easy depending on how well the hacker can spot the loop holes within the technology. However, hacking doesn’t involve technology. Social engineering would be a prime example. Social engineering is a process of manipulation to where one will impersonate value of authority in order to retrieve confidential information (Wright State University, 2010). To some that may not have any superior experience, it sounds hard; however, for others that already have some type of authority, this can be extremely easy. A great example would be someone who has the discretion with enacting laws; such as a police officer. Even though police officers are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to law, they do initiate the start of our judicial/corrections system in which makes them the most important part of the process. Since police officers have the ability to enact laws in which punish offenders, they are considered as a deterrent to crime as well. There is where social engineering can exist. For example, I am a patrol officer in whom their marital status is single. The officer is on patrol. I am pondering on who is going to be my date on an upcoming Friday night event. Just so happens the most gorgeous woman passes by. I than noticed that the woman was singing to loud music while driving about 35mph in a 30mph zone. I then immediately pull the young woman over for not only speeding but to also start a conversation. During the routine traffic stop, I begin to advise the young woman that she was driving 10mph over rather than 5mph when she asked for the purpose of the stop; however, I also knew his radar gun was broken. The woman failed to ask for the reading that was on the radar. I certainly knew that the woman wasn’t going to question his reading on the radar because she knew she was playing loud music after hours as well. She didn’t want to question a figure of authority that is expected to have good morals such as myself. She was in fear of offending me because of the two tickets she’ll receive rather than one. At that point I let her go with a warning after our good conversation. Whether I had a date for Friday night is still undetermined; however, it is certain that social engineering was presented within the traffic stop. I knew that my badge and uniform was enough to have the young woman deter from questioning my reading. Therefore, I used the reputation of my police department to convince the young woman that she was speeding. I also knew that the woman was playing loud music after hours. The cities curfew is well known within the community so I used that to create a deception of myself of being lenient with the situation. In reality, the whole traffic stop was a deception. I used my department’s reputation and resources (radar) that were expected to be functioning properly in order to obtain confidential information such as the woman’s telephone number. Therefore I used my image of authority as well as my supremacy to obtain information. Wright State University. (2010). Social Engineering. Retrieved from http://www.wright.edu/rsp/Security/V1comput/Social.htm