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Social engineering is using manipulation, influence and…

“Social engineering is using manipulation, influence and deception to get a person, a trusted insider within an organization, to comply with a request, and the request is usually to release information or to perform some sort of action item that benefits that attacker.” quote by Kevin Mitnick
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“Social engineering is using manipulation, influence and deception to get a person, a trusted insider within an organization, to comply with a request, and the request is usually to release information or to perform some sort of action item that benefits that attacker.”

Kevin Mitnick

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Exploiting human trust to bypass technical security, often by convincing insiders to act against policy.

In simple terms: Manipulating people to break security rules.

Key Takeaway

Never trust solely on technical safeguards.

Themes

security trust human factors

Mood

cautious alert

Type

advisory educational

When to use this quote

  • phishing
  • insider threat
  • physical security
  • risk assessment

Key Concepts

social engineering psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can organizations reinforce a culture of verification?
  • What signs indicate a request may be malicious?
A Different Perspective

Technical controls alone cannot stop a determined manipulator.

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