---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Social engineering bypasses all…"
description: "\"Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including firewalls.\" — Kevin Mitnick"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/kevin-mitnick-3026_bypass_social-engineering-bypasses-all-technolo_3175193.png"
---

#  Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including…

![“Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including firewalls.” quote by Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/kevin-mitnick-3026_bypass_social-engineering-bypasses-all-technolo_3175193.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/kevin-mitnick-3026_bypass_social-engineering-bypasses-all-technolo_3175193.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/kevin-mitnick-3026_bypass_social-engineering-bypasses-all-technolo_3175193.png)

> “Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including firewalls.”

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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.

Social engineering exploits human behavior, rendering technical defenses ineffective if people are deceived.

**In simple terms:** People can be tricked despite strong tech.

Key Takeaway

Focus on human awareness.

Themes

security human factors trust

Mood

cautious informed

Type

advisory warning

When to use this quote

- phishing attacks
- physical tailgating
- pretexting
- business email compromise

Key Concepts

psychology social engineering risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you strengthen human resilience?
- What signs indicate a social engineering attempt?

A Different Perspective

Technical tools alone cannot stop deception.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-engineering/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/)

## Related quotes

> [Companies spend millions of dollars on firewalls and secure access devices, and it's money wasted because none of these measures address the weakest link…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/companies-spend-millions-of-dollars-on-firewalls-and-secure-access/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Companies spend millions of dollars on firewalls, encryption, and secure access devices and it's money wasted because none of these measures address the weakest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/companies-spend-millions-of-dollars-on-firewalls-encryption-and/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [You can't hold firewalls and intrusion detection systems accountable. You can only hold people accountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-white/you-can-t-hold-firewalls-and-intrusion-detection-systems-accountable/)

Darryl White

> [A global world needs global firewalls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/a-global-world-needs-global-firewalls/)

[Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/)

> [With security, in the early days, we would just have firewalls and you'd check who could come into the network and who could not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-xie/with-security-in-the-early-days-we-would-just-have-firewalls-and-you/)

[Ken Xie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-xie/)

> [The key to social engineering is influencing a person to do something that allows the hacker to gain access to information or your network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-key-to-social-engineering-is-influencing-a-person-to-do-something/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Both social engineering and technical attacks played a big part in what I was able to do. It was a hybrid. I used social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/both-social-engineering-and-technical-attacks-played-a-big-part-in/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Social engineering is using deception, manipulation and influence to convince a human who has access to a computer system to do something, like click…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/social-engineering-is-using-deception-manipulation-and-influence-to/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Social engineering is using manipulation, influence and deception to get a person, a trusted insider within an organization, to comply with a request, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/social-engineering-is-using-manipulation-influence-and-deception-to/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [The methods that will most effectively minimize the ability of intruders to compromise information security are comprehensive user training and education. Enacting policies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-methods-that-will-most-effectively-minimize-the-ability-of/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Enlightened social engineering is required to face situations that demand global action now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goodlad/enlightened-social-engineering-is-required-to-face-situations-that/)

[John Goodlad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goodlad/)

> [“The conservatives could sneer about "social engineering" if they wanted, but I thought that most people believed as I did that government should embody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-conservatives-could-sneer-about-social-engineering-if-they-wanted/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [Government has ceased to mean upholding and reinforcing the traditional rights and morals of the governed; it now means compulsion in the service of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/government-has-ceased-to-mean-upholding-and-reinforcing-the/)

[Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/)

> [Hey, if I had my choice for social engineering, I'd declare an automatic R-rating for any movie that depicts television commercials. There's a truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-herskovitz/hey-if-i-had-my-choice-for-social-engineering-i-d-declare-an/)

[Marshall Herskovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-herskovitz/)

> [We live in a world of diverse cultures, and we know very little about social engineering and how to 'build nations.' And when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-nye/we-live-in-a-world-of-diverse-cultures-and-we-know-very-little-about/)

[Joseph Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-nye/)

## More by Kevin Mitnick

> [The human. Now you know all about your target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-human-now-you-know-all-about-your-target/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-and-how-it-worked-i-became-a/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Back up everything! You are not invulnerable. Catastrophic data loss can happen to you - one worm or Trojan is all it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/back-up-everything-you-are-not-invulnerable-catastrophic-data-loss/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [When an attacker fails with one person, they often go to another person. The key is to report the attack to other departments. Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/when-an-attacker-fails-with-one-person-they-often-go-to-another/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [I think malware is a significant threat because the mitigation, like antivirus software, hasn't evolved to a point to really mitigate the risk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-think-malware-is-a-significant-threat-because-the-mitigation-like/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Usually companies hire me, and they know full well who I am, and that's one of the reasons they want to hire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/usually-companies-hire-me-and-they-know-full-well-who-i-am-and-that-s/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [A lot of companies are clueless, because they spend most or all of their security budget on high-tech security like fire walls and biometric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/a-lot-of-companies-are-clueless-because-they-spend-most-or-all-of/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [I characterize myself as a retired hacker. I'm applying what I know to improve security at companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-characterize-myself-as-a-retired-hacker-i-m-applying-what-i-know-to/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [No company that I ever hacked into reported any damages, which they were required to do for significant losses. Sun didn't stop using Solaris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/no-company-that-i-ever-hacked-into-reported-any-damages-which-they/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [New security loopholes are constantly popping up because of wireless networking. The cat-and-mouse game between hackers and system administrators is still in full swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/new-security-loopholes-are-constantly-popping-up-because-of-wireless/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [The explosion of companies deploying wireless networks insecurely is creating vulnerabilities, as they think it's limited to the office - then they have Johnny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-explosion-of-companies-deploying-wireless-networks-insecurely-is/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [The government does things like insisting that all encryption programs should have a back door. But surely no one is stupid enough to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-government-does-things-like-insisting-that-all-encryption/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [I get hired to hack into computers now and sometimes it's actually easier than it was years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-get-hired-to-hack-into-computers-now-and-sometimes-it-s-actually/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

[Explore all 142 Kevin Mitnick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

## More Bypass quotes

> [Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass what he defends hit him where he does not expect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/go-into-emptiness-strike-voids-bypass-what-he-defends-hit-him-where/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [I try to be the clown and court jester and make people laugh. At the same time, you have people in the hospital who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simmons/i-try-to-be-the-clown-and-court-jester-and-make-people-laugh-at-the/)

[Richard Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-simmons/)

> [If you try to live that which is past, that which IS will bypass you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/if-you-try-to-live-that-which-is-past-that-which-is-will-bypass-you/)

[Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/)

> [Finding a mechanism does not bypass the problem of induction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-blackburn/finding-a-mechanism-does-not-bypass-the-problem-of-induction/)

[Simon Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-blackburn/)

> [I'm 49, I've had a brain haemorrhage and a triple bypass and I could still go out and play a reasonable game of rugby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-lowe/i-m-49-i-ve-had-a-brain-haemorrhage-and-a-triple-bypass-and-i-could/)

Graham Lowe

> [Many people bypass search engines altogether and still find what they're looking for online. These Internet surfers are using direct navigation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/many-people-bypass-search-engines-altogether-and-still-find-what-they/)

[Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/)

> [I love England. In fact, they're getting to know me so well at Heathrow Immigration that this time I was able to completely bypass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-love-england-in-fact-they-re-getting-to-know-me-so-well-at-heathrow/)

[Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/)

> [The ideal situation would be to bypass all of the drama and mayhem and just get the music right to the people. I'm confident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-gibson/the-ideal-situation-would-be-to-bypass-all-of-the-drama-and-mayhem/)

[Debbie Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-gibson/)

> [While I was gone, I had quintuple bypass surgery on my heart. Plus, I got a haircut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/while-i-was-gone-i-had-quintuple-bypass-surgery-on-my-heart-plus-i/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [We've been playing games since humanity had civilization - there is something primal about our desire and our ability to play games. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/we-ve-been-playing-games-since-humanity-had-civilization-there-is/)

[Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/)

> [ I went right to Chicago to do improv \[after law school\], but I wish I had gone, "Let me just bypass this law thing."… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-fulcher/i-went-right-to-chicago-to-do-improv-after-law-school-but-i-wish-i/)

[Rich Fulcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-fulcher/)

> [Was I a perfect gastric-bypass patient? Yes. Was I a perfect gastric-bypass pregnant woman? No. I made a decision to enjoy my pregnancy... So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carnie-wilson/was-i-a-perfect-gastric-bypass-patient-yes-was-i-a-perfect-gastric/)

[Carnie Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carnie-wilson/)

> [Any housing solution that involves paying for industrially produced building materials and commercial building contractors is doomed to certain failure. If houses are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-fathy/any-housing-solution-that-involves-paying-for-industrially-produced/)

Hassan Fathy

> [When did "sentimental" become a pejorative barb? I do not at all share the notion that a piece of music, or a poem, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-richardson/when-did-sentimental-become-a-pejorative-barb-i-do-not-at-all-share/)

[Bill Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-richardson/)

> [The ability to get ahead in an organization is simply another talent, like the ability to play chess, paint pictures, do coronary bypass operations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/the-ability-to-get-ahead-in-an-organization-is-simply-another-talent/)

[Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/)

Browse all 103 Bypass quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including firewalls.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kevin Mitnick"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/social-engineering-bypasses-all-technologies-including-firewalls/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bypass"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/social-engineering-bypasses-all-technologies-including-firewalls/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/kevin-mitnick-3026_bypass_social-engineering-bypasses-all-technolo_3175193.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/kevin-mitnick-3026_bypass_social-engineering-bypasses-all-technolo_3175193.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/kevin-mitnick-3026_bypass_social-engineering-bypasses-all-technolo_3175193.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including firewalls.” — Kevin Mitnick",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kevin Mitnick",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/social-engineering-bypasses-all-technologies-including-firewalls/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/social-engineering-bypasses-all-technologies-including-firewalls/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```