Books Social Engineering 1st Edition by Christopher Hadnagy (Author)

"Social Engineering" by Christopher Hadnagy is a definitive guide exploring the science of human hacking, focusing on the psychological manipulation techniques used by social engineers to deceive individuals and gain confidential information. The book dives into both the offensive methods used by hackers and the defensive strategies that organizations and individuals can employ.

Key points of the book include:

Explanation of social engineering as exploiting human decision-making processes and psychological vulnerabilities to breach security.

Variety of social engineer roles, including hackers, scammers, disgruntled employees, spies, and even salespeople, all using manipulation tactics.

Detailed description of the social engineering equation: Pretext + Manipulation + Subject’s Greed = Success.

Importance of information gathering as the crucial first step in social engineering attacks.

Techniques for building instant rapport and using influence through compliments, gifts, and authority to lower defenses.

Discussion of tools such as GPS, lock-pickers, and cameras that facilitate physical and digital breaches.

Real-life case studies illustrating successful social engineering attacks.

Practical prevention and mitigation strategies including training, incident response plans, and disaster recovery.