Planning Your First Social Engineering Engagement
Published May 2025
Social engineering tests human vulnerabilities. When done correctly and ethically, it provides invaluable insights into how users interact with systems and trust.
Define Objectives
Before launching anything, clearly define what you're testing: credentials? badge access? phishing resilience? Get explicit permission for the scenarios and tactics.
Crafting Pretexts
Build believable stories. IT audits, delivery people, new hires — anything plausible within the target’s world. Use language, tone, and appearance that fit.
Execution
For phishing, make the emails minimal, realistic, and typo-free. Use secure redirect links or track opens via embedded images. For physical tests, confidence and timing are everything.
Post-Engagement Debrief
Always follow up with detailed reports and recommendations. Avoid shaming users — educate. Security culture grows with empathy and transparency.