What does "social engineering" refer to in a cybersecurity context?

In the context of cybersecurity, social engineering refers to the manipulation of individuals to obtain personal or confidential information. This tactic exploits human psychology and trust rather than relying on technical hacking methods. Attackers may use various techniques, such as phishing emails, pretexting, or baiting, to deceive victims into divulging sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers.

Social engineering is particularly effective because it targets the human element within security systems, which can often be the weakest link. Unlike technical vulnerabilities, which can often be mitigated with strong software and hardware security measures, social engineering relies on bypassing these defenses through manipulation and persuasion. Understanding this concept is crucial for individuals and organizations to bolster their defenses against potential breaches caused by such tactics.