Explain the concept of social engineering attacks in ethical hacking.

Explain the concept of social engineering attacks in ethical hacking.

Social engineering attacks in ethical hacking refer to the manipulation and exploitation of human psychology to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information or performing actions that may compromise the security of a system or organization. These attacks typically involve the hacker impersonating a trusted entity, such as a colleague, IT support personnel, or a customer service representative, to gain the target's trust and manipulate them into divulging confidential data, providing access to restricted areas, or executing malicious actions. Social engineering attacks can take various forms, including phishing emails, phone calls, impersonation, baiting, or pretexting. The objective of these attacks is to exploit human vulnerabilities rather than technical weaknesses, making it crucial for organizations to educate their employees about the risks and implement robust security measures to mitigate the potential impact of social engineering attacks.