What is Social Engineering and why should I care? (10-03-06)
Would you care if someone gained access to your credit card or bank account number? When thieves gain access to sensitive information, they can devastate the lives of individuals, and destroy the reputation of institutions.
Social Engineering is a term used to describe recent methods that are being employed to steal sensitive information from Institutions. Rather than using difficult and technically complicated attempts to find holes in computer security, these hackers have found a much easier way to gain access: con employees into voluntarily giving access to the information.
Information stolen can be anything of value to the hacker, but typically includes such things as social security numbers, passwords and other personal information, credit cards and financial information, and confidential communications.
The thieves range from individual criminals to sophisticated international organized crime. They can also be professionals such as private investigators, bill collectors, and marketers.
Computing Services recognizes the responsibility to protect the sensitive and personal information of all present and former faculty, staff and students at Adams State College. We make every effort possible to ensure that hackers are unable to breach our computer systems to steal information.
Social Engineers are very aware of the barriers to a technical attack, and the world community is just beginning to understand the degree to which these social engineering methods are being used against us.
Information Technology departments cannot protect their users against these attacks with technical solutions. More than ever, security is becoming the responsibility of all Adams State personnel.