How big a problem is social engineering for businesses? Is it becoming a more widely used tactic?
Mitnick: It’s a substantial problem–a lot of malware is associated with social engineering. Social engineering plays a big part in exploiting known vulnerabilities in software. Are you seeing any new attack methods? Mitnick: They use the same methods they always have–using a ruse to deceive, influence or trick people into revealing information that benefits the attackers. These attacks are initiated, and in a lot of cases, the victim doesn’t realize. Social engineering plays a large part in the propagation of spyware. Usually, attacks are blended, exploiting technological vulnerabilities and social engineering.
