What does social media engineering involve?

Social media engineering specifically refers to the use of social media platforms to manipulate individuals into revealing personal or sensitive information, often through deceptive practices. This can involve tactics such as phishing, where attackers create fake profiles or mimic legitimate entities to build trust and encourage users to disclose information like passwords, credit card numbers, or other private data.

This method exploits the social nature of platforms and the tendency of individuals to share information online, making them susceptible to manipulation. Understanding this is crucial, as it reveals the darker side of social media usage, particularly in the context of cybersecurity threats where maintaining user privacy and data integrity is paramount.

Other options focus on legitimate and ethical uses of social media, such as promoting businesses, networking, or conducting market research, which do not involve manipulation for nefarious purposes.