Reverse social engineering involves forcing an attacker’s victim into approaching him for help. This is because the attacker first creates a problem or exploits a situation and then presents himself as the solution. This way, he avoids raising suspicion and gaining the trust of his victim, from which he can steal sensitive information or compromise systems. Reverse social engineering is brilliant and malicious, in the sense that it turns the normal flow of social engineering attacks on their head.
Below, we deconstruct the reverse social engineering technique, explore how it works, and give you tips on avoiding falling into their traps. We also discuss how attackers use this technique in the physical environment and digital spaces.
What is Reverse Social Engineering?
In traditional social engineering, the hacker initiates contact with the victim, usually through phishing or impersonation to get sensitive data or allow access into systems. However, in reverse social engineering, the attacker waits for the victim to approach him.
This is where the problem is caused or exploited by the attacker that impacts the victim. The harm may be on the system, telling lies, or a situation that causes a lot of confusion. Once the victim is in this troubled state, it is when the attacker advances, offering his help and getting the trust of the victim. Since the victim thinks they have initiated the contact, they become less likely to mistrust.
This is a sophisticated and subtle form of hacking, which makes it challenging for the victims to realise that they are being manipulated.
How Does Reverse Social Engineering Work?
To understand how reverse social engineering works, we have to dissect the three key steps involved in the process:
1. Creating the Problem
In this stage, the attacker builds an incident through system disablement, virus distribution, or a presentation of false information that leads to confusion. For example, an attacker could send a false error message to the IT team of a company stating that one system has failed or that there is a security breach.
2. Offering the Solution
Once this threat has been created, the attacker provides a solution to the issue. The attacker depicts themselves in front of the victim as being in a position of authority. For instance, they would usually present themselves as IT experts, as security professionals, or as customer support operators. They would do everything within their power to be able to convince the victim that they are in a position to solve the problem. The very reason the victim feels like solving the problem immediately is that they tend to believe the attacker while neither authenticating the credibility of the latter nor verifying this information.
3. Exploiting the Trust
By this stage, the attacker has earned the victim’s trust; therefore, they can penetrate the systems, steal sensitive information, or install their software under the guise of fixing the problem. Such a move by the attacker allows them access to the system or results in stealing critical data. By the time the victim realises something is wrong, the damage is done.
Examples of Reverse Social Engineering
Reverse social engineering occurs in the physical world and the virtual world. Some of the most common are:
1. Reverse Social Engineering in the Workplace
An attacker could inject a bug into a company’s software such that multiple system failures occur. Employees seeing an anomaly will seek an “expert” who just so happens to be the masked attacker within the firm. With this, the attacker can freely access all of the company’s sensitive data.
2. Reverse social engineering on Internet sites
The hackers take advantage of online users by using fraudulent tech support scams. They write malice in a pop-up message on a computer owned by the user, claiming that their system is infected by a virus. The pop-up has included a number for “tech support.” Once the user calls, the hacker poses as a support agent to access the victim’s computer and data.
How to Protect Yourself from Reverse Social Engineering
Protecting oneself from reverse social engineering requires awareness and critical thinking. Here are some major steps that should be taken.
1. Verify the Source of Help
Always verify whether you’re receiving help from an actual person or not, especially if you didn’t ask for it in the first place. Be sure and confirm their ID or affiliation with a trusted organisation. If it comes to pass that you receive unsolicited help, particularly in a situation of tech support or system issues, be very careful.
2. Implement Security Training
Train the people and individuals to detect common social engineering practices that often involve reverse social engineering. They should note that attackers will manipulate them into thinking they need assistance from someone. Periodic training sessions and simulated attacks will prepare the staff in your organisation for detecting suspicious behaviour.
3. Implement MFA
One of the best defences against reverse social engineering attacks is multi-factor authentication. Even when a login credential is compromised, MFA can stop an attacker from gaining entry into the system without secondary verification.
4. Install Regular Software and System Updates
Ensure your systems are up to date with security patches. One common place attackers use is an outdated system to create problems they can subsequently “fix.” Updating everything reduces the chances that an attack will find an exploitable vulnerability.
Common Signs of a Reverse Social Engineering Attack
Identifying reverse social engineering attacks can be challenging; however, there are common indicators that can alert you to a potential problem:
- Unexpected Problems: If a problem looks too good to be true, and a person arrives with a solution, beware. Specifically, beware if someone offers to solve a problem at a time when you have just asked that something be done.
- Unsolicited Help: Never accept unsolicited help. Attackers expect you to go out and find them. If you don’t know someone, it is not safe to: Let them use a computer or enter your space Trust them to install programmes or tools Expect them to log out; they won’t.
- Forced Decisions: Attackers may force you to make rash decisions or give access without verifying your identity. They compel you to divulge sensitive information.
Role of Reverse Social Engineering in Cybercrime
Reverse social engineering is so popular within cybercrime as it becomes effective in gaining trust and going by bypassing traditional defences. Attackers through this approach target human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities. It often becomes a part of well-planned schemes, such as ransomware attacks, where initial infiltration is through social engineering and later carries on with malicious intentions.
Unlike phishing, which more often than not is already detected due to suspicious emails or messages, reverse social engineering is much harder because the victim feels that they are contacting some helpful source. This makes it an amazing tool in the cyber criminal’s tool kit.
Well-Known Reverse Social Engineering Attacks
Throughout history, there have been many highly publicised successful reverse social engineering cases. Perhaps the most notable case is when hackers, masquerading as IT support for a big corporation, created technical issues within the systems and then offered their “expert” services to solve the problem, which the company did not question and granted access to breach major data.
Another example in this category is tech support scams, which have reached millions of home users. In these scams, the user receives fake virus alerts on the computer and dials the fake numbers provided by the support scam. This kind of scam also results in identity theft and financial loss to many victims.
Why Reverse Social Engineering Works
Reverse social engineering works because it manipulates the human psychology machine. People believe who comes out offering help much more, mainly during stressful times. Whenever a system fails or there is an apparent security threat, people run amok and seek help from whoever seems to be able to do so. It is this condition of panic from which attackers capitalise by portraying themselves as solutions. Doing so removes suspicion, brings about trust, and allows access to victim resources directly.
Another reason reverse social engineering is so successful is that it reverses the typical attack flow. Rather than trying to force the attention of the victim on them, the attacker waits for them to reach out. This makes the victim feel like they are now driving the process and tend to let their guard down.
How to Prevent Reverse Social Engineering in Your Organisation
Here are some proactive steps you can take to protect your organisation against reverse social engineering:
1. Establish Clear Communication Channels
Ensure everyone in the company knows who to look for help in case of technical problems. Maintain formal channels of support and advisory and always verify any people seeking help outside the organisation, sometimes trying to get them on the wrong foot.
2. Regular Audits and Security Tests
Regular security audits would unveil some vulnerabilities that could be exploited; similar simulated attacks would educate people on how to behave when encountering suspicious offers of help.
3. Secure Physical and Digital Systems
Physical systems, for instance, IT infrastructure, should be secured with appropriate access controls and authentication processes, as should digital systems, like employee accounts. Locking down access to critical systems reduces the risk of an attacker exploiting them.
Conclusion
Reverse social engineering is a subtle but very potent manoeuvre by attackers to get the victims to seek them out. Creating or exploiting a problem during an attack can make the attacker the trusted figure, and then he can lead the victim to valuable information or systems. This tactic can be dangerous if it goes uncontrolled online and in physical surroundings.
Awareness, verification processes, and security measures can’t be allowed to help people and organisations avoid proper awareness, which will enable them to avoid falling into such reverse social engineering traps. Always make sure to verify the people offering unsolicited help, have updated systems, and educate your team on the risks associated with such attacks.