A Critical Appraisal of Contemporary Cyber Security Social Engineering Solutions: Measures, Policies, Tools and Applications

Abstract

Social engineering is one of the biggest threats organizations face today, as more and more companies are adopting digitalization. This study presents a critical review of the existing measures, tools, and policies for the protection of computer entities, particularly organizations, against cyber security social engineering. These factors were examined through a systematic review of recent studies published on the subject. Our analysis highlights the meaning of social engineering and the problem it poses, and outlines some of the previous efforts that necessitate an inquiry on the subject. There is an urgent need to provide training for employees of such digitalized companies to ensure they understand the risks and ways to avoid them. As socially engineered attacks depend on the human factor, employees’ awareness is the best practice that can be implemented to contain its threats. Other measures include training of non-technical members, awareness programs, new security network, software usage, and security protocols to tackle social engineering threats.