Definition
Social Engineering
Manipulating people, rather than technology, into giving up information, access, or money.
Social engineering abuses trust, urgency, authority, and fear to get a person to do something against their interest — share a password, approve a request, or wire funds. Impersonation scams are its most common form.
Why it matters: the strongest technical defenses fail if a person can be talked around them. Slowing down, verifying through a separate channel, and treating urgency as a red flag are the real countermeasures.