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Social Engineering Vulnerability Assessment
Social engineering is the tactic of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving a victim to gain control over a computer system, or to steal personal, financial and otherwise sensitive information. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making mistakes or giving away sensitive information.
Scams based on social engineering are built around how people think and act. As such, social engineering attacks are especially useful for manipulating a user’s behavior. Once a cybercriminal understands what motivates a user’s actions, they can deceive and manipulate the user effectively.
In addition, cybercriminals try to exploit a user’s lack of knowledge. Thanks to the speed of technology, many consumers and employees aren’t aware of certain threats and the associated tactics and techniques used by sophisticated adversaries. As a result, many users are unsure how to detect these threats and best protect themselves.
Generally, social engineering attackers have one of two goals:
- Sabotage: Disrupting or corrupting data to cause harm or inconvenience.
- Theft: Obtaining valuables like information, access, or money.
Canary Trap’s Social Engineering Vulnerability Assessment will employ tactics and techniques that are designed to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in human behavior. We can target users with sophisticated spear phishing, vishing, and smishing attacks to test their security awareness and resiliency.
All simulated social engineering attacks will be conducted in a controlled environment with the utmost care for the user’s well-being and privacy. Additionally, comprehensive documentation and reporting will be provided, including analysis of susceptibilities to social engineering attacks, recommended improvements to controls and employee awareness training programs.
Committing to undertake regular offensive security testing will help to ensure that your organization can remain vigilant and resilient to new and emerging cyber threats. Undertaking a social engineering vulnerability assessment can assist with improved planning when it comes to business continuity and disaster recovery.
Canary Trap combines human expertise with sophisticated tools, proven methodologies and, where appropriate, threat intelligence to ensure a thorough, in-depth approach to security testing and assessments.
For more information, please complete our Scoping Questionnaire or Contact Us.
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FAQs
What is a Social Engineering Vulnerability Assessment?
A Social Engineering Vulnerability Assessment tests how susceptible your employees are to manipulation techniques such as phishing, vishing (voice phishing), and smishing (SMS phishing). It evaluates the effectiveness of your Security Awareness Training (SAT) program by simulating real-world attacks that target human behavior.
Why is social engineering testing important for my organization?
Over 80% of breaches involve the human element — errors, misuse, or social engineering. Even with strong technical defenses, attackers often exploit people as the weakest link. Testing helps identify gaps in awareness, reinforces training, and reduces the likelihood of a successful attack.
What types of attacks are simulated during a social engineering assessment?
Typical simulations include:
- Phishing emails designed to trick employees into clicking malicious links or sharing credentials
- Vishing calls where attackers impersonate trusted parties over the phone
- Smishing texts that attempt to lure users into unsafe actions
- Pretexting scenarios where attackers use fabricated stories to gain trust
How often should social engineering assessments be conducted?
We recommend at least annually, with additional campaigns after major awareness training sessions or when onboarding large groups of new employees. Regular testing ensures employees remain vigilant against evolving attacker tactics.
What deliverables will Canary Trap provide after the assessment?
You’ll receive a comprehensive Findings Report that includes:
- Metrics on employee response rates (clicks, submissions, etc.)
- Identification of high-risk user groups
- Recommendations for targeted training improvements
- Executive summary for leadership teams
- Findings review meeting with our security awareness experts
