Responsible data considerations Case study Social engineering: Who are you really talking to online? Human rights activism in Iran provides a striking example of the connection between digital and physical security. Recently, Iranian authorities have used social engineering to target human rights defenders through To avoid being attacked through social engineering communications via email, Facebook, and techniques, be vigilant in all your communications. LinkedIn. Social engineering is the act of using Ask clarifying or personal questions to ensure that personal facts and psychological manipulation the person you are speaking to is who they say to convince an individual that it is safe to they are and discontinue the communication if you break security protocols and divulge private have any doubts as to the identity of the account information. A government agent could holder. Also avoid sharing sensitive information create a social media profile using the name over social media or email without additional of a known activist and initiate conversations security measures in place. that trick other activists into revealing sensitive information. The Islamic Republic has used this tactic quite successfully, leading to the detention and interrogation of prominent human rights defenders Even US government officials have fallen victim to social engineering, unintentionally divulging information to the Iranian government. Social engineering is often more effective than traditional hacking because it does not rely on any technical skills and preys on the vulnerabilities of individuals rather than digital systems. 62