Which of the following is a common technique used by social engineers to successfully manipulate people?

• A. Creating a sense of urgency to pressure individuals into making quick decisions
• B. Promoting open and transparent communication to avoid misunderstandings
• C. Encouraging people to always double-check information with trusted sources
• D. Teaching individuals to recognize and avoid suspicious requests

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that social engineering involves manipulating people to gain unauthorized access or information by exploiting psychological principles.
2. Recognize that common techniques used by social engineers often rely on influencing emotions and cognitive biases rather than logical reasoning.
3. Identify that creating a sense of urgency is a psychological tactic that pressures individuals to act quickly without fully evaluating the situation, making it a common method used by social engineers.
4. Contrast this with other options such as promoting open communication, encouraging verification, and teaching recognition of suspicious requests, which are actually defensive strategies against social engineering.
5. Conclude that the technique involving creating a sense of urgency is the correct answer because it exploits human tendencies to respond rapidly under pressure, facilitating manipulation.