Year 11 - Computing
Social engineering techniques
Cyber threats and security
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit enables pupils to develop awareness of a range of cybersecurity threats that impact the world and us as individuals. They will explore different forms of attack, both non-automated and automated and how encryption tools can be used to protect communication.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe social engineering and explain the techniques used in social engineering.
Key Notes
- Social engineering is a cybercrime that manipulates people into revealing confidential information.
- Social engineering targets human psychology rather than exploiting technical systems.
- There are many different social engineering techniques such as blagging, phishing and pharming.
Vocabulary To Learn
- social engineering: techniques used to trick users into giving away personal information by manipulating their behaviour or emotions
- cybercriminal: a person who uses computers, networks or digital devices to commit illegal activities online
- human error: a mistake made by people that accidentally leads to security breaches, data leaks, or other cyber incidents
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Social engineering only involves technical hacking or complex cyberattacks.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Describe the system or process from this lesson in clear steps.
Social engineering is a cybercrime that manipulates people into revealing confidential information. Social engineering targets human psychology rather than exploiting technical systems.
2. Define this computing term and give one practical example. 'social engineering'
techniques used to trick users into giving away personal information by manipulating their behaviour or emotions. Add one real device or system example to prove understanding.
3. Correct this common computing misconception.
Mistake: Social engineering only involves technical hacking or complex cyberattacks. Correction: Social engineering mainly targets human psychology, not technical vulnerabilities. It's more about exploiting trust and human error than technical skills.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Careers in cyber security Study Guide
- Common ciphers Study Guide
- Defence against malware Study Guide
- Encryption tools to protect communication Study Guide
- Malware: malicious software Study Guide
- Testing as a form of defence Study Guide
- The cost of cyber crime and hacker motivation Study Guide
- The impact of fake news Study Guide
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