# What do you think of in the first 5 seconds when you hear the term "social engineering"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821 "2018-01-17T13:24:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zobbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c89c15/32.png) [@zobbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zobbo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/1 "2018-01-17T13:24:29Z")
What do you think of in the first 5 seconds when you hear the term “social engineering”? I am just trying to figure out what to most people think of when they hear the term “social engineering”? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/2 "2018-01-17T13:30:31Z")
Hmm… “What the heck does he mean by that?” Followed, but not within 5 seconds, by a vague notion of a scheme in which everybody’s job, marriage, and many other things about their life is determined by a battery of genetic and aptitude tests. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/3 "2018-01-17T13:34:58Z")
I associate the term with computer passwords. Hackers use “social engineering” to get friendly with people and convince them to share their passwords. ---
**Author:** ![Didactylos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@Didactylos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didactylos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/4 "2018-01-17T13:35:59Z")
I think “confidence trick”, more specifically identity theft. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/5 "2018-01-17T13:36:20Z")
I think of social engineering. What else am I supposed to think? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/6 "2018-01-17T13:37:29Z")
Moved to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/7 "2018-01-17T13:40:43Z")
I think of Dilbert trying to network. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/8 "2018-01-17T13:42:19Z")
I’m a computer security guy, so I immediately think of the way the term is used in my profession – when a bad guy uses trickery and deceit to get access to passwords or data (rather than using a technical exploit). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/9 "2018-01-17T13:49:47Z")
Brave New World, The Giver, etc. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/10 "2018-01-17T13:56:20Z")
I think of a society where sociologists, phycologists, economists etc. all come together to figure out were we are lacking, and try to use this information to create more opportunities for us to fulfill our needs. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/11 "2018-01-17T14:01:39Z")
that the speaker probably spends a lot of time in alt-right subreddits. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/12 "2018-01-17T14:05:49Z")
First season of _Mr Robot_ ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/13 "2018-01-17T14:14:03Z")
I think of gaining access to confidential information and/or systems by use of the psychological manipulation of authorised users. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/14 "2018-01-17T14:15:52Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > I think of gaining access to confidential information and/or systems by use of the psychological manipulation of authorised users. I’ve had plenty of IT training associated with my job, so this is what I think of too. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/15 "2018-01-17T14:25:03Z")
I go with the IT definition, too: tricking people into giving you passwords or other personal data. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/16 "2018-01-17T14:31:50Z")
Right-wing bullshit, trying to demonize the idea of the government improving peoples’ lives. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/17 "2018-01-17T14:32:43Z")
Definitely the IT concept, but specifically someone calling up a company and pretending to be someone from the company and getting passwords that way. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/18 "2018-01-17T14:34:48Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I think of a society where sociologists, phycologists, economists etc. all come together to figure out were we are lacking, and try to use this information to create more opportunities for us to fulfill our needs. Which translates to, “Look, here comes another damnfool idea!” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/19 "2018-01-17T15:12:47Z")
It’s a contemptuous phrase, not a phrase used by the people who do it. So whatever comes next is going to be described in terms that don’t put it in a good light. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821/20 "2018-01-17T15:36:42Z")
I have no idea. Dennis [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-in-the-first-5-seconds-when-you-hear-the-term-social-engineering/806821.md?page=2)