social engineering

[ soh-shuhl en-juh-neer-ing ]

/ ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˌɛn dʒəˈnɪər ɪŋ /

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noun

Political Science. the manipulation of social beliefs and behaviors by public or private entities through legislation, policy, and investment.

a technique that uses psychological manipulation, fraud, or dishonesty to force people to disclose private personal or corporate information, or to take a particular action:Hackers are using social engineering to perpetrate phishing scams.

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Origin of social engineering

First recorded in 1895–1900

OTHER WORDS FROM social engineering

so·cial en·gi·neer, noun

Words nearby social engineering

social drinker, social dumping, social dynamics, Social Education Centre, social-emotional learning, social engineering, social environment, social evil, social evolution, social exclusion, social fund

How to use social engineering in a sentence

Maybe there are engineering answers to reduce social engineering but still allow researchers access to investigate device compromise.
Hackers are finding ways to hide inside Apple’s walled garden|Patrick Howell ONeill|March 1, 2021|MIT Technology Review
So part of the challenge—it’s a social engineering exercise—is getting lawmakers and investors to invest in risk.
The Man Who Saw the Pandemic Coming - Issue 94: Evolving|Kevin Berger|December 30, 2020|Nautilus
Some straightforward examples are malware, spyware, social engineering scams, and false information.
The Google page experience: What you need to know and five steps to prepare for 2021|Gert Svaiko|December 1, 2020|Search Engine Watch
It’s tempting to dismiss it all as being more about social engineering of our lifestyles than about actual economic reforms.
Capitalism is in crisis. To save it, we need to rethink economic growth.|Katie McLean|October 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Twitter said it is still investigating the incident, which it believes occurred after “a coordinated social engineering attack” was waged on some of its employees in order to gain access to its internal administrator tools.
Twitter hack jolts companies into a social media security check|Lara O'Reilly|July 17, 2020|Digiday
He finished second in 2008 behind John McCain, and maintains a reservoir of good will among Republican social conservatives.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Where the force generating those threats is a widespread, self-sustaining, and virulent social movement?
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The TVA, a federally owned and chartered electric power provider, is a New Deal legacy just like Social Security.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Social media forces us to not only be vulnerable for our partner but for the whole world.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One blames black Americans as a race; the other, racism as a social structure.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
To others the fierce desire for social justice obliterates all fear of a general catastrophe.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
And our views of poverty and social betterment, or what is possible and what is not, are still largely conditioned by it.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Our social life is aimless without it, we are a crowd without a common understanding.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
And an educational movement is more tenacious than any other sort of social or political movement whatever.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

British Dictionary definitions for social engineering

social engineering

noun

the manipulation of the social position and function of individuals in order to manage change in a society

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

social engineering

Origin of social engineering

OTHER WORDS FROM social engineering

Words nearby social engineering

Words related to social engineering

How to use social engineering in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for social engineering