A cyberattack or penetration is not necessarily the result of a technical vulnerability. To enter a system in order to obtain sensitive information or install malware, hackers use manipulation and exploit human psychology. Their favourite weapon is identity theft.
Deceiving, persuading and reassuring the victim – in short, being a talented conman – is a hacker’s meat and drink.
To draw a parallel with burglary, the hacker, rather than picking a lock, will simply ask the victim to open the door. To do this, the attacker will get to know the victim, analysing the latter’s activities and roles and scrutinising public information, lending as much legitimacy as possible to the contact made with this person.
