The easiest system to hack is the human mind...

A couple classes ago we learned about social engineering. Before this class whenever I thought about hackers and people gaining information was by a hacker getting into my computer and breaking through a security system. However that is not always the case, the easiest way to get past "security" is sometimes by deceiving the person using it. Social engineering uses psychological manipulation to persuade people to release information, give access, send money, etc. The topic that stuck with me the most in the class is that with social intelligence it is not just about creating this elaborate lie but just creating a situation that a victim believes is real. This made me think about the Salem Witch Hysteria presentation, could what happened in Salem be compared to social engineering? It is a situation that people believe to be real, if you are a woman then you are a witch, if you do not have kids then you are a witch... obviously they were not trying to hack into any systems or get personal information. However, I do think it is similar in the psychological element because they created a sense of fear, urgency, emotion, and social pressure that influenced them to believe that way. 

This left me thinking on the power of deception. The best way to deceive people is to not make up a complete lie. A more convincing deception might come from 80% truth and 20% lies just like when we watched Paper Moon. The deception of the engraved bible is not a completely fabricated lie, there is some truth to it. There is the reality of the bible itself as it is a real product that people would buy, the people who were "buying" them had real connections to the deceased people. Because so much of the situation seems very legitimate there is no reason to be weary about it. In a way, I think this is similar to social engineering without the terminology we have now. Social engineering was created in this age where technology and digital innovation however the psychological principles behind it have existed for a lot longer. 

So, maybe social engineering is not a new form of deception. Technology might of just given an old form of manipulation a name and more tools to be able to hack and manipulate faster and easier. Now we see all of the deep fakes and phishing that exponentially show how there is so much deception and the manipulation of human trust is the underlying reason that it is easier for hackers to be able to do so. So is our biggest threat is technology or if it is the manipulation of human minds. 

Comments

  1. williams.dan7624 September 2026 at 07:47

    This is really a great blog, thanks. I appreciate the way you discussed social engineering together with the Salem hysteria outbreak. I think you are 100% correct to see the similarities. It's so true--it's easier to "hack" a person than a system. Both require the manipulation of belief, and whatever is deeply believed--no matter how crazy--becomes reality for that person. Reality is made up of our perceptions.

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