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Well, what is social
engineering? Why should I know? Is anybody actually listening to
me? Well, simply put, it is exactly what it sounds like,
engineering society. Social engineering has been around ever
since man developed society, and you can find an example of it in
many places. The bible makes a good example, because it sets up a
system of cause and effect, I.E. "sin" and you go to
"hell". But social engineering doesn't have to be all
bad, our country is based on it. The constitution and the
government we live under is another very obvious example. Now,
another form, and the topic that I want to cover, is social
engineering for your own personal pleasure and gain.
Now, the most basic example of this social engineering factor is
walking into a crowded movie theater and yelling
"fire". But is this really it? Why yes, yes it is. See,
when you yell fire, the peoples first immediate response is to
take in the situation, now some people do this faster, so they
start running and screaming before others, but it doesn't take
long for every one to figure it out.
Now you are starting to understand the mass hysteria side of it,
next well cover routine, and how to use it to our advantage.
This is a good example of routine, a person you know that is not
very proficient at a computer has a tendency to type their
password in very slowly. Now, they have done this so many times,
that they don't even look around because they "assume"
that no one is watching them. Now that is the routine, how do you
use this to your advantage? Well, simply look over their shoulder
when they type it in. It's really that simple and obvious. This
is the same conditioned response as the fire example, because
people all their life have been told to stay away from fire, fire
is bad, and when this normal routine is broken by something they
know or think is bad, a persons psyche becomes confused and they
panic.
These routines are ever present in society, and are quite fun to
disrupt and mess with peoples behavior. Now, you see a twenty
dollar bill lying on the ground, what do you do? Pick it up of
course, but wait, someone has tied a string to it and plucks it
away out of your hand. That is a conditioned response, you want
that twenty, and the person holding onto the end of the string
knows it, and they also know they have the advantage over your
routine by knowing exactly how you will respond. It's really that
easy to understand.
Now that you have this information, and you understand that
everyone around you, and even yourself are running on a series of
routines, and if something different arises, you will 1. Try to
stick to the same routine as much as possible, or 2. Panic,
worry, fear, break down, nervous laugh, or a number of any other
signs of dismay over this change.
The solution to this problem? There is none, for as long as man
exists, routine exists, these small grasps on the world and on
life, offer our only source or feeling of control in an extremely
over whelming world.