What type of social engineering attack involves impersonating someone to gain information from a target?

Pretexting is a specific type of social engineering attack where an attacker creates a fabricated scenario, or "pretext," to obtain personal or confidential information from a target. In this approach, the attacker assumes a false identity or role that the target finds trustworthy—in many cases, they might impersonate someone in authority or a familiar figure. The effectiveness of pretexting hinges on the attacker’s ability to convince the target that they need to divulge information or perform actions that would typically require a level of trust.

This method relies heavily on social interaction and manipulation, drawing on psychological tactics to persuade the target to comply. Since pretexting is designed around the ruse of a believable but false premise, it allows the attacker to collect sensitive data without raising immediate suspicion. Understanding this concept is crucial for recognizing potential vulnerabilities within an organization and ensuring that individuals are trained to manage information securely.