Social engineering is creating the weakest link in cybersecurity, despite the presence of high-tech cyber defenses. It’s often said that it’s easier to trick someone than to hack a well-fortified system – and statistics bear this out. Roughly 74% of security breaches involve human error (misdirected emails, falling for scams, poor passwords, etc.), and social engineering attacks now comprise 50% of all security incidents. Phishing and BEC scams prey on human nature: our tendency to trust, to act quickly under pressure, and to help colleagues.
Now, with AI tools available, attackers are more skilled at exploiting these vulnerabilities. Organizations must face an uncomfortable truth: no matter how much they spend on technology, a single employee clicking a well-crafted phishing email can grant attackers access. Addressing this requires focusing on the human element—culture, training, and processes—as much as technology.
Why Humans Fall for Phishing Scams
Social engineering succeeds by manipulating emotions and cognitive biases. Attackers carefully craft messages that appear to come from authoritative figures (a CEO, a vendor, an HR official) and induce a sense of urgency, fear, or curiosity. A scam email might impersonate the CEO and state: “We have a confidential deal closing today. I need you to purchase 100 gift cards in the next 2 hours for client gifts – I’ll reimburse, but don’t tell anyone yet.” An employee who wants to be helpful and fears disappointing the boss might comply without double-checking.
Another classic: an “IT support” email asks you to verify your account or password or else lose access, exploiting fear of disruption. These ploys are effective because they tap into fundamental psychological triggers. People under pressure often make snap decisions, exactly what the scammers want.
AI Is Supercharging Social Engineering Scams
Now, AI is supercharging social engineering. Generative AI allows scammers to personalize and polish their lures like never before. No longer are phishing emails riddled with typos or awkward phrasing – AI can produce language that reads as if written by a native professional, even mimicking a specific individual’s style if given samples. The old advice of “look for bad grammar as a sign of a scam” is becoming less reliable. Attackers can also generate far more phishing content, quickly creating tailored messages for different employees or departments.
This scale and customization mean more chances to find a weak spot. AI can sift through social media and public data to pick phishing targets and craft bespoke messages (a practice known as “spear phishing”). For instance, an attacker might learn from LinkedIn that your CFO attended a specific conference – an AI-crafted email could mention “Great to see you at [Conference]” to build rapport.
One of the most alarming developments is deepfake social engineering. As mentioned, AI-generated voice or video can be used to impersonate trusted people. In one case, a deepfake audio of a CEO was used to fool a subordinate over the phone. In another, deepfake video avatars of executives on a Zoom call were used to legitimize fraudulent requests.
Imagine how convincing it would be to get a call that sounds exactly like your boss telling you to pay an invoice urgently – it’s no surprise some employees have been deceived. A Deloitte survey in 2024 found that about 26% of executives had encountered at least one deepfake-based attack or incident in the prior year, and fully 50% expect such attacks to increase in the following year. This is a clear sign that the threat of AI-driven deception is no longer theoretical; it’s here and growing.
Fighting Back by Building a Security-Conscious Culture
Since we can’t eliminate human fallibility, the goal is to mitigate it through awareness and smart practices. This is where cultivating a security-conscious culture becomes crucial. In a company with a strong security culture, every employee feels a sense of responsibility and empowerment when it comes to cybersecurity. Here are key components to strive for:
Effective Training Programs For Social Engineering
Security awareness training, particularly for phishing and social engineering, should become a continuous and engaging process rather than an annual formality. Regular phishing simulations keep employees alert. Periodically testing employees with fake phishing emails teaches them to scrutinize messages carefully. According to research, organizations providing sustained training programs have achieved a 6× improvement in employees recognizing and reporting phishing attempts within six months and observed an 86% reduction in real phishing incidents.
The training content should evolve with the threat landscape, teaching about new scams such as QR code phishing, social engineering, or deepfake calls as they emerge. Interactive modules, quizzes, even gamified competitions between departments (like “Phishing Survivor” challenges) can make learning about security less of a chore and more of a shared goal.
Set Clear Social Engineering Policies and Expectations
Employees must clearly understand when to be suspicious and how to respond. Establish straightforward rules like: “We will never request your password via email” or “All wire transfer requests require verbal verification.” Communicate these policies explicitly from senior leadership. Employees find it easier to say, “I called to verify because it’s company policy,” rather than taking initiative without clear backing.
Also, establish simple procedures for reporting suspicious emails, such as a “Report Phishing” button in email clients or a dedicated internal hotline. Prompt reporting allows IT to quickly warn others and investigate potential compromises. Additionally, organizations should instruct employees about actions to take immediately after realizing they fell for a phishing attempt—rapid reporting without embarrassment significantly reduces damage.
Leadership and Example
Leadership must actively demonstrate security practices. Employees seeing their CFO personally verify an email request from the CEO by phone sends a powerful message—everyone must follow established protocols. Conversely, executives who frequently bypass security controls (like requesting IT disable MFA or skipping training) undermine the entire security program.
Successful organizations involve executives actively in security awareness initiatives, leading discussions, sharing personal near-miss anecdotes, or championing campaigns like Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cultural change occurs when employees at all levels view security as integral to organizational integrity.
Empowerment Over Blame
Organizations must promote the mindset that security is everyone’s responsibility, not just IT’s problem. When an employee reports a social engineering incident, management should thank them, signaling that the system works. If an employee makes a mistake, leadership should prioritize correcting the issue and providing further education rather than punishment. Fear of punishment encourages employees to conceal incidents, the worst possible outcome.
Instead, organizations should use errors as valuable learning opportunities. Some companies distribute anonymized “lessons learned” from actual incidents, reinforcing collective learning without blaming individuals. The ideal outcome is a vigilant workforce confidently recognizing and responding appropriately to suspicious activities, not operating under fear of repercussions.
Investing in these human-centric defenses significantly reduces organizational risk. Attackers may still target your staff, but when 99 out of 100 employees quickly identify and report phishing emails, the rare mistake triggers immediate safeguards and rapid response. Ignoring the human element leaves organizations vulnerable to social engineering—the most significant cybersecurity risk. Conversely, an educated and alert workforce creates a powerful layer of protection—commonly termed the “human firewall.”
Employees will always represent a primary target for cyberattacks, but with the right culture and training, they need not be helpless. Instead, your employees become the critical last line of defense, actively protecting your organization from cyber threats.