Ever wondered how scammers manage to trick so many people? It’s because they’re masters of persuasion. While their methods may vary, social engineering tactics all focus on one thing: manipulating human behavior to steal personal data or corporate secrets.

In an ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, experts tirelessly develop new defense systems to safeguard individuals and businesses from the relentless pursuit of hackers. But hackers have found an effective way to circumvent even the most robust network security systems: They capitalize on human vulnerabilities, tricking people into divulging sensitive information.

The volume of malicious cyber attacks is increasing every year. Although many companies use the latest network security systems, they aren’t immune to the hackers’ favorite strategy — social engineering. Unlike malware, social engineering tricks people into volunteering sensitive data.

Every time we learn about a cyberattack that has affected so many businesses, we invest in security technologies that will safeguard our systems. This year, however, social engineering attacks have taken center stage in the Rio Olympics. Using various scams, hackers can circumvent network security systems by convincing gullible users into giving away sensitive information.