Nowadays, social engineering is considered to be one of the most hot-burning issues. It is known as a way of manipulation and getting information illegally. Usually, it is a kind of fraud, trickery, psychological manipulation, or just deception, which becomes the major instrument for the acquirement of confidential information or getting the computer access in order to find it and naturally obeying the human right on privacy, security, or author’s rights. In most cases, such attacks are organized by means of the Internet or various institutions.
In accordance with Adam Podgórecki, Jon Alexander, and Rob Shields social engineering is a challenging issue of the twentieth century. They define social engineering as “arranging and challenging environmental and social forces to create a high probability that effective social will occur” (1996, p. 1); also they identify the bulk of social engineering. The scientists (1996, p. 3) admit that social engineers persuade people to follow them as they do their best to improve the situation in the country. They promise to guarantee a social welfare and prosperity of people. In order to achieve their goals, social engineers establish institutions, which transform the consciousness of people and society in the whole. Admitting the important role of social engineers in forming the society of the twentieth century, Adam Podgórecki, Jon Alexander, and Rob Shields provide the examples of Stalin, Lenin, and Hitler as the most outstanding social engineers.
Christopher Hadnag’s insight comprises not only global aspects of social engineering, but also micro ones. He denotes that social engineering is present in everyday life (2010, p. 15) as therapists, psychologists, and lawyers use social engineering to get the information they need. Even children are considered to use this method in order to make parents allow doing something they want to. The scientist highlights that social engineering can have a positive impact as well. For example, a person is not fit enough, but his parents or friends become social engineers for this person and persuade him attend salsa classes. The health of this person is becoming better and better, he enjoys dances, but the person would never start attending these classes without the social engineering of friends or parents.