Training course on Social Engineering and Phishing Defense

Module 1: Introduction to Social Engineering
Overview:
Understanding the fundamentals of social engineering and its impact on organizations.
Key Focus Areas:
Definition and types of social engineering attacks
Historical and contemporary case studies
The role of human behavior and psychology in cybersecurity
Attack vectors: email, phone, SMS, social media, and in-person
Organizational impact and cost of social engineering incidents
Learning Outcome:
Participants will understand how social engineering works and its potential consequences on organizational security.

Module 2: Phishing and Related Attack Techniques
Overview:
Examining phishing methods and techniques used to exploit individuals and organizations.
Key Focus Areas:
Phishing, spear-phishing, whaling, smishing, and vishing
Email and website spoofing techniques
Social media manipulation and pretexting
Advanced persistent threats leveraging social engineering
Case studies of successful phishing attacks
Learning Outcome:
Participants will be able to identify various phishing and social engineering techniques and recognize potential threats.

Module 3: Psychological Principles of Social Engineering
Overview:
Exploring human psychology that attackers exploit to achieve their goals.
Key Focus Areas:
Persuasion, influence, and manipulation techniques
Cognitive biases and decision-making errors
Trust exploitation and authority manipulation
Emotional triggers used by attackers
Behavioral analysis to predict susceptibility
Learning Outcome:
Participants will understand the psychological tactics behind social engineering and how to mitigate susceptibility.

Module 4: Defense Strategies and Preventive Measures
Overview:
Implementing proactive strategies to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks.
Key Focus Areas:
Technical controls: email filters, multi-factor authentication, anti-phishing tools
Organizational policies and procedures
Employee training and awareness programs
Incident reporting channels and response protocols
Continuous improvement and security culture promotion
Learning Outcome:
Participants will be able to implement layered defenses combining technology, policies, and human awareness.

Module 5: Detection, Response, and Post-Incident Actions
Overview:
Responding effectively to social engineering incidents and learning from them.
Key Focus Areas:
Identifying early signs of social engineering attacks
Incident response and containment strategies
Investigating and analyzing attack attempts
Reporting and communication protocols
Lessons learned and strengthening organizational defenses
Learning Outcome:
Participants will be able to detect, respond to, and mitigate social engineering attacks, ensuring lessons are integrated into ongoing cybersecurity
practices.
Practical Exercises
Phishing email analysis and simulation exercises
Social engineering scenario role-playing
Employee awareness campaign development
Incident response tabletop exercises
Behavioral analysis and risk assessment simulations