Define social engineering in the context of cybersecurity.

Social engineering in the context of cybersecurity refers to the manipulation of individuals into revealing confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. This technique relies heavily on psychological tactics rather than technical prowess. Attackers often exploit human emotions such as fear, trust, or urgency to trick individuals into providing sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details, often by posing as a trusted entity.

For instance, a social engineer might impersonate a tech support representative and convince a user to share their login credentials under the pretense of resolving a technical issue. This highlights the significant role human behavior plays in cybersecurity, illustrating that even the most advanced security systems can be breached through human error or deception.

In contrast, the other options, while they touch upon aspects of cybersecurity, do not accurately define social engineering. The use of technology to hack into secure systems focuses on technical hacking methods rather than human manipulation. Training employees on security practices is important for overall cybersecurity but does not relate to the deceptive tactics of social engineering. Analyzing security risks is a systematic approach to identify vulnerabilities but does not involve the psychological manipulation characteristic of social engineering.