social engineering

Social engineering attacks exploit human trust and cognitive biases to bypass technical defenses. On WindowsForum.com, discussions cover real-world examples such as fake Microsoft Teams helpdesk calls leading to Quick Assist and data theft, the Axios maintainer takeover as a supply-chain attack, and the ClickFix scam that uses a fake Windows Update pop-up to deliver in-memory infostealers. Other threads examine how short-form social media trains users to tap before thinking, making them more susceptible to phishing, and how AI coding assistants can help detect social engineering in developer-targeted attacks. A historical look at the Windows 95 era fax virus panic illustrates how analog trust and poor etiquette can amplify social engineering. These conversations emphasize that social engineering is a persistent threat vector requiring continuous security awareness training.