What does dressing like a janitor, carrying a ladder into a movie theater, and cybercrime all have in common? We can be easily deceived and persuaded into believing just about anything with relative ease.This phenomenon is called Social Engineering. Social Engineering is the use of deception and persuasion to convince individuals to give up information or be used to gain access to areas not generally available to the public.Some instances of Social Engineering may be harmless. You have likely seen the videos on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok of pranksters carrying a ladder into a movie theater and no one questions them about where they are going or what they are doing. This works because when we see someone with a ladder, we assume they know what they are doing and are going to fix an issue.When we receive an email that we believe is from our boss asking us to move money into a different account or sign certain documents, we may do so without asking any questions. After all, it is our boss. However, some cybercriminals are using Social Engineering to their advantage. Posing as someone of authority and gaining access to private data. In this episode of Crossing the Firewall, Dr. Kevin Steinmetz joins us to discuss Social Engineering and how we can prevent ourselves from falling victim. —Follow Crossing the Firewall on social media! Find us on BlueSky and Instagram. You can also follow the MSU Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training on LinkedIn. Crossing the Firewall is hosted by Dr. Tom Holt, Dr. Rachel McNealey, and Dr. Taylor Fisher. Edited by JJ Thomas. All views and opinions expressed are the views of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of their home institutions or places of work. All information provided in this podcast should not be taken as business, personal, financial, or legal advice.