When we hear the word engineering we may imagine, among other things, men with helmets and plans (because of the civil engineering thing), extravagant mathematical calculations or computer geniuses as we see them in the movies.

However, there is another kind of engineering, one so subtle that it can even generate great changes: social engineering .

Social engineering: defining the concept

It may sound like science fiction but, in fact, social engineering exists and is used by many, from hackers to governments, and that’s where one of the main issues begins: what do we mean by the term social engineering?

The term has a long history, but we can summarize it by saying that there are basically two ways of understanding this concept. The first, taken from the field of computer science, to be precise from hackers; and the second, taken from political science.

For hackers or people dedicated to computer security in general, social engineering is the act of manipulating a person through psychological techniques and social skills to achieve specific goals (Sandoval, 2011) that in this area these goals usually refer to obtaining information or access to the system.

On the other hand, political science has understood social engineering as any programme dedicated to influence the attitudes, relations and actions of society so that it adopts the vision that it wants to implement.

The Role of Psychology in Social Engineering

The psychology plays an important role in both conceptions of social engineering, since it is from the use of psychological techniques that the implementation of them is made possible.

Social engineering techniques

Some of the techniques are, in fact, quite simple and are based on behaviors that are connatural to the human person since they have a social and evolutionary function that predisposes us to them.

For example, applied in the individual scope as the hackers do, Kevin Mitnick (2002), expert in the subject, mentions at least four basic principles and of psychological order that make an attack of social engineering . These principles are:

  • We all want to help : It’s something cultural and it’s deeply rooted. Helping is one of the first things children are taught, and it is a social principle in the West as well as in the East.
  • The first movement towards the other is one of trust : Here more than one might disagree since not all people generate the same trust and many factors come into play; however, in principle this is correct since from childhood we learn to trust others. It is part of our evolution and nature (NatGeo, 2015).
  • We avoid saying ‘No’ : Although we don’t always say yes to everything, a great majority of people find it hard to say no. It all depends on the way the information is requested and social engineers are skilled at finding that way.
  • We all like to be praised : The search for recognition exists in human nature and to be praised is a good way to satisfy that need (Mankeliunas, 1996), not surprisingly it can be used to manipulate or for others to manipulate us.

Behavioral theory and experimental psychology have given us many useful techniques for both modifying and controlling behavior (remembering that the behavioral definition of psychology includes both purposes)

Applying social engineering principles through marketing

However, is it socially applicable? The answer is yes . It should not be forgotten that marketing and advertising do this all the time. In fact, social engineering – as it is understood in political science – arises in the business field with J. C. van Marken and from there it is extrapolated to political science. Propaganda, language manipulation, support in voices of authority (such as politicians, scientists, academics) are just some of the means used.

Noam Chomsky mentions some manipulation techniques among which are the strategy of gradualness , using the emotional aspect in arguments, creating problems and then offering solutions, reinforcing self-blame, the strategy of deferring a decision among others. Examples of its use throughout history have been totalitarian governments (Nazism, Fascism, Communism, for example), but it is also found in democracies, and with greater ease.

Social experiments

As a social entity that is the human being, in principle it seeks not to be different because to be different is to be excluded (need for affiliation). This psychological fact is what is fundamentally used to atomize a society into groups that are more controllable and at the same time more manipulable.Stanley Milgram, for example, demonstrated with his experiment how manipulable are the people that by someone with “authority” when managing to make that during the experiment the participants will be ordered to increase the power in the electrical impulse that they used to indicate an error to an actor to whom they did not see but heard his screams.

On the other hand, Solomon Asch showed that the influence of others can lead people to act on their own opinion and values while Philip Zimbardo revealed how role-playing changes people’s behavior. It is also known that manipulating language manipulates one’s perception of a phenomenon X (as performed in cognitive-behavioral therapy). If this is repeated by the media over and over again, it becomes easier for the masses to accept this phenomenon .

These are just a few examples of experiments that underpin social engineering techniques on a massive scale by institutions, non-governmental bodies, political parties and governments. Propaganda plays an important role in the development of social engineering remembering that it is with the knowledge of the human being, his tendencies, his desires, his needs, his psychic mechanisms, his automatisms, as well as the knowledge of social psychology and analytical psychology that propaganda refines its techniques (Jaques Ellul).

Now, is social engineering negative?

From my point of view, the answer would be a no . At least not in itself. Although it is true that social engineering has been used to implement an agenda that imposes a specific vision of the world (both in totalitarian and democratic systems), it is also true that can be used to solve real problems , that is, it can be used for a good beyond political, economic or ideological pettiness.

If social engineering techniques can be used to end a relationship or obtain private information or impose a viewpoint or a new law previously contrary to popular feeling, why couldn’t they be used for the opposite?

In this respect, the philosopher Karl Popper (1945), believed that this was in fact the right way to use it. For him, the proper thing about social engineering was to solve social problems in a way analogous to how an engineer does for more production. On the other hand, he differentiates between the social engineering of democratic and totalitarian societies. In democratic societies, the solution is consensual and gradual, thus receiving more support. On the contrary, in totalitarian societies what is wanted is to solve all evils by imposing an ideal.

In conclusion, both psychology and other disciplines involved have much to offer and although it is true that social engineering is usually held in a negative concept , it is also true that it is necessary to solve many problems both at an individual and social level, which is why I think training in this aspect is important.

Bibliographic references:

  • Anonymous. Manipulation techniques used by the mass media (online) 2012. Consultation date: 1 February 2016. Available at: http://ssociologos.com/2012/08/08/tecnicas-de-manipulacion-utilizadas-por-los-medios-masivos/
  • Fierro, A. Social engineering and psychology (online) 1982. Consultation date: February 1, 2016. Available at: http://elpais.com/diario/1982/04/15/sociedad/387669601_850215.html
  • Kolber, J. (Producer) (2013) Mind Games [TV Series] United States. National Geographic
  • Mitnick, K. (2002) The Art of Disappointment. Mexico City: John Wiley & Sons
  • Pluss, D. Psychosocial manipulation (online) 2013. Consultation date: 1 February 2016. Available at: http://es.slideshare.net/dappluss/manipulacion-psicosocial-daniel-pluss
  • Popper, K. (1945) The open society and its enemies. Mexico City: Paidós
  • [Potatool] (2015 May 23) 2.-Social engineering, we think or they think of us. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gj7bCwXsEI
  • Comunicar magazine. Noam Chomsky and the ten strategies of media manipulation (line) Date of consultation: February 1, 2016. Available at: http://www.revistacomunicar.com/pdf/noam-chomsky-la-manipulacion.pdf
  • Rodríguez, J. [Juan Carlos Rodríguez] (2014 July 25) Introduction to social engineering. Retrieved from https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMJLK8aJMbU
  • Sandoval, E. Social Engineering: Corrupting the Human Mind (online) 2011. Consultation date: February 1, 2016.