COUNTERACTION CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE METHODS OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING IN THE INTERNET

Abstract

The authors have studied the concept of «social engineering», methods and techniques of social engineering, which are used for committing criminal activities in the Internet: Voice phishing, Pharming, Spear phishing, Whaling and others. The authors have determined the main features of the false messages, which are necessary for early detection of phishing attacks like: fake Web-links, logos, sender’s addresses of phishing messages. The authors have also considered techniques for obtaining illegal information online, which are used by cybercriminals like: «Trojan Horse», «The road apple», «Reverse social engineering», «shoulder surfing».

Based on the conducted research of the most spread algorithms of criminal acts in the Internet the authors have formulated some recommendations for the protection from social engineering techniques, primarily associated with training employees of companies, institutions, organizations and also ordinary citizens. The problems arising in the prevention and fighting against cybercrime have been defined; propositions (kinds of algorithms of the law enforcement employees’ actions) on using the techniques of social engineering to combat fraud in the Internet have been formulated in the paper. Contrary to the formed public opinion about phishing and social engineering as methods of criminal activity, they can and should be used primarily for the prevention and the fight against crime in the Internet.