2025 Guide to Social Engineering Attacks

💡 Ultimate Guide to Social Engineering Attacks (and How to Avoid Them)

98% of cyberattacks now rely on social engineering rather than technical vulnerabilities. That means cybercriminals aren't spending their time hunting for complex software flaws or writing sophisticated code to break into your systems. Instead, they're focusing on something much simpler — and arguably more effective — manipulating people.

Think about it this way: why would an attacker spend weeks trying to crack your firewall when they can send a convincing email that gets your employee to click a link and hand over the keys? It's faster, cheaper, and frankly, it works better than the old-school hacking methods we used to worry about.

In this article, we deep dive into emerging threats and how to avoid them. Don’t miss this comprehensive look at one of the largest cyber risks out there!

📖 Read the Article from NTM Advisory: The Ultimate Guide to Social Engineering Attacks in 2025

Compliance Updates

⏹️ Largest Health Care Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, alongside federal and state partners, announced in late June 2025 the largest health care fraud takedown to date. Criminal charges were filed against 324 defendants, including healthcare professionals, for schemes involving over $14.6 billion in fraudulent activity. This underscores the heightened enforcement environment in healthcare compliance.

⏹️ DOJ Launches Data Security Program Enforcement on July 8, 2025, Impacting Businesses Nationwide

Beginning July 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will actively enforce its Data Security Program, focusing on organizations across sectors including finance, healthcare, and insurance. The program emphasizes adherence to cybersecurity best practices, incident response readiness, and protection of sensitive consumer data. Businesses are urged to review their data security policies, conduct risk assessments, and ensure compliance with federal and state data protection laws to avoid enforcement actions and penalties.

🤔 North Korea’s Remote Worker Fraud: What Happened?

In late June and early July 2025, U.S. authorities uncovered a massive fraud where thousands of North Korean operatives infiltrated over 100 American companies — including many Fortune 500 firms — by posing as remote IT workers. These operatives used stolen or fake U.S. identities to land jobs, often supported by accomplices running “laptop farms” across the country that masked their true locations. The wages they earned were funneled back to North Korea to fund its weapons programs, directly violating international sanctions.

According to CBS News, the operatives employed sophisticated tactics to stay hidden for years, including AI-enhanced fake documents and voice-changing software to bypass hiring checks. They created convincing online profiles and used VPNs and remote management tools to appear as legitimate U.S.-based employees.

The Department of Justice, FBI, and other agencies responded swiftly with arrests, indictments, and the seizure of hundreds of laptops, financial accounts, and fraudulent websites connected to the scheme. This crackdown highlights the growing risks tied to remote work and the urgent need for stronger identity verification and cybersecurity measures.

U.S. officials warn that any company hiring remote tech talent could be vulnerable to similar schemes. They recommend businesses increase their vigilance, enhance employee screening processes, and implement robust cybersecurity practices to protect against such sophisticated frauds in the future.

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