What is social engineering in the context of cybersecurity?

Social engineering in the context of cybersecurity refers to the psychological manipulation of individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. Attackers employ social engineering tactics to exploit human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities, making it a significant threat vector. This may involve techniques such as phishing emails, pretexting, baiting, or impersonation, where the attacker pretends to be someone trustworthy to elicit sensitive information from the target.

The other options describe various security practices but do not capture the essence of social engineering. Utilizing firewalls is focused on technical defenses, while data encryption is a method to protect data itself. Implementing strong password policies is aimed at improving individual account security but does not directly relate to the manipulation of people. Therefore, the focus of option B accurately represents the core concept of social engineering as it pertains to cybersecurity.