Best Strategies & Solutions to Reduce Multiple Social Engineering Attacks in 2025
Social engineering attacks are among the most dangerous and prevalent threats facing businesses today. Depending on the size and nature of your organization, the term social engineering can mean different things, ranging from phishing emails to malicious phone calls from individuals pretending to represent banks, government entities, or law enforcement. In essence, social engineering manipulates human psychology, exploiting trust, fear, urgency, or authority to deceive people into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that compromise the organization’s security.
As cybercriminals continuously evolve their techniques, it is crucial for businesses to understand these threats and implement solutions to mitigate their impact. Social engineering attacks are becoming more sophisticated and dangerous, especially with the rise of AI-driven technology and advanced voice/video cloning software. These advancements have made social engineering attacks harder to detect and easier to execute, posing a significant risk to companies across industries.
This article explores the latest strategies and solutions businesses should implement in 2025 to safeguard against social engineering attacks. These solutions range from utilizing advanced verification platforms and AI-driven cybersecurity systems to penetration testing and employee training programs. Each of these strategies addresses different aspects of social engineering prevention and can significantly reduce the likelihood of falling victim to these attacks.
1. TrueBust: Digital Communication Verification Platform
One of the key solutions for protecting against social engineering attacks is TrueBust, an electronic communication verification platform designed to vet high-risk requests employees may receive. Whether an email seems suspicious or a phone call feels off, TrueBust helps users authenticate digital communications from both internal and external sources.
This platform empowers employees by allowing them to verify the legitimacy of requests coming from colleagues, superiors, external vendors, clients, or even banks. Given the growing sophistication of social engineering attacks, where hackers may pose as trusted sources, TrueBust provides an essential layer of protection by ensuring these communications are thoroughly vetted before any action is taken.
TrueBust is particularly effective at helping organizations detect social engineering scams that specifically target employees. These attacks are becoming more common, and without the proper tools in place, they can lead to disastrous consequences, such as financial fraud, unauthorized data access, or system compromises. Implementing TrueBust significantly reduces the chances of such incidents occurring.
PROS:
- No access to company traffic, eliminating concerns about data privacy or false positives.
- Quick and easy implementation process.
- Employees can be trained to use the platform in under 5 minutes.
- Particularly effective against CEO fraud, business email compromise (BEC), ransomware, malware distribution, and phishing attempts.
CONS:
- TrueBust does not cover every form of social engineering attack.
- The platform does not actively train employees to detect threats without its use.
- Even with TrueBust, there is a risk that a clever attacker could convince an employee to bypass the system.
- Currently, TrueBust only functions on mobile phones, limiting its application to desktop environments.
COST:
- TrueBust has no upfront implementation costs.
- Two billing options are available:
- Per user, per month: starts at $12.
- Per performance: businesses are billed only when TrueBust prevents a major cyberattack, with a fee equivalent to 2% of the estimated financial damage the attack would have caused.
2. Darktrace: AI-Driven Cybersecurity Platform
Darktrace is a cutting-edge cybersecurity platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI). It excels at detecting and responding to sophisticated cyber threats, including insider threats, corporate espionage, ransomware, and attacks from nation-state actors. With its Active AI Security Platform, Darktrace monitors threats across an entire organization, offering real-time detection and autonomous responses to both known and emerging attacks.
One of Darktrace’s standout features is its ability to correlate threats across multiple domains of an organization, from email systems to internal networks and cloud services. Its AI-driven models continuously learn from the data they observe, improving the system’s accuracy and efficiency over time. This level of proactive cybersecurity provides businesses with enhanced resilience against ever-evolving threats.
Darktrace is widely used across industries, serving nearly 10,000 customers globally. Its clients include critical infrastructure providers, public sector agencies, healthcare providers, financial institutions, educational institutions, and media companies. Darktrace’s versatility makes it a top choice for organizations of all sizes looking for a robust, AI-powered cybersecurity solution.
PROS:
- AI-powered threat detection provides a high level of protection against sophisticated attacks.
- Autonomous response capabilities (via Darktrace’s Antigena) neutralize threats without human intervention.
- Comprehensive visibility across the organization’s entire digital environment, including cloud services, internal systems, and external communications.
- Quick deployment and seamless integration with existing infrastructure.
CONS:
- Darktrace is expensive, with a high annual cost that may be prohibitive for smaller organizations.
- Managing the platform can be complex, particularly for organizations without a dedicated cybersecurity team.
- There is potential for false positives, where the system flags non-threatening activities as security risks.
- Limited customization options may not meet the specific needs of all organizations.
COST:
- The average cost of Darktrace software is around $100,000 per year, although prices may vary depending on the organization's size and specific requirements.
3. Social Engineering Penetration Testing
Social engineering penetration testing (also known as social engineering pentesting) is a method of simulating social engineering attacks on an organization to identify vulnerabilities in its people, processes, and policies. These tests typically involve ethical hackers employing common social engineering tactics such as phishing, USB drops, and impersonation to see how employees respond to real-world attack scenarios.
Conducting regular social engineering penetration tests can uncover weaknesses that may otherwise go unnoticed. For example, employees may inadvertently fall for a phishing email, or an outsider could gain access to sensitive areas of the office through impersonation. These tests help organizations identify human vulnerabilities and take corrective actions, such as updating security policies or conducting additional employee training.
The primary benefit of social engineering penetration testing is that it provides organizations with a realistic assessment of their exposure to these types of attacks. By identifying and addressing weaknesses, businesses can strengthen their defenses and reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks.
PROS:
- Provides real-world threat simulations, giving organizations a clear picture of how employees respond to social engineering attacks.
- Improves employee awareness of common social engineering tactics.
- Identifies human and procedural weaknesses that could be exploited in actual attacks.
- Cost-effective compared to other security testing methods, as it primarily focuses on human behavior rather than technical vulnerabilities.
CONS:
- Must be conducted periodically to remain effective, as employees may forget lessons learned from previous tests.
- Some employees may feel embarrassed or discouraged if they fall for simulated attacks, potentially affecting morale.
- Raises ethical and privacy concerns, as it involves tricking employees as part of the test.
- Successful results could lead to overconfidence, causing employees to underestimate future threats.
COST:
- The average cost of social engineering pentesting ranges from $4,000 to $10,000+, depending on the organization's size and the complexity of the tests conducted.
4. Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) Tools
Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) tools automate the process of emulating cyberattacks to continuously validate an organization’s security controls. BAS tools simulate real-world attacks in a controlled environment to test how effectively an organization’s defenses respond to various threat scenarios.
These tools are particularly valuable because they allow businesses to identify weaknesses in their security posture before cybercriminals exploit them. By regularly running BAS simulations, organizations can ensure that their security measures are up to date and effective against emerging threats.
BAS tools provide real-time monitoring and analysis, enabling security teams to address vulnerabilities immediately. This proactive approach to cybersecurity is essential in today’s environment, where new threats emerge frequently, and the cost of a successful attack can be catastrophic.
PROS:
- Automates the process of identifying and remediating security vulnerabilities.
- Provides continuous validation of security controls.
- Offers real-time monitoring of systems, applications, and networks.
- Reduces the likelihood of successful cyberattacks by keeping defenses current and effective.
CONS:
- BAS tools require ongoing management and monitoring to ensure they are functioning optimally.
- The cost of implementation and maintenance can be high for smaller organizations.
- Some tools may generate false positives, requiring security teams to sift through unnecessary alerts.
COST:
- The cost of BAS tools varies depending on the provider and the scope of the services offered. Organizations can expect to pay anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands annually, depending on the complexity of their environment and security needs.
5. Social Engineering Awareness Training
Social engineering awareness training is a structured educational program that teaches employees how to recognize, prevent, and respond to social engineering attacks. This type of training focuses on common attack methods such as phishing, pretexting, baiting, and tailgating, all of which cybercriminals use to exploit human behavior.
The primary goal of social engineering awareness training is to raise employee awareness about how attackers manipulate trust, authority, and urgency to deceive their victims. Through interactive exercises and real-world examples, employees learn to recognize red flags, such as unsolicited requests for sensitive information or unusual behavior from colleagues and external contacts.
In addition to improving individual awareness, social engineering training helps foster a culture of security within the organization. By regularly updating employees on the latest social engineering tactics, companies can significantly reduce the risk of successful attacks and ensure that their human defenses are as strong as their technical ones.
PROS:
- Educates employees on how to recognize and respond to social engineering threats.
- Reduces the likelihood of successful attacks by increasing awareness.
- Can be tailored to specific organizational needs and risk profiles.
- Enhances the overall security culture within the company.
CONS:
- Requires regular updates to remain effective, as social engineering tactics evolve over time.
- Training alone is not enough; employees must also be provided with the tools and resources to act on their knowledge.
- Some employees may not take the training seriously, reducing its effectiveness.
- Costs may accumulate if regular training sessions are required.
In-House Security Analysts Team to Verify High-Risk Requests
Building an in-house security analysts team is another effective strategy for reducing the risk of social engineering attacks. This team consists of cybersecurity professionals dedicated to verifying high-risk requests, such as large financial transactions, access to sensitive data, or system changes.
The purpose of having an in-house team is to ensure that any suspicious or high-risk activity is thoroughly vetted before being approved. For example, if an employee receives a request from a superior to transfer funds to an unfamiliar account, the in-house team would step in to verify the authenticity of the request before any action is taken.
Having a dedicated in-house team helps reduce the likelihood of falling victim to sophisticated social engineering attacks, particularly those targeting high-level employees or critical systems. This team can work alongside automated tools like TrueBust to provide an additional layer of scrutiny, ensuring that only legitimate requests are processed.
PROS:
- Adds a human layer of security for high-risk requests.
- Reduces the likelihood of falling victim to social engineering attacks.
- Provides quick, real-time verification of suspicious activities.
- Strengthens overall organizational security by creating a specialized team focused on threat prevention.
CONS:
- Requires investment in hiring and training cybersecurity professionals.
- May slow down business processes if not properly integrated into workflows.
- Relies on the expertise and judgment of analysts, which could lead to human error in rare cases.
- Requires ongoing management and support to remain effective.
Conclusion
In 2025, businesses must adopt a multifaceted approach to combat the growing threat of social engineering attacks. Solutions like TrueBust and Darktrace provide advanced technology to detect and neutralize threats, while social engineering penetration testing and awareness training address human vulnerabilities. Implementing these strategies, along with building an in-house security analysts team, creates a robust defense against social engineering attacks, safeguarding organizations from the potentially devastating consequences of cybercrime.