To complete this assignment, review the prompt and grading rubric in the
Project Three Milestone Guidelines and Rubric
. When you have finished your work, submit the assignment here for grading and instructor feedback.
CYB 260 Project Three Milestone Guidelines and Rubric
Social
Engineering
Overview
One of the fundamental maxims of cybersecurity is that security is everyone’s responsibility. Ultimately, this speaks to the idea that regardless of the physical or technological protections in
place, the weakest link will always be the human factor. In Project Three, you will address the importance of training for cybersecurity awareness because of breaches involving a human
element.
In this activity, you will investigate the following social engineering methods:
Physical
Dumpster diving
Shoulder surfing
Piggybacking and tailgating
Baiting
Psychological
Impersonation
Seduction
Persuasion and coercion
Reverse social engineering
Technological
Phishing
Pharming
Spim and smishing
Spit
Vishing
Trojans and viruses
Man-in-the-middle
2/6/25, 9:20 AM Assignment Information
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Prompt
After reviewing this module’s reading and resources, address the critical elements listed below.
I. Summarize the significance of social engineering as an area for a security practitioner to have knowledge of.
II. Select one social engineering method from each category in the list below. For each of your chosen methods, briefly describe how that method
could be applied to expose an
organization.
III. Review this module’s resources about social engineering. Describe an appropriate method of training employees to reduce the threat of one of the social engineering methods. In your
response, consider including the issues related to the following questions:
A. What are the key warning signs that would indicate to an employee that they are a victim of social engineering?
B. What are the best practices employees should be aware of concerning the social engineering method?
C. How can training help employees adopt the security mindset necessary to reduce vulnerability to the social engineering threat?
What to Submit
Your submission should be 2 to 3 pages in length and should use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Use a file name that includes the course code, the
assignment title, and your name—for example, CYB_100_Project_One_Neo_Anderson x.
Project Three Milestone Rubric
Criteria Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (65%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Significance of Social
Engineering
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
addresses critical element in an
exceptionally clear, insightful,
sophisticated, or creative
manner
Summarizes the significance of
social engineering as an area
for a security practitioner to
have knowledge of
Addresses “Proficient” criteria,
but there are gaps in clarity,
logic, or detail
Does not address critical
element, or response is
irrelevant
18
Application of Social
Engineering Method:
Physical
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
addresses critical element in an
exceptionally clear, insightful,
sophisticated, or creative
manner
Describes how a physical
method of social engineering
could be applied to expose an
organization
Addresses “Proficient” criteria,
but there are gaps in clarity,
logic, or detail
Does not address critical
element, or response is
irrelevant
18
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Criteria Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (65%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Application of Social
Engineering Method:
Psychological
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
addresses critical element in an
exceptionally clear, insightful,
sophisticated, or creative
manner
Describes how a psychological
method of social engineering
could be applied to expose an
organization
Addresses “Proficient” criteria,
but there are gaps in clarity,
logic, or detail
Does not address critical
element, or response is
irrelevant
18
Application of Social
Engineering Method:
Technological
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
addresses critical element in an
exceptionally clear, insightful,
sophisticated, or creative
manner
Describes how a technological
method of social engineering
could be applied to expose an
organization
Addresses “Proficient” criteria,
but there are gaps in clarity,
logic, or detail
Does not address critical
element, or response is
irrelevant
18
Training Employees Meets “Proficient” criteria and
addresses critical element in an
exceptionally clear, insightful,
sophisticated, or creative
manner
Describes an appropriate
method of training employees
to reduce the threat of one of
the social engineering methods
used
Addresses “Proficient” criteria,
but there are gaps in clarity,
logic, or detail
Does not address critical
element, or response is
irrelevant
18
Articulation of Response Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, and organization and
is presented in a professional
and easy-to-read format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, or organization
Submission has some errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, or organization that
negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, or organization that
prevent understanding of ideas
10
Total: 100%
2/6/25, 9:20 AM Assignment Information
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