HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47390/SPR1342V5I11Y2025N19Keywords:
social engineering, psychological manipulation, information threat, cognitive warfare, social construction, fraud methodology.Abstract
This article provides an in-depth analysis of the historical formation, scientific paradigms, and methodological foundations of the phenomenon of social engineering. It covers the evolutionary stages from the concepts of scientific governance of society to the era of psychological manipulation and digital cognitive warfare. The study examines sociological, psychological, and cybersecurity interpretations of social engineering, offering a scholarly explanation of cognitive threats implemented through the exploitation of trust mechanisms within human consciousness. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the approach to social engineering not merely as a tool of fraud or cybercrime, but as a complex epistemological category aimed at influencing and controlling human cognition. Relying on theoretical and analytical frameworks, the research highlights the strategic significance of social engineering for societal security, information sovereignty, and the collective mind.
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