Social Engineering Awareness Policy

1. Overview

The Social Engineering Awareness Policy bundle is a collection of policies and guidelines for employees of eCuras.  This Employee Front Desk Communication Policy is part of the Social Engineering Awareness Policy bundle.

To protect eCuras’s assets, all employees need to defend the integrity and confidentiality of eCuras’s resources.

2. Purpose

This policy has two purposes:

2.1 To make employees aware that (a) fraudulent social engineering attacks occur, and (b) there are procedures that employees can use to detect attacks.

2.1.0 Employees are made aware of techniques used for such attacks, and they are given standard procedures to respond to attacks.

2.1.1 Employees know who to contact in these circumstances.

2.1.2 Employees recognize they are an essential part of eCuras’s security. An employee’s integrity is the best line of defense for protecting sensitive information regarding eCuras’s resources.

2.2 To create specific procedures for employees to follow to help them make the best choice when:

2.2.0 Someone is contacting the employee – via phone, in person, email, fax, or online – and elusively trying to collect eCuras’s sensitive information.

2.2.1 The employee is “socially pressured” or “socially encouraged or tricked” into sharing sensitive data.

3. Scope

Includes all employees of eCuras, including temporary contractors or part-time employees participating with help desk customer service.

4. Policy

4.1  Sensitive information of eCuras will not be shared with an unauthorized individual if he/she uses words and/ or techniques such as the following:

4.1.1        An “urgent matter.” 

4.1.2        A “forgotten password.”

4.1.3        A “computer virus emergency.”

4.1.4        Any form of intimidation from “higher-level management.”

4.1.5        Any “name dropping” by the individual who gives the appearance that it comes from legitimate and authorized personnel.

4.1.6        The requester requires the release of information that will reveal passwords, model, serial number, or brand or quantity of eCuras resources.

4.1.7        The techniques are used by an unknown (not promptly verifiable) individual via phone, email, online, fax, or in person.

4.1.8        The techniques are used by a person that declares to be “affiliated” with eCuras such as a sub-contractor.

4.1.9        The techniques are used by an individual that says he/she is a reporter for a well-known press editor or TV or radio company.

4.1.10 The requester uses ego and vanity seducing methods, for example, rewarding the front desk employee with compliments about his/her intelligence, capabilities, or making inappropriate greetings (coming from a stranger).

4.2  Action

4.2.1        All persons described in section 3.0 MUST attend the security awareness training within 30 days from the date of employment and every six months thereafter.

4.2.2        If one or more circumstances described in section 4.0 is detected by a person described in section 

3.0, then the identity of the requester MUST be verified before continuing the conversation or replying to an email, fax, or online.

4.2.3        If the requester’s identity described in section 5.1.1 CANNOT be promptly verified, the person MUST immediately contact his/her supervisor or direct manager.

4.2.4        If the supervisor or manager is not available, that person MUST contact the security personnel.

4.2.5        If the security personnel is not available, the person described in section 3.0 MUST immediately drop the conversation, email, online chat with the requester, and report the episode to his/her supervisor before the end of the business day.

5. Policy Compliance

5.1  Compliance Measurement

The Infosec team will verify compliance with this policy through various methods, including but not limited to business tool reports, internal and external audits, and feedback to the policy owner.

5.2  Exceptions

The Infosec team must approve any exception to the policy in advance.

5.3  Non-Compliance

An employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Revised: March 14th, 2018

Table of Content

  1. Acceptable Encryption Policy
  2. Acceptable Use Policy
  3. Clean Desc Policy
  4. Data Breach Response Policy
  5. Disaster Recovery Plan Policy
  6. Digital Signature Acceptance Policy
  7. Email Policy
  8. Ethics Policy
  9. Pandemic Response Planning Policy
  10. Password Construction Guidelines
  11. Password Protection Policy
  12. Security Response Plan Policy
  13. End User Encryption Key Protection Policy
  14. Acquisition Assessment Policy
  15. Bluetooth Baseline Requirements Policy
  16. Remote Access Policy
  17. Remote Access Tools Policy
  18. Router and Switch Security Policy
  19. Wireless Communication Policy
  20. Wireless Communication Standard
  21. Database Credentials Policy
  22. Technology Equipment Disposal Policy
  23. Information Logging Standard
  24. Lab Security Policy
  25. Server Security Policy 
  26. Software Installation Policy
  27. Workstation Security (For HIPAA) Policy
  28. Web Application Security Policy
  29.  Analog/ISDN Line Security Policy
  30. Anti-Virus Guidelines
  31. Server Audit Policy
  32. Automatically Forwarded Email Policy
  33. Communications Equipment Policy
  34. Dial In Access Policy
  35. Extranet Policy
  36. Internet DMZ Equipment Policy
  37. Internet Usage Policy
  38. Mobile Device Encryption Policy
  39. Personal Communication Devices and Voicemail Policy
  40. Removable Media Policy
  41. Risk Assessment Policy
  42. Server Malware Protection Policy
  43. Social Engineering Awareness Policy
  44. DMZ Lab Security Policy
  45. Email Retention Policy
  46. Employee Internet Use Monitoring and Filtering Policy
  47. Lab Anti Virus Policy
  48. Mobile Employee Endpoint Responsibility Policy
  49. Remote Access Mobile Computing Storage
  50. Virtual Private Network Policy