social-engineering
Safeguard articles tagged "social-engineering" — guides, analysis, and best practices for software supply chain and application security.
26 articles
Carnival Data Breach (May 2026): 5.99M Records Lost via Salesforce Social Engineering
Carnival confirmed a breach affecting nearly 6 million people on May 28, 2026, after an attacker socially engineered an employee into granting access to its IT environment. Here is the verified chain and what defenders should do.
The 'Code of Conduct' Phishing Wave: AiTM Token Theft Hit 13,000 Orgs (May 2026)
Microsoft detailed a polished phishing campaign that weaponized fake HR 'code of conduct' investigations to steal session tokens via adversary-in-the-middle proxies, bypassing MFA across 13,000+ organizations in 26 countries.
What is Phishing
Phishing drives more breaches than any other attack vector. Here's how it works, how it hits software supply chains, and how to defend against it.
Okta Cross-Tenant Impersonation 2024
Okta's cross-tenant impersonation advisory and related social-engineering campaigns exposed how identity providers get targeted. Lessons for defenders.
What is Social Engineering
Social engineering causes 68% of breaches per Verizon's 2024 DBIR. Learn how it works, common attack types, and how it threatens the software supply chain.
Developer Social Engineering Campaigns 2024-2025
State-aligned and financially motivated actors now target individual developers with bespoke social engineering. Here is the tradecraft and what engineering leaders must do.
Aflac and the Scattered Spider Insurance Pivot: June 2025
In June 2025 Scattered Spider pivoted from UK retail to US insurance, hitting Erie Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, and Aflac inside a week. Aflac later confirmed 22.6 million people affected. We unpack the campaign.
Coinbase TaskUs Insider Breach: When the BPO Becomes the Attack Surface
In May 2025 Coinbase disclosed that contractor support agents at TaskUs had been bribed to leak customer data for months. We unpack the insider-threat supply-chain anatomy and what crypto and fintech defenders must change.
Co-op UK DragonForce Breach: When the Helpdesk Becomes the Backdoor
In late April 2025 the Co-operative Group joined Marks & Spencer and Harrods as victims of a DragonForce-affiliated cluster that targeted UK retail through helpdesk social engineering. We unpack the playbook and what retailers must change.
Coinbase Social Engineering and Insider Threat: How Bribed Support Agents Led to a $400M Breach
Attackers bribed overseas Coinbase support agents to steal customer data, then demanded a $20M ransom. Coinbase refused to pay and disclosed everything.
Scattered Spider 2025: How the Most Dangerous Social Engineering Group Evolved
Scattered Spider adapted its tactics in 2025, moving beyond casino hacks to target retail, healthcare, and manufacturing with increasingly sophisticated social engineering.
AI Deepfake Phishing Campaigns in 2025: When Seeing and Hearing Isn't Believing
AI-generated voice and video deepfakes powered a new wave of phishing campaigns in early 2025. The technology is cheap, the results are convincing, and defenses are lagging.