What Is Elicitation Cyber Security and How to Counter It

What is Elicitation?

Elicitation may include cover stories or excuses explaining why certain questions are being asked. Some collecting activities are very aggressive and imaginative or require extensive planning. One of the attractions of elicitation as an intelligence-gathering technique for U.S. foreign operatives is that it is a very low-risk activity. For the target, it is difficult to recognize that it is a means of collecting information, and it is easy to deny intentional fraud. It's just a pleasant conversation between colleagues and friends.

It is also attractive that many things go well. Through elicitation, information aggregators can confirm or expand their knowledge of classified programs or gain a clearer insight into an individual's potential recruitment vulnerabilities. So what Elicitation means in cyber security? Check what is elicitation cyber security in the following.

What Does Elicitation Cyber Security Mean?

Elicitation cyber security is the process of extracting information without the knowledge or consent of an individual or organization. This can be accomplished through techniques such as social engineering, phishing, and pretexting. The purpose of the investigation is to collect sensitive information such as credentials and intellectual property that could be used for malicious purposes. This is a common tactic used by hackers and cybercriminals to gain access to secure systems and networks. Elicitation therefore poses a significant cybersecurity threat and organizations should take steps to protect against them. 

How to Counter Elicitation Cyber Security

Sometimes the elicitation attempts are simple or obvious, but other times they are imaginative, persistent, and difficult to detect and counter. Therefore, it is vital to know some targeted counter strategies for elicitation cyber security:

Use limited answers.

These should be sufficient to form meaningful sentences. In this way, the elicitor is forced to ask more specific questions. Additionally, this strategy can sometimes push your opponent into their discomfort zone. A good investigator knows he can't conduct an investigation. Because of this, he will prefer to end the conversation and make other plans. Build a spiritual palace.

A well-defined circle of words and thoughts that you can easily move within during a conversation. In this state, the person appears less hostile to the agent's provocation strategies but is still forced to expose themselves and their targets in some way.

Pretend you don't know.

In certain situations, claiming ignorance is the best way to win a confrontation, especially to avoid more aggressive reconnaissance strategies. The trick is not to fall into the provocation trap. In this case, giving the other person a reason may be a strategy.

Lead the conversation.

It helps to lead the conversation. Even if a contact wants to talk about something or forces you to do so in some way, it usually doesn't mean you have to follow them. Just finding a method, strategy, or answer can steer the conversation in a different direction.

Answer questions with questions.

Deflect the question with your question. For instance, you can ask him back, like what about you?

Define your comfort zone as neutrally as possible.

Avoid harsh remarks, uncomfortable positions, and overly closed attitudes. It's important to feel comfortable in order not to divulge too much information. Conversely, trying to hide without saying anything can already be a clue to the enemy. For this reason, the person should try to appear natural and spontaneous, such as sarcasm. Especially in uncomfortable situations, sarcastic jokes can help keep you from losing control of the situation. 

Conclusion:

As tech advances, the threat of cyberattacks continues to grow. Protecting sensitive information and data is a top priority for businesses and organizations. To ensure the security of their systems, many organizations are turning to elicitation cyber security research practices. The specific tool, WeTest, is recommended to detect and protect your cyber security. Its application security testing features allow you to detect apps from multi-dimensions, and keep your online privacy to the greatest extent possible. You can try this tool to test your applications.