Corporate employees can become targets of espionage and information theft through seemingly harmless online relationships, according to Shawnee Delaney, a corporate security expert and former Defense Intelligence Agency officer. She warns that romantic manipulation, excessive flattery and personal attention can help attackers gain access to sensitive information and organizational networks.The warning comes as companies face increasingly sophisticated social engineering threats. On November 3, cryptocurrency exchange Binance disclosed that a cyberattack involving approximately $6 billion in stolen digital assets was partly enabled by a fraudulent job interview that exposed an employee’s work computer to malware.
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Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly training employees to recognize espionage techniques involving bribery, romantic manipulation and blackmail, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Delaney frequently demonstrates the risks during corporate training sessions by asking employees whether they have received flattering messages on LinkedIn praising their professional backgrounds.”OK, raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten a flattering message on LinkedIn just complimenting your background and your profile and your experience.” Delaney asks participants.She says the response is consistently unanimous, illustrating how easily professional attention can create an opportunity for manipulation.
“Every hand goes up,” Delaney says.These schemes, commonly called “honeypot” attacks or “honey traps,” exploit romantic or sexual interest to establish trust before seeking information, access or leverage over a target. Delaney explains that attackers frequently begin with ordinary conversations before gradually introducing more demanding requests.”The oldest tricks in the book: elicitation, flattery, ego,” Delaney says.
Artificial intelligence has also made it easier for malicious actors to research potential targets. According to Kevin Tian, co-founder and CEO of Doppel, attackers can examine information across websites, including Reddit and Pinterest, to develop personalized approaches.”People can get solicited, bribed, romanced, etc.,” Tian says.He emphasizes that the threat extends beyond technology companies and their executives. Employees with access to valuable intellectual property can also attract unwanted attention.
“If you’ve got access to sensitive IP [intellectual property] — it’s not just AI companies — you can be a target,” Tian says.Delaney, who founded Washington, D.C.-based Vaillance Group, advises Fortune 500 companies, including Uber and Merck, on corporate security risks. Her work includes developing employee training programs and identifying vulnerabilities within executive networks.One of the firm’s services involves preparing a “targeting package” that examines how attackers could approach executives through people in their personal and professional circles.
“We can show how they are vulnerable and how we would target that organization just by leveraging the people around them in that circle: spouses, friends, kids, parents, administrative assistants, neighbors,” Delaney says.She explains that attackers can exploit existing relationships to establish credibility. A recommendation from a trusted acquaintance may discourage someone from independently checking the background of a new contact.”Introduction, then repeated contact, favors, sensitive requests — the secrecy, the pressure,” Delaney says.
Conversations may initially involve compliments and casual exchanges before shifting toward requests for confidential documents, introductions to colleagues or other sensitive information. Delaney says the desire to be helpful can make these interactions particularly difficult to recognize.She also identifies loneliness and the desire for romantic attention as factors that can increase vulnerability to manipulation.”The bottom line is, we’re all human,” Delaney says.She explains that emotional needs can make people more receptive to attention that might otherwise appear suspicious.”It feels so good to be wanted, or to be respected, or to be appreciated, or loved,” Delaney says.For employees who encounter uncomfortable requests, Delaney recommends practicing polite but firm refusals before finding themselves under pressure.”Why do you ask?” Delaney suggests responding when someone requests information that seems inappropriate.She also recommends keeping answers vague, acknowledging that information is unavailable or declining to respond when a request crosses professional boundaries.”Put the other person on the defensive. You could give a nondescript answer. You can say you don’t know. You can say you can’t respond,” Delaney says.Basic background checks can provide another layer of protection. Delaney recommends reviewing a new contact’s social media accounts and publicly available information to determine whether their personal and professional claims are consistent.Employees who remain concerned can report suspicious interactions to their employer’s security or human resources departments. For smaller businesses and incidents outside the workplace, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center accepts complaints involving cyber threats and romance scams.Delaney also advises paying attention when a new romantic connection begins asking unusually specific questions about personal finances or professional credentials.”If you have no game at home, and you get off an airplane somewhere and suddenly everyone’s all over you, we call that a red flag,” Delaney says.
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