Social engineering is a non-technical attack that manipulates human behavior to gain access to systems or data. It often involves deception (e.g., phishing, pretexting, baiting) and requires no technical expertise or tools, making it a low-tech yet highly effective method.

Reference – CEH v13 Official Study Guide:

Module 9: Social Engineering

Quote:

“Social engineering exploits human psychology and trust to gain unauthorized access. It is considered a low-tech method because it does not require technical means.”

Incorrect Options Explained:

B. Eavesdropping may require technical tools to intercept data.

C. Scanning involves active use of tools to find vulnerabilities.

D. Sniffing is technical and requires tools to capture network traffic.