Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Social media exploitation in the context of cybersecurity refers to the use of social media platforms to gather information or manipulate targets for cyber attacks. This involves leveraging the vast amount of personal information shared by individuals on these platforms, which can include sensitive data, location information, and potential vulnerabilities.

Cybercriminals often employ tactics such as social engineering, where they create deceptive interactions to gain trust or extract information from unsuspecting users. For example, a hacker may pose as a friend or a reputable entity to deceive an individual into revealing login credentials or other confidential information. Additionally, social media can be used to conduct reconnaissance on organizations, identifying key personnel and understanding their roles to execute more targeted attacks.

This method significantly increases the effectiveness of cyber attacks because it capitalizes on human psychology and the tendency of users to share personal details online, making them more susceptible to manipulation and deceit. Hence, the use of social media for malicious purposes, such as gathering intelligence for cyber attacks or influencing the behavior of individuals, accurately encapsulates the concept of social media exploitation in cybersecurity.