What does social engineering manipulate individuals to do?

Social engineering is a tactic used by malicious individuals to manipulate people into disclosing confidential information under false pretenses. The correct answer highlights the deceptive nature of social engineering, where attackers may create scenarios or identities that lead individuals to willingly share sensitive data, such as passwords, account numbers, or personal identification details.

This manipulation often exploits human psychology, taking advantage of trust, fear, urgency, or curiosity to achieve the attacker’s objectives. By focusing specifically on deceiving individuals into revealing confidential information, this answer encapsulates the core essence of social engineering tactics in cybersecurity.

On the other hand, the other options relate to security best practices but don’t represent the deceptive manipulation characteristic of social engineering. Changing passwords regularly, installing security software, and providing feedback about security policies are proactive and protective measures that reflect awareness and vigilance rather than the vulnerability that social engineers exploit.