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Comment by lqdc13 | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, I don't consider the phishing scams interesting at all. This seems like more of a marketing stunt than anything. And it's borderline not hacking.

They actually didn't even do the whole thing themselves. Instead hired a phishing service...

To me this is more similar to people dressed as UPS truck drivers going inside an apartment and stealing keys. Or a cashier taking a picture of a customer's credit card.

P.S. Excellent bot if it is a bot. It seems to be taking sides on an issue and not just summarizing, which I haven't seen happen previously with any other summary bots.

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Social Engineering is absolutely hacking. This wasn't a sophisticated example, but it's still a very real threat.

I guess I have a narrower definition of hacking, specifically that it is using technology in a way it wasn't intended. If you ask someone for their credentials and they give them to you, I don't see that as being "a hack," although I guess modern parlance would say the victim "was hacked."

"Hacking" is in everyday parlance not too far from "gaining unauthorised access to a technical system."

Social engineering is often a very efficient alternative to rainbow tables, wiretapping, buffer overruns and other technical exploits.

It's often the only or best way too. The more secure a place is the easier it is to get in. People become very trusting. Carry a clipbord and look like you know where you're going and you can walk damn near anywhere.

Phishing is hacking. It's social engineering.

They didn't 'hire a phishing service'. They used a website.

Years ago a friend's house was burgled. They took blank checks and statements, among other things, and spent her money. It took a long time to unwind that.

Physically breaking in is a real threat. Now break-ins risk digital breaches as well as the old standards. Just because it involves being onsite doesn't mean it isn't a meaningful threat, and now it's not limited to just the artifacts that are stolen.

In fact, "standard" protocol in response to a physical home breakin should probably include a digital "audit."

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