New 2026 State of Vishing Report: Is Your Team Prepared?
Dear Readers,
When a request comes from someone we trust, do we stop to question it?
In this November edition, we're featuring a preview of Chris Hadnagy's Expert Insight article, “Your Help Desk Is Calling. Here Is Why Your People Should Hang Up.” Discover how attackers exploit trusted IT roles, then visit our website to read the full article.
We're also excited to announce the release of our 2026 State of Vishing Report, revealing how authority, trust, and urgency influence security decisions.
Plus, we're introducing “Try This with Your Team,” a new recurring section that turns research into action. Our first exercise, “Authority Under Pressure,” offers a realistic scenario and a practical way to strengthen verification.
Explore the insights, discover the research, and put what you learn into practice.
Every security decision begins with a human.
The SECOM Team
November 2026
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What if the person calling to help secure your account is actually the one trying to compromise it?
Attackers can impersonate trusted IT personnel, using familiar security processes and urgent requests to make malicious instructions seem legitimate. When a call appears to come from the help desk, employees may be more inclined to cooperate than question it.
But how can organizations help employees recognize these tactics without undermining trust in legitimate IT support?
Explore Chris Hadnagy's insights on how attackers exploit trust and why independent verification matters.
Read Chris Hadnagy's full article on the Social-Engineer website.
Human Behavior Is the First Layer of Security
Whether your goal is strengthening your red team, improving assessments, or better understanding how people make security decisions, your journey starts with understanding the human element.
As a trusted partner of the American Bankers Association, Social-Engineer, LLC helps financial institutions measure and reduce human-layer risk through realistic social engineering assessments and targeted training. Together, we enable banks to strengthen resilience against today’s fraud and cyber threats.
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