Case Study: Psychological Analysis

Curiosity: Recruitment information naturally interests employees
Relevance: Targeted HR and employees interested in career development
Authority: Appeared to come from management
Social Proof: Sent to multiple employees simultaneously
Timing: Aligned with annual review cycles

Examining a real attack through a psychological lens:

The RSA Breach (2011): Attackers sent emails with the subject "2011 Recruitment Plan" containing an infected Excel file.

Psychological Elements:

The attack succeeded because it expertly combined multiple psychological triggers relevant to the targets.