What tactic involves manipulating individuals to reveal confidential information?

The tactic that involves manipulating individuals to reveal confidential information is social engineering. This technique relies on psychological manipulation to induce individuals to disclose sensitive data, such as passwords or personal identification, by exploiting trust or leveraging social interactions.

Social engineering can take many forms, including impersonating a trusted individual, creating a sense of urgency, or exploiting social norms to prompt someone to act against their better judgment. This tactic is particularly effective because it preys on human emotions and reactions, making it easier for attackers to bypass technical security measures.

While phishing is a specific type of social engineering that typically occurs through electronic means—like emails or messages aimed at tricking individuals into providing personal information—it is just one aspect of a broader category that includes various social engineering scenarios. Data manipulation involves altering information rather than extracting it, and information exploitation entails utilizing information that has already been gained rather than manipulating individuals to disclose it.