Welcome to Your Emotional Security Assessment
Social engineers succeed not by exploiting technical vulnerabilities, but by manipulating our natural human emotions and instincts.
This assessment will help you recognize Emotional Indicators of Compromise (EIOCs) - the psychological states that attackers create to bypass your rational defenses.
You'll learn about five critical emotional vulnerabilities and develop practical stewardship skills to protect yourself and your organization.
How it works:
- 5 interactive scenarios testing different emotional vulnerabilities
- Self-assessment of your responses to various manipulation tactics
- Personalized recommendations based on your unique profile
- Educational insights, not clinical diagnosis
Time required: 5-10 minutes
Goal: Build self-awareness and emotional resilience
Attackers impersonate high-status individuals or leverage implied authority to bypass normal verification processes.
📧 Scenario: The Executive Request
You receive an email from your company's CEO asking you to urgently purchase $5,000 in gift cards for a client appreciation event. The email mentions it's confidential and time-sensitive. The CEO's assistant is copied on the email.
What's your first response?
How susceptible are you to authority-based requests?
Attackers create false familiarity through personal details, shared connections, or mimicking communication styles to shortcut trust-building.
📱 Scenario: The Helpful Colleague
You receive a call from someone claiming to be from your IT department. They know your name, department, and mention a recent system upgrade you experienced. They're asking for your password to "complete the security update on your account."
What makes this scenario potentially dangerous?
How often do you verify identity when someone demonstrates familiarity with you or your work?
Attackers create artificial time pressure to force quick decisions and bypass normal verification processes.
🚨 Scenario: The Deadline Pressure
You receive an urgent email marked "CONFIDENTIAL - RESPOND IMMEDIATELY" from your manager, requesting you to quickly transfer funds to close a last-minute deal. The email mentions that "every minute counts" and that you should "call me after it's done, not before."
What's the strongest red flag in this scenario?
How does time pressure affect your decision-making?
Attackers exploit our natural desire to help others, creating scenarios that make refusal feel cruel or unprofessional.
💔 Scenario: The Personal Emergency
You receive an emotional email from someone claiming to be a colleague's spouse, explaining that your colleague is in the hospital and they need access to important work files to handle insurance paperwork. They're asking for login credentials and seem genuinely distressed.
What's the appropriate response to this emotional appeal?
How difficult is it for you to say no to emotional appeals for help?
Attackers exploit organizational hierarchies and cultural norms that discourage questioning authority figures.
📊 Scenario: The Board Directive
You receive what appears to be a directive from your company's board of directors, marked "CONFIDENTIAL - BOARD EYES ONLY," instructing you to prepare financial transfers for a merger discussion. It emphasizes discretion and warns against discussing it with anyone, including your direct supervisor.
What's the most appropriate action?
How comfortable are you questioning instructions from senior leadership?
Your Emotional Security Assessment
Understanding Your Assessment
This assessment measures your awareness of emotional manipulation patterns that social engineers commonly exploit. Your readiness level reflects how well you recognize and respond to these tactics.
Remember: Emotional security is a learnable skill. The goal is building awareness and developing practical defenses against manipulation.
Your Personal Development Focus Areas
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For organizational training or curriculum licensing, contact SoftArmorLabs.