Social Engineering Blogs http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com An Aggregator for Blogs About Social Engineering and Related Fields Mon, 03 Jul 2017 05:48:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.21 We Are Dealing With Cyber Warfare Here http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/dealing-cyber-warfare/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=dealing-cyber-warfare Wed, 28 Jun 2017 10:57:59 +0000 https://blog.knowbe4.com/we-are-dealing-with-cyber-warfare-here OK, after 24 hours of monitoring this new Petya ransomworm outbreak, I am calling it. 
This has been brewing under the surface for a few years, but now we are dealing with open cyber warfare here. Like it or not, as an IT Pro, yo...

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OK, after 24 hours of monitoring this new Petya ransomworm outbreak, I am calling it. 

This has been brewing under the surface for a few years, but now we are dealing with open cyber warfare here. Like it or not, as an IT Pro, you have just found yourself on the frontline of 21-st century war.

The Ukraine is locked in a bitter proxy fight with Russia since the annex of the Crimean peninsula and the separatist war in eastern Ukraine. Russia’s GRU, the foreign military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is likely behind this.

Like it or not, as an IT Pro, you have just found yourself on the front line of 21-st century war.

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]]> Security Awareness Training Can Lower Your Cyberinsurance Premium http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/security-awareness-training-can-lower-cyberinsurance-premium/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=security-awareness-training-can-lower-cyberinsurance-premium Sun, 25 Jun 2017 14:15:33 +0000 https://blog.knowbe4.com/security-awareness-training-can-lower-your-cyberinsurance-premium New-school security awareness training might even pay for itself from Day 1!
How? Call your cybersecurity insurance carrier or agent and specifically ask if you get a discount on the premium if you step all employees through awareness trai...

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New-school security awareness training might even pay for itself from Day 1!

How? Call your cybersecurity insurance carrier or agent and specifically ask if you get a discount on the premium if you step all employees through awareness training. There could be significant savings and it may even fully pay for the training.

KnowBe4 advises both prospects and existing customers to inquire with their cyber insurance company about a reduced premium or discount for having our training in place. Frequently this works, and the compliance modules and physical security parts in the Diamond pricing level also get them a discount.

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]]> PROJECT ARCHITEUTHIS http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/project-architeuthis/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=project-architeuthis Thu, 01 Dec 2016 12:27:00 +0000 http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/?guid=2f7b9f697963a1c736ac185833549dc7 Project Architeuthis was an online alternative reality game (ARG). Its players had to help a US Navy cryptographer; Maria, by solving puzzles and deciphering new codes almost every day for 18 days. What most people didn't realise, was that Project Architeuthis was also a job advert for the post of a US navy cryptologist. The advert was extremely successful, won two shorty awards, cost zero dollars, and tapped into a whole community.




Project Architeuthis is a fantastic example of a successful native ad i.e. an ad disguised to match the feel and format of its platform, in this case, the platform being  ARG interactive gameplay whilst the ad is a job recruitment ad for the US navy. It is also  interactive and adopts a micro-targeted approach. 


The customised nature of micro-target ads (Agan 2007) is evident. It is aimed at a very niche audience: ARG players and delivered in their preferred medium: an online alternative reality game. Due to the specialist nature of the job, identifying and subsequently targeting  the psychographics of their desired audience not only helped to increase the effectiveness of the ad but also contributed to the recruitment process. Whilst the general effectiveness of micro-targeting is indisputable, its limitations include missing potential candidates. For, example this ad would have failed to reach experienced cryptographers who don't play ARG could have been missed.


Research shows that how information is presented affects  how people react it (Loftus and palmer 1974) and delivering this ad through their targets audiences’ preferred medium increased the chances of them interacting with it. Fortunately, the preferred medium for ARG players - gaming, is  very interactive.


Producer scrounger dynamic:
 it is more rewarding to be a 
scrounger when there are many
 produces and vice versa 

Adopting a game format, was both novel and interactive. There were new puzzles and codes to decipher almost every day for 18 days.

The idea of advertising for cryptographers through deciphering codes is not new e.g. cryptography jobs have been advertised as codes in newspapers. This is actually an example of the scrounger producer dynamic (Barnard & Sibley, 1981) in real life. The scrounger producer dynamic suggests  that people will either choose to produce a new idea or copy an already existing idea based on a cost-benefit analysis of what other people choose to do i.e. if many people choose to produce, the costs of producing and benefits of being a scrounger are higher. 
Here, the payoff for using an already existing advert idea is greater as most mainstream job adverts do not use it (fewer scroungers), the process is efficient and has been successful. 

Having the game available for only 18 days also played a role in the success of the ad. Evidence suggests that novel campaigns available for short periods of time are extremely effective (Cowpe, 1989) as they grab attention and avoid the negative effects of overexposure.


The nature of the game also served multiple purposes:
  • One of the psychographics of ARG players is that they are very communal, 53.3% of female and 39.4 % of male gamers have better VRG friends than real world friends (Yee, 2006). This worked to advertisers advantage and allowed them tap into a whole community - as opposed to a typical one to one relationship, they were able to tap into a much more scalable method of advertising. 
  • Project Architeuthis also brought people together and created a whole new community of  project Architeuthis players. This has great implications for the US Navy brand as it is now known for bringing intellectual people together. Something it is not particularly known for.

  • The story line of the game imitated the actual job it was advertising. This allowed the advert to  serve as a recruitment process. You could see and assess the players’ cryptography skills and their approaches e.g. solving alone or in a group to determine how well they would fit the job requirements.

  • The story line also involved them interacting with another cryptographer. Hence, creating the “chameleon effect” where the people start imitating those they are interacting with (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999). Without realizing it, they start to think like cryptographers and this increases their emotional (Yee, 2006).
  • The combined emotional, cognitive and temporal investments increases the likelihood of the players continually interacting with the ad due to loss aversion.
  • The tasks gradually get more difficult  and this created a “foot in door” phenomenon. Milgram (1963) People are more likely to go all the way, if what they have to do gradually gets more difficult. In this case the players will keep interacting with the ad because the tasks gradually get more difficult and complex.
  • For successful individuals it could also serve as a source of inoculationwhen they start the job. Being able to complete increasingly difficult tasks might increase their self-efficacy on the job (McGuire & Papageorgis, 1961).

While some research suggests that interactive advertising is not always as efficient as traditional methods (Bezjian-Avery, Calder & Iacobucci, 1998), this is not an issue for this interactive ad. The success of this ad saw it being covered by over 34 traditional and non-traditional media mediums. 
This ad can be considered successful in the sense that it created awareness of the job and encouraged interaction. However, its suitability as a job advert is questionable. Some gamers spend up to 40 hours a week gaming (Yee, 2006), report being addicted (Yee, 2006) and might not be interested in the job. Also, non successful gamers who could not afford to invest as much time gaming could have been lost. Arguably without the knowledge that it was for the recruitment, there would have been no incentive for gamers or people interested in the job to keep playing. 
Yee (2006) findings suggests that ARG players, might not  require incentives as they develop their own self-based motivations for playing the game. They also suggest that ARG skills are quite transferable.
Micro-target  and interactive adverts might be the way forward. They target the ideal individuals and encourage them to invest in the product. Background research on the demographics and suitability of the ad, is also very important 


REFERENCE

Agan, T. (2007). Silent Marketing: Micro-targeting. Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates.

Barnard, C. J., & Sibly, R. M. (1981). Producers and scroungers: a general model and its application to captive flocks of house sparrows. Animal behaviour, 29(2), 543-550.

Bezjian-Avery, A., Calder, B., & Iacobucci, D. (1998). New media interactive advertising vs. traditional advertising. Journal of advertising research, 38, 23-32.

Chartrand, T. L., & Bargh, J. A. (1999). The chameleon effect: The perception–behavior link and social interaction. Journal of personality and social psychology, 76(6), 893.

Cowpe, C. (1989) ‘Chip pan fire prevention 1976–1988’, in C. Channer (ed.) Television Advertising Case Histories, 2nd edn, London: Cassell)
Lee, A. E., Ounsley, J. P., Coulson, T., Rowcliffe, J. M., & Cowlishaw, G. (2016, February). Information use and resource competition: an integrative framework. In Proc. R. Soc. B (Vol. 283, No. 1825, p. 20152550). The Royal Society.
Loftus, E. F., & Palmer, J. C. (1996). Eyewitness testimony. In Introducing Psychological Research(pp. 305-309). Macmillan Education UK.

McGuire, W. J., & Papageorgis, D. (1961). The relative efficacy of various types of prior belief-defense in producing immunity against persuasion. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62(2), 327.

Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. The Journal of abnormal and social psychology, 67(4), 371.

Yee, N. (2006). The psychology of massively multi-user online role-playing games: Motivations, emotional investment, relationships and problematic usage. In Avatars at work and play (pp. 187-207). Springer Netherlands.

The post PROJECT ARCHITEUTHIS appeared first on Social Engineering Blogs.

]]> was an online alternative reality game (ARG). Its players had to help a US Navy cryptographer; Maria, by solving puzzles and deciphering new codes almost every day for 18 days. What most people didn’t realise, was that Project Architeuthis was also a job advert for the post of a US navy cryptologist. The advert was extremely successful, won two shorty awards, cost zero dollars, and tapped into a whole community.Project Architeuthis is a fantastic example of a successful native ad i.e. an ad disguised to match the feel and format of its platform, in this case, the platform being  ARG interactive gameplay whilst the ad is a job recruitment ad for the US navy. It is also  interactive and adopts a micro-targeted approach. The customised nature of micro-target ads (Agan 2007) is evident. It is aimed at a very niche audience: ARG players and delivered in their preferred medium: an online alternative reality game. Due to the specialist nature of the job, identifying and subsequently targeting  the psychographics of their desired audience not only helped to increase the effectiveness of the ad but also contributed to the recruitment process. Whilst the general effectiveness of micro-targeting is indisputable, its limitations include missing potential candidates. For, example this ad would have failed to reach experienced cryptographers who don’t play ARG could have been missed.Research shows that how information is presented affects  how people react it (Loftus and palmer 1974) and delivering this ad through their targets audiences’ preferred medium increased the chances of them interacting with it. Fortunately, the preferred medium for ARG players – gaming, is  very interactive.Producer scrounger dynamic: it is more rewarding to be a scrounger when there are many produces and vice versa Adopting a game format, was both novel and interactive. There were new puzzles and codes to decipher almost every day for 18 days. The idea of advertising for cryptographers through deciphering codes is not new e.g. cryptography jobs have been advertised as codes in newspapers. This is actually an example of the scrounger producer dynamic (Barnard & Sibley, 1981) in real life. The scrounger producer dynamic suggests  that people will either choose to produce a new idea or copy an already existing idea based on a cost-benefit analysis of what other people choose to do i.e. if many people choose to produce, the costs of producing and benefits of being a scrounger are higher. Here, the payoff for using an already existing advert idea is greater as most mainstream job adverts do not use it (fewer scroungers), the process is efficient and has been successful. Having the game available for only 18 days also played a role in the success of the ad. Evidence suggests that novel campaigns available for short periods of time are extremely effective (Cowpe, 1989) as they grab attention and avoid the negative effects of overexposure.The nature of the game also served multiple purposes:One of the psychographics of ARG players is that they are very communal, 53.3% of female and 39.4 % of male gamers have better VRG friends than real world friends (Yee, 2006). This worked to advertisers advantage and allowed them tap into a whole community – as opposed to a typical one to one relationship, they were able to tap into a much more scalable method of advertising. Project Architeuthis also brought people together and created a whole new community of  project Architeuthis players. This has great implications for the US Navy brand as it is now known for bringing intellectual people together. Something it is not particularly known for.The story line of the game imitated the actual job it was advertising. This allowed the advert to  serve as a recruitment process. You could see and assess the players’ cryptography skills and their approaches e.g. solving alone or in a group to determine how well they would fit the job requirements.The story line also involved them interacting with another cryptographer. Hence, creating the “chameleon effect” where the people start imitating those they are interacting with (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999). Without realizing it, they start to think like cryptographers and this increases their emotional (Yee, 2006).The combined emotional, cognitive and temporal investments increases the likelihood of the players continually interacting with the ad due to loss aversion.The tasks gradually get more difficult  and this created a “foot in door” phenomenon. Milgram (1963) People are more likely to go all the way, if what they have to do gradually gets more difficult. In this case the players will keep interacting with the ad because the tasks gradually get more difficult and complex.For successful individuals it could also serve as a source of inoculationwhen they start the job. Being able to complete increasingly difficult tasks might increase their self-efficacy on the job (McGuire & Papageorgis, 1961). While some research suggests that interactive advertising is not always as efficient as traditional methods (Bezjian-Avery, Calder & Iacobucci, 1998), this is not an issue for this interactive ad. The success of this ad saw it being covered by over 34 traditional and non-traditional media mediums. This ad can be considered successful in the sense that it created awareness of the job and encouraged interaction. However, its suitability as a job advert is questionable. Some gamers spend up to 40 hours a week gaming (Yee, 2006), report being addicted (Yee, 2006) and might not be interested in the job. Also, non successful gamers who could not afford to invest as much time gaming could have been lost. Arguably without the knowledge that it was for the recruitment, there would have been no incentive for gamers or people interested in the job to keep playing. Yee (2006) findings suggests that ARG players, might not  require incentives as they develop their own self-based motivations for playing the game. They also suggest that ARG skills are quite transferable.Micro-target  and interactive adverts might be the way forward. They target the ideal individuals and encourage them to invest in the product. Background research on the demographics and suitability of the ad, is also very important REFERENCEAgan, T. (2007). Silent Marketing: Micro-targeting. Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates.Barnard, C. J., & Sibly, R. M. (1981). Producers and scroungers: a general model and its application to captive flocks of house sparrows. Animal behaviour, 29(2), 543-550.Bezjian-Avery, A., Calder, B., & Iacobucci, D. (1998). New media interactive advertising vs. traditional advertising. Journal of advertising research, 38, 23-32.Chartrand, T. L., & Bargh, J. A. (1999). The chameleon effect: The perception–behavior link and social interaction. Journal of personality and social psychology, 76(6), 893.Cowpe, C. (1989) ‘Chip pan fire prevention 1976–1988’, in C. Channer (ed.) Television Advertising Case Histories, 2nd edn, London: Cassell)Lee, A. E., Ounsley, J. P., Coulson, T., Rowcliffe, J. M., & Cowlishaw, G. (2016, February). Information use and resource competition: an integrative framework. In Proc. R. Soc. B (Vol. 283, No. 1825, p. 20152550). The Royal Society.Loftus, E. F., & Palmer, J. C. (1996). Eyewitness testimony. In Introducing Psychological Research(pp. 305-309). Macmillan Education UK.McGuire, W. J., & Papageorgis, D. (1961). The relative efficacy of various types of prior belief-defense in producing immunity against persuasion. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62(2), 327. Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. The Journal of abnormal and social psychology, 67(4), 371.Yee, N. (2006). The psychology of massively multi-user online role-playing games: Motivations, emotional investment, relationships and problematic usage. In Avatars at work and play (pp. 187-207). Springer Netherlands.

The post PROJECT ARCHITEUTHIS appeared first on Social Engineering Blogs.

]]> #NoMakeUpSelfie http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/nomakeupselfie/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=nomakeupselfie Tue, 01 Nov 2016 23:17:00 +0000 http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/?guid=01793d0cddd986543abf7eece9019d93 Selfies themselves have exploded in popularity alongside the ever-expanding world of social media. Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie in 2014 became the most retweeted post in history at 2,070,132 retweets by the end of the Oscars ceremony (Ellen’s Oscar selfie most retweeted ever – and more of us are taking them, 2014). Tom Hanks congratulated a newly-wed couple by sharing a selfie on Instagram, whilst the UK’s Prime Minister posed for selfies on the red carpet on Monday evening (Theresa Manyia, 2016), all captured in figure one. Figures from 2014 state over 1,000,000 #selfies are taken each day, with 50% of men and 52% of woman having taken a selfie (The year of the selfie- statistics, facts & figures, 2014). Perhaps it is no surprise then that the selfie phenomena provided an opportunity for the charity Cancer Research UK to raise over £8,000,000 (#nomakeupselfie – why it worked, 2014).

Figure One. Left to right: Ellen's Oscar selfie, Tom Hanks wedding congratulations selfie, Theresa May posing for red carpet selfies with the public 
The #nomakeupselfie was initiated by Laura Lipmann, for a different reason and with a different hashtag, but before long the internet had worked its magic and the no make-up selfie was generating tens of thousands of tweets a day. Cancer Research UK noticed the hashtag gaining momentum and attached a donation text number to the posts, raising £2,000,000 in the first 48 hours (#nomakeupselfie – why it worked, 2014). It is safe to say the no make-up selfies are a perfect example of ‘going viral’.

How was it then that a simple selfie influenced so many people to donate? How was a viral phenomenon influencing people’s behaviour a) getting them to upload a post they would not usually post, and b) getting them to donate money they would not have considered doing before-hand? Below are various influence techniques that appear to have been at play throughout the #nomakeupselfie phenomena. 

Availability Heuristic and Social Norms

The availability heuristic suggests the easier something comes to mind, the higher we estimate the frequency of an event (Schwarz et al, 1991). Agenda setting theory extends this and suggests the media can manipulate what we think about by the frequency of which it shares a story (Walgrave & Aelst, 2006). With tens of thousands of woman engaging, it is not surprising the posts filled our timelines and reached mainstream media (Deller & Tilton, 2015). The no-make up selfie was then at the forefront of our minds, and we very quickly believed that everyone was doing it.

Sherif and Sherif (1953) first defined social norms as our standards formed through our group interactions, that we will follow as individuals. Through the surge of no make-up selfie posts, the media ensured we perceived the no-make selfies as the latest norm. In the interest of fitting in and wanting to part of the in-group of our online friendship networks, we soon are likely to have taken the selfie ourselves and are contributing to the mass selfie uploads and adding to the growing donations.

Celebrity Endorsement


Figure Two: Celebrity endorsement portfolios (Keating & Rice, 2013)


Celebrity endorsement ties into the influence of both availability heuristic and social norms, with multiple brands using celebrities to advertise their goods, as outlined in figure two (Keating & Rice, 2013). Research by  Keating and Rice (2013) measured recall of products when they were presented with a celebrity (celebrity cue) or with no cue. When looking at their results (displayed in figure three), it is understandable why such a vast majority of brands invest in celebrity marketing techniques, with moderate levels of celebrity cues significantly increasing recall of the products. 

Figure Three: Percentage of consumers who recalled the product with and without celebrity cues (Keating & Rice,  2013)

If we extend this outside of purchasing environments, individuals are likely to have higher chances of recalling a given ‘thing’ if a celebrity has been associated with it. Once again, the availability heuristic is at play; if the celebrities are taking part (as demonstrated by Holly Willoughby and Jodie Marsh in figure three), everyone must be doing it. Thus, we are more likely to upload a no make-up selfie ourselves and make a donation in order to fit in with the ever-growing social norms.
Figure Three. Left to right: Holly Willoughby's and Jodie Marsh's #nomakeupselfie
Role Models
In addition, celebrities are traditionally seen as attractive and likeable individuals who are considered to be highly influential (Kamins et al, 1989), and therefore can be important influencers of behaviour (Bush, Martin & Bush, 2004). If individuals are aspiring to be like a celebrity role model, they could be more likely to model their behaviours (Singh, Vinnicombe & James, 2006) and in this case, also upload a no make-up selfie and make the donation to Cancer Research UK.

Just Ask

One of the key ‘weapons’ Cialdini (2000) identifies for influencing behaviour is simply asking for what you want. Research has shown, for example that 56% of females asked by a male stranger would agree to go on a date with him (Clark & Hatfield, 1989). As the #nomakeupselfie posts continued to grow, girls began to nominate three friends within their posts who should do the selfie next (Deller & Tilton, 2015). Like asking strangers on dates, people are more likely to conform to a behaviour when they are asked to do so directly, which could again, be increasing the likelihood of individuals posting no make-up selfies and donating. 

Attitudes

The British culture is one very heavily influenced by what others think of us. It is no secret we want to be viewed positively by our peers; a view that can be created through giving generously and selflessly (Li, Pickles & Savage, 2005). Compassion and generosity have been rated as two of the most important factors when rating how much we like other peers (Hartley et al, 2016). With these pre-conceived attitudes within the British culture, it is easy to see how so many were influenced to donate to Cancer Research UK; fast to be perceived as generous, selfless and therefore likeable to others. The no-make up selfies were considered both selfless through the donations and brave in uploading a photo in which they were not comfortable uploading, and as stated by Deller and Tilton (2015), selflessness and bravery is rewarded.

Consistency

Cialdini (2000) also identifies consistency as one of the weapons in influencing behaviour. This is a phenomenon that states once we have made a stand, particularly in public, we are more likely to act consistent with this behaviour. For example, students were significantly more likely to stick to the estimates they had given for the length of a line when they declared the length publicly, as opposed to privately (Deutch & Gerard, 1955). Once individuals have taken their no-make up selfie and shared it on social media, they have made a public stand for their support for Cancer Research UK, and are therefore more likely to donate to the charity alongside their selfie, hence the £8,000,000 raised alongside the tens of thousands of selfies uploaded 

(#nomakeupselfie – why it worked, 2014).

Above are just a select few of the techniques that may have encouraged people to participate in the #nomakeupselfie's themselves, with others ranging from peer pressure to becoming a 'killjoy' for not taking part (Deller & Tilton, 2015). Whatever it was that made people get involved has got charities and marketers hunting it down in in order to become the next fund-raising phenomenon. If we are to take anything away from these viral selfies, realise and remember that behavioural influences can be used for the greater good. Thanks to the posts and donations of bare-faced woman, 10 new clinical trials could be funded, amongst other streams of research (#nomakeupselfie- some questions answered, 2014). A step closer to a cure for cancer has got to be making the world a better place. 
References

#nomakeupselfie – why it worked. (2014, March 25).  Retrieved November 1, 2016 from  https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2014/mar/25/nomakeupselfie-viral-campaign-cancer-research
#nomakeupselfie- some questions answered. (2014, March 25).  Retrieved November 1, 2016 from http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/03/25/nomakeupselfie-some-questions-answered/
Bush, A. J., Martin, C. A., & Bush, V. D. (2004). Sports celebrity influence on the behavioral intentions of generation Y. Journal of Advertising Research, 44(01), 108-118.

Cialdini, R. B. (2007). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. New York: Collins.

Clark, R. D. & Hatfield, E. (1989). Gender differences in receptivity to sexual offers. Journal of psychology and human sexuality, 2, 39-55.

Deller, R. A. & Tilton, S. (2015). Selfies as charitable meme: charity and national identity in the #nomakeupselfie and the #thumbsupforstephen campaigns. International journal of communication, 9, 1788-1805.

Deutsch, M., & Gerard, H. B. (1955). A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. The journal of abnormal and social psychology, 51(3), 629.

Ellen’s Oscar selfie most retweeted ever – and more of us are taking them. (2014, March 7). Retrieved November 1, 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/07/oscars-selfie-most-retweeted-ever

Hartley, A. G., Furr, R. M., Helzer, E. G., Jayawickreme, E., Velasquez, K. R., & Fleeson, W. (2016). Morality’s centrality to liking, respecting, and understanding others. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1948550616655359.



Kelting, K., & Rice, D. H. (2013). Should we hire David Beckham to endorse our brand? Contextual interference and consumer memory for brands in a celebrity's endorsement portfolio. Psychology & Marketing, 30(7), 602-613.

Li, Y., Pickles, A., & Savage, M. (2005). Social capital and social trust in Britain. European Sociological Review, 21(2), 109-123.

Michael, A. K., Brand, M. J., Hoeke, S. A., Moe, J. C. (1989). Two-sided versus one-sided celebrity endorsements: the impact on advertising effectiveness and credibility. Journal of advertising, 18, 4-10.

Radha, G. & Jija, P. (2013). Influence of celebrity endorsement on the consumer’s purchase decision. International journal of scientific and research publications, 3, 1-28.
Schwarz, N., Bless, H., Strack, F., Klumpp, G., Rittenauer-Schatka, H., & Simons, A. (1991). Ease of retrieval as information: Another look at the availability heuristic. Journal of Personality and Social psychology, 61(2), 195.

Sherif, M. & Sherif, C. W. (1953). Groups in harmony and tension. New York: Harper.

Singh, V., Vinnicombe, S., & James, K. (2006). Constructing a professional identity: how young female managers use role models. Women in Management Review, 21(1), 67-81.

The year of the selfie- statistics, facts & figures. (2014, March 19). Retrieved November 1, 2016 from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/selfie-statistics-2014/497309

Theresa Maynia! (2016, October 31). Retrieved November 1, 2016 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3891738/Theresa-Maynia-Selfies-autographs-red-carpet-PM-works-crowd-like-true-lister-Pride-Britain-awards.html

Walgrave, S., & Van Aelst, P. (2006). The contingency of the mass media's political agenda setting power: toward a preliminary theory. Journal of communication, 56, 88-109.

The post #NoMakeUpSelfie appeared first on Social Engineering Blogs.

]]> Selfies themselves have exploded in popularity alongside the ever-expanding world of social media. Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie in 2014 became the most retweeted post in history at 2,070,132 retweets by the end of the Oscars ceremony (Ellen’s Oscar selfie most retweeted ever – and more of us are taking them, 2014). Tom Hanks congratulated a newly-wed couple by sharing a selfie on Instagram, whilst the UK’s Prime Minister posed for selfies on the red carpet on Monday evening (Theresa Manyia, 2016), all captured in figure one. Figures from 2014 state over 1,000,000 #selfies are taken each day, with 50% of men and 52% of woman having taken a selfie (The year of the selfie- statistics, facts & figures, 2014). Perhaps it is no surprise then that the selfie phenomena provided an opportunity for the charity Cancer Research UK to raise over £8,000,000 (#nomakeupselfie – why it worked, 2014).Figure One. Left to right: Ellen’s Oscar selfie, Tom Hanks wedding congratulations selfie, Theresa May posing for red carpet selfies with the public The #nomakeupselfie was initiated by Laura Lipmann, for a different reason and with a different hashtag, but before long the internet had worked its magic and the no make-up selfie was generating tens of thousands of tweets a day. Cancer Research UK noticed the hashtag gaining momentum and attached a donation text number to the posts, raising £2,000,000 in the first 48 hours (#nomakeupselfie – why it worked, 2014). It is safe to say the no make-up selfies are a perfect example of ‘going viral’. How was it then that a simple selfie influenced so many people to donate? How was a viral phenomenon influencing people’s behaviour a) getting them to upload a post they would not usually post, and b) getting them to donate money they would not have considered doing before-hand? Below are various influence techniques that appear to have been at play throughout the #nomakeupselfie phenomena. Availability Heuristic and Social NormsThe availability heuristic suggests the easier something comes to mind, the higher we estimate the frequency of an event (Schwarz et al, 1991). Agenda setting theory extends this and suggests the media can manipulate what we think about by the frequency of which it shares a story (Walgrave & Aelst, 2006). With tens of thousands of woman engaging, it is not surprising the posts filled our timelines and reached mainstream media (Deller & Tilton, 2015). The no-make up selfie was then at the forefront of our minds, and we very quickly believed that everyone was doing it.Sherif and Sherif (1953) first defined social norms as our standards formed through our group interactions, that we will follow as individuals. Through the surge of no make-up selfie posts, the media ensured we perceived the no-make selfies as the latest norm. In the interest of fitting in and wanting to part of the in-group of our online friendship networks, we soon are likely to have taken the selfie ourselves and are contributing to the mass selfie uploads and adding to the growing donations. Celebrity EndorsementFigure Two: Celebrity endorsement portfolios (Keating & Rice, 2013)Celebrity endorsement ties into the influence of both availability heuristic and social norms, with multiple brands using celebrities to advertise their goods, as outlined in figure two (Keating & Rice, 2013). Research by  Keating and Rice (2013) measured recall of products when they were presented with a celebrity (celebrity cue) or with no cue. When looking at their results (displayed in figure three), it is understandable why such a vast majority of brands invest in celebrity marketing techniques, with moderate levels of celebrity cues significantly increasing recall of the products. Figure Three: Percentage of consumers who recalled the product with and without celebrity cues (Keating & Rice,  2013)If we extend this outside of purchasing environments, individuals are likely to have higher chances of recalling a given ‘thing’ if a celebrity has been associated with it. Once again, the availability heuristic is at play; if the celebrities are taking part (as demonstrated by Holly Willoughby and Jodie Marsh in figure three), everyone must be doing it. Thus, we are more likely to upload a no make-up selfie ourselves and make a donation in order to fit in with the ever-growing social norms.Figure Three. Left to right: Holly Willoughby’s and Jodie Marsh’s #nomakeupselfieRole ModelsIn addition, celebrities are traditionally seen as attractive and likeable individuals who are considered to be highly influential (Kamins et al, 1989), and therefore can be important influencers of behaviour (Bush, Martin & Bush, 2004). If individuals are aspiring to be like a celebrity role model, they could be more likely to model their behaviours (Singh, Vinnicombe & James, 2006) and in this case, also upload a no make-up selfie and make the donation to Cancer Research UK.Just AskOne of the key ‘weapons’ Cialdini (2000) identifies for influencing behaviour is simply asking for what you want. Research has shown, for example that 56% of females asked by a male stranger would agree to go on a date with him (Clark & Hatfield, 1989). As the #nomakeupselfie posts continued to grow, girls began to nominate three friends within their posts who should do the selfie next (Deller & Tilton, 2015). Like asking strangers on dates, people are more likely to conform to a behaviour when they are asked to do so directly, which could again, be increasing the likelihood of individuals posting no make-up selfies and donating. AttitudesThe British culture is one very heavily influenced by what others think of us. It is no secret we want to be viewed positively by our peers; a view that can be created through giving generously and selflessly (Li, Pickles & Savage, 2005). Compassion and generosity have been rated as two of the most important factors when rating how much we like other peers (Hartley et al, 2016). With these pre-conceived attitudes within the British culture, it is easy to see how so many were influenced to donate to Cancer Research UK; fast to be perceived as generous, selfless and therefore likeable to others. The no-make up selfies were considered both selfless through the donations and brave in uploading a photo in which they were not comfortable uploading, and as stated by Deller and Tilton (2015), selflessness and bravery is rewarded. ConsistencyCialdini (2000) also identifies consistency as one of the weapons in influencing behaviour. This is a phenomenon that states once we have made a stand, particularly in public, we are more likely to act consistent with this behaviour. For example, students were significantly more likely to stick to the estimates they had given for the length of a line when they declared the length publicly, as opposed to privately (Deutch & Gerard, 1955). Once individuals have taken their no-make up selfie and shared it on social media, they have made a public stand for their support for Cancer Research UK, and are therefore more likely to donate to the charity alongside their selfie, hence the £8,000,000 raised alongside the tens of thousands of selfies uploaded (#nomakeupselfie – why it worked, 2014).Above are just a select few of the techniques that may have encouraged people to participate in the #nomakeupselfie’s themselves, with others ranging from peer pressure to becoming a ‘killjoy’ for not taking part (Deller & Tilton, 2015). Whatever it was that made people get involved has got charities and marketers hunting it down in in order to become the next fund-raising phenomenon. If we are to take anything away from these viral selfies, realise and remember that behavioural influences can be used for the greater good. Thanks to the posts and donations of bare-faced woman, 10 new clinical trials could be funded, amongst other streams of research (#nomakeupselfie- some questions answered, 2014). A step closer to a cure for cancer has got to be making the world a better place. References#nomakeupselfie – why it worked. (2014, March 25).  Retrieved November 1, 2016 from  https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2014/mar/25/nomakeupselfie-viral-campaign-cancer-research#nomakeupselfie- some questions answered. (2014, March 25).  Retrieved November 1, 2016 from http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/03/25/nomakeupselfie-some-questions-answered/Bush, A. J., Martin, C. A., & Bush, V. D. (2004). Sports celebrity influence on the behavioral intentions of generation Y. Journal of Advertising Research, 44(01), 108-118.Cialdini, R. B. (2007). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. New York: Collins.Clark, R. D. & Hatfield, E. (1989). Gender differences in receptivity to sexual offers. Journal of psychology and human sexuality, 2, 39-55.Deller, R. A. & Tilton, S. (2015). Selfies as charitable meme: charity and national identity in the #nomakeupselfie and the #thumbsupforstephen campaigns. International journal of communication, 9, 1788-1805. Deutsch, M., & Gerard, H. B. (1955). A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. The journal of abnormal and social psychology, 51(3), 629.Ellen’s Oscar selfie most retweeted ever – and more of us are taking them. (2014, March 7). Retrieved November 1, 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/07/oscars-selfie-most-retweeted-everHartley, A. G., Furr, R. M., Helzer, E. G., Jayawickreme, E., Velasquez, K. R., & Fleeson, W. (2016). Morality’s centrality to liking, respecting, and understanding others. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1948550616655359.Kelting, K., & Rice, D. H. (2013). Should we hire David Beckham to endorse our brand? Contextual interference and consumer memory for brands in a celebrity’s endorsement portfolio. Psychology & Marketing, 30(7), 602-613.Li, Y., Pickles, A., & Savage, M. (2005). Social capital and social trust in Britain. European Sociological Review, 21(2), 109-123.Michael, A. K., Brand, M. J., Hoeke, S. A., Moe, J. C. (1989). Two-sided versus one-sided celebrity endorsements: the impact on advertising effectiveness and credibility. Journal of advertising, 18, 4-10.Radha, G. & Jija, P. (2013). Influence of celebrity endorsement on the consumer’s purchase decision. International journal of scientific and research publications, 3, 1-28.Schwarz, N., Bless, H., Strack, F., Klumpp, G., Rittenauer-Schatka, H., & Simons, A. (1991). Ease of retrieval as information: Another look at the availability heuristic. Journal of Personality and Social psychology, 61(2), 195.Sherif, M. & Sherif, C. W. (1953). Groups in harmony and tension. New York: Harper. Singh, V., Vinnicombe, S., & James, K. (2006). Constructing a professional identity: how young female managers use role models. Women in Management Review, 21(1), 67-81.The year of the selfie- statistics, facts & figures. (2014, March 19). Retrieved November 1, 2016 from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/selfie-statistics-2014/497309Theresa Maynia! (2016, October 31). Retrieved November 1, 2016 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3891738/Theresa-Maynia-Selfies-autographs-red-carpet-PM-works-crowd-like-true-lister-Pride-Britain-awards.htmlWalgrave, S., & Van Aelst, P. (2006). The contingency of the mass media’s political agenda setting power: toward a preliminary theory. Journal of communication, 56, 88-109.

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]]> So, you want to be like Kylie Jenner? The Psychology of Celebrity Endorsement. http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/so-you-want-to-be-like-kylie-the-psychology-of-celebrity-endorsement/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=so-you-want-to-be-like-kylie-the-psychology-of-celebrity-endorsement Thu, 27 Oct 2016 16:17:00 +0000 http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/?guid=bf3503340a93f7e9080a4e9d818a6e92
It might not surprise you, but Kylie Jenner doesn’t ACTUALLY buy her lavish clothes from the high street store ‘Miss Pap’, and no, she’s not ‘in love’ with her new Daniel Wellington watch - she’s got her own 50K alternative, you do the maths. So why is she posting all these products on her social media pages? Throughout this blog, I shall delve into the concept of 'celebrity endorsements', how these celebs use their roles in the social world, image and popularity to create persuasion like no other.


As of 2015, there has been recorded to be around $2.3 billion active social users. Within this, these social networks have earned what is estimated to be around $8.3 billion from advertising alone. It might not then be too unexpected to hear that a huge 91% of retail brands actually use 2 or more social medial channels, spending up to 20% of their budgets on this social media advertisement, (“96 amazing social media statistics and facts for 2016,” 2016). In an analysis of consumer responses to identical brand publicity in seven popular blogs and seven popular online magazines, Colliander and Dahlen (2011), found that blogs generated higher brand attitudes and purchase intentions.

In today’s new, social media frenzied world; we see celebrity product placement, whether it be on Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat most of our browsing days. One might ask, why do celebrities use these product placements? Product placement isn’t a new craze, it can be seen throughout even the 1790’s - starting with royal endorsements and the promotion of ‘Wedgwood’, a pottery and chinaware company, (I know, nothing like the constant bombardment of the oh so ‘popular’ Boo Tea shakes; which apparently every celeb is using these days as a result of needing to ‘get back at it after the weekend’ - their diet presumably, see Figure 1).
Figure 1. (Celebrity Endorsement – Throughout the Ages, 2004)
I mean, chances of them actually using these products are very slim - they’re only in it for he paycheck, as so beautifully demonstrated by Scott Disick in this hilarious post, see Figure 2:
Figure 2. (O'Toole, 2016)
In this quickly deleted, but forever unforgotten; Instagram post, Scott Disick reveals details on his social media product placement extents by LITERALLY COPYING AND PASTING instructions given to him by Boo Tea on how to promote their product, a big mistake to make when you are earning up to $20,000 for posting. So why do these celebrities endorse products in which they probably have no need, or want; to use in the first place?

In the 2000’s, research has shown that by having celebrity ambassadors promote your products, sales dramatically improve. An example demonstrating this finding comes from Nike - by using Tiger Woods to promote their golf balls, a $50 million increase in golf ball sales occurred between 1996 and 2002, (Celebrity Endorsement - Throughout the Ages, 2004). How did this simple use of a celebrity provide such dramatic increase in sales? We can look at this through the psychological phenomena..


Social Proof

The more it appears everyone is doing it, the more likely others will join and agree. We seem to determine what is correct by looking at what other people think is correct, (Lun et al,. 2007). In reference to product placement, the way in which celebrity endorsements promote sales could be explained by this phenomena.

A simple study by Latane and Darley (1968), demonstrates this perfectly. You’re sat in a room and suddenly it begins to fill with smoke, you’re going to get out, right? I mean, that seems like the obvious answer to me, however; this study exhibited different findings. The researchers found that where there were 2 passive confederates whom acted as though nothing was wrong, whilst the room filled with smoke; only 10% of the subjects in their study actually left the room or reported the problem. The rest of them carried on with their task, simply waving the smoke from their faces.
Back to product placement - when we are constantly seeing that people, who are deemed to be representative of what is desirable in society; are using these certain products - we are going to want to use them to. It is this provision of both normative and informational influence which promotes us to try out these ‘great’ products. Like the participants in the above study, we simply follow what it looks like most people are doing. We don’t have to think ourselves that a certain product is good, we only need to think that others think it is good.

Associative Learning



If you received an award in front of someone you previously were neutral towards, the probability of liking them increases. The positive aspects of the reward become associated with the person, (Lott & Lott, 1965).

The effect of celebrity endorsements within the world of advertising can be explained through these associative learning principles. As demonstrated in Brian Till's 1998 paper, when we see pictures of our favourite celebrities appearing on our newsfeed or in our search bars, we feel a certain amount of positive feeling - it is nice to see someone you like or perhaps look up to, right? By getting these celebrities with large fan bases to endorse products, we learn to associate these positive feelings we have about the celebrity alone with the product that they commonly endorse. Like the research findings from Lott and Lott (1965), the positive aspects of the celebrity become associated with the product.

This leads us to think we have these positive feelings to, a certain trainer brand let’s say; and is going to make us much more likely to pick this brand over another when it comes to it. Look to the diagram above for a visual explanation!


Source Credibility


Credibility is an important aspect to persuasion. If a message comes from a credible source, we are more likely to trust and act upon it. A study by Goldsmith, Lafferty, & Newell (2000), assessed the impact endorser credibility had on the shaping of attitudes towards brands. It was found that endorser credibility had the strongest impact on the participants’ attitudes towards the brand and purchase intentions, even more so than the corporates’ own credibility.
If you are a huge fan of a certain celebrity, you probably perceive them as a trustworthy person. People who are trustworthy, physically attractive, have high social status and power must hold the correct attitudes. If they say that a product is good, it is good. People are more likely to attribute credibility to a company if they are using endorsement through a celebrity that you trust.

Landscaping Techniques

‘If you want to move a marble on a table, you can push it or you can lift the opposite end of the table. Pushing it is persuasion, lifting is pre-persuasion’ (Pratkanis, 2007)

Celebrity endorsements can be considered as an example of pre-propaganda, through the creation of images and stereotypes - ‘It is cool to use this product because Justin Bieber does’; is a type of preconditioning of the public.

Social Modelling


As most famously demonstrated in the ‘Bobo doll’ study, Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961), provided evidence for the case of learning via observation, imitation and modelling. People learn from one another.

The celebrities you follow on your own social media feeds can be considered to be your important role models. It has been found that role models play a big part on teenager purchase intentions (Makgosa, 2010). By seeing your favourite role model endorse something, the likelihood of you to then consequently buy that product increases. We learn how to behave, in relation to our consumerism, by the way that our role models demonstrate we should. These celebrity endorsements are actually shaping our own purchase intentions.
Agenda Setting and the Availability Heuristic


This theory relates to the ability of the media to influence what topics are salient in the public agenda. Things which are placed highly on this agenda will appear to be more important and subsequently used to define the criteria used in the general public's’ subsequent decisions. By setting agendas, the media (the products in which are regularly endorsed by celebrities, in this case) can limit the items that are thought about by the public exclusively to those that they want you thinking about. For example, repeated discussion of an issue in the media leads viewers to think it is more important, (Iyengar & Simon, 1983).

Taking an instagram feed for example, if one were to follow a set of celebrities from the same sort of group, it would be likely to find that they were endorsing similar products. This provides these specific products to be top of my agenda. When it comes to purchases, I am much more likely to sway towards these. My 'reality' may be that I do not have any need for a Boo Tea prescription. However, when I see Louis Tomlinson, (along with many other celebs on my feed) tell me day to day that Boo Tea is an important aspect of his life, that becomes the 'Media Reality' - Boo Tea is needed. My new reality is a fabrication of what I have seen being promoted most regularly in the media, which leads me to want to purchase said product. 


This ties in with availability heuristics, a form of System 1 automatic and effortless thinking leading to preferential consumer patterns for those products most available to mind. Regularly endorsed products have seen, on average, a 2% increase in stock returns as compared to those less regularly endorsed by celebrities, (Elberse & Verleun 2012). Oh, so that's why companies pay thousands to celebrities to post pictures of them with their products...


Message Repetition and Mere Exposure

With a slightly similar basis to agenda setting and availability heuristics, message repetition can increase believability and acceptance. Mere, repeated exposure of an individual to a stimulus enhances his or her attitude towards it, the mere exposure provides a condition which makes the stimulus more accessible to perception, (Zajonk, 1968). The idea of mere exposure has been used to explain product placement (Vollmers & Mizerski, 1994).

Mere exposure, in relation to product placement, can be explained like this - viewers will develop more favourable feelings towards a brand simply because of their repeated exposure to it - as demonstrated by Baker, (1999). This mere exposure doesn't even need to be recalled, a simple repetition of exposure will lead to more favourable attitudes towards that brand (Janiszewski, 1993). 

It is common to see that celebrities have a select range of products in which they are regular endorsers for. This provides repetition of the message ‘buy this’ for each of those products to create stronger want to purchase said product. This explains the rise in sales for these regularly endorsed products.


Theory of Planned Behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour (Figure 3) comprises of three suggested components that lead to an intention to perform said behaviour.
Figure 3.
The first component, perceived behavioural control; is the belief that you can in fact control your own behaviour - this could be related to the idea of an internal locus of control. Perhaps you never thought you could be similar to your favourite celebrity, but where you see constant posts surrounding the sorts of products celebrities buy - you can do the same and increase your similarities!

Next, we have social norms. The fact that so many credible sources are advertising how good a product is, and that they actually use it themselves; increases the norms relating to that product. Something which may not have been considered as a purchase is suddenly becoming something that most people are using, so you should too.

Attitudes towards the behaviour relate to what you actually think about something, in terms of products this could be, for example, your opinions on the use of home teeth whitening kits, which are highly endorsed by celebrities. We may have certain predispositions towards the health implications these teeth whitening kits may have, but perhaps due to this high exposure of people in the public eye using them and having no problems, these attitudes could become more positive.

Theory of planned behaviour suggests that where you have a combination of these 3 components, there will be intent to perform the behaviour - in this case being buying the product that has been endorsed by the celebrity.



So as we can see, perhaps it isn’t so crazy to be paying a celebrity $20,000 to post a picture of your products after all. Although it does cost, it does work - and pretty effectively too. Celebrity endorsements are extremely powerful in nature, and whilst they are used to increase sales of non harmful products, one must worry about the implications if they were to endorse anything else..



 References
Baker, W. E. (1999). When can affective conditioning and mere exposure directly influence brand choice? Journal of Advertising, 28, 31-46.

Bandura, A., Ross, D. & Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-82.

Celebrity Endorsement – Through the Ages. (2004). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://ibscdc.org/Free%20Cases/Celebrity%20Endorsement%20Through%20the%20Ages%20p1.htm
Colliander, J., & Dahlen, M. (2011). Following the fashionable friend: The power of social media - weighing the publicity effectiveness of Blogs versus online magazines. Journal of Advertising Research, 51, 313.

Iberse, A., & Verleun, J. (2012). The economic value of celebrity endorsements. Journal of Advertising Research, 52, 149.
Goldsmith, R. E., Lafferty, B. A., & Newell, S. J. (2000). The impact of corporate credibility and celebrity credibility on consumer reaction to advertisements and brands. Journal of Advertising, 29, 43–54.
Iyengar, S., & Simon, A. (1993). News coverage of the gulf crisis and public opinion: A study of agenda-setting, priming, and framing. Communication Research, 20, 365–383.

Janiszewski, C. (1993). Preattentive mere exposure effects. Journal of Consumer Research, 20, 376-392.
Latane, B., & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group Inhibition of Bystander Intervention in Emergencies. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 10, 215–221.
Lott, A. J., & Lott, B. E. (1965). Group cohesiveness as interpersonal attraction: A review of relationships with antecedent and consequent variables. Psychological Bulletin, 64, 259–309
Lun, J., Sinclair, S., Whitchurch, E. R., & Glenn, C. (2007). (Why) do I think what you think? Epistemic social tuning and implicit prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 957–972.
Makgosa, R. (2010). The influence of vicarious role models on purchase intentions of Botswana teenagers. Young Consumers, 11, 307–319.
O’Toole, C. (2016, May 19). Scott Disick appears to copy and paste Instagram product placement. Daily Mail. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3599720/Scott-Disick-appears-copy-paste-Instagram-product-placement-instructions-social-media.html#ixzz4OH9J2tkH
Pratkanis, A. R. (2007). The science of social influence: Advances and future progress. New York: Psychology Press.
Till, B. D. (1998). Using celebrity endorsers effectively: Lessons from associative learning. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 7, 400–409.

Vollmers, S., & Mizerski, R. (1994) A review and investigation into the effectiveness of product placement in films. In K. W. King (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1994 conference of the American Academy of Advertising (pp. 97-102). Athens, GA: American Academy of Advertising.
Zajonc, R. B. (1968). Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1-27.
96 amazing social media statistics and facts for 2016. (2016, March 7). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from Marketing, https://www.brandwatch.com/2016/03/96-amazing-social-media-statistics-and-facts-for-2016/

The post So, you want to be like Kylie Jenner? The Psychology of Celebrity Endorsement. appeared first on Social Engineering Blogs.

]]> It might not surprise you, but Kylie Jenner doesn’t ACTUALLY buy her lavish clothes from the high street store ‘Miss Pap’, and no, she’s not ‘in love’ with her new Daniel Wellington watch – she’s got her own 50K alternative, you do the maths. So why is she posting all these products on her social media pages? Throughout this blog, I shall delve into the concept of ‘celebrity endorsements’, how these celebs use their roles in the social world, image and popularity to create persuasion like no other. As of 2015, there has been recorded to be around $2.3 billion active social users. Within this, these social networks have earned what is estimated to be around $8.3 billion from advertising alone. It might not then be too unexpected to hear that a huge 91% of retail brands actually use 2 or more social medial channels, spending up to 20% of their budgets on this social media advertisement, (“96 amazing social media statistics and facts for 2016,” 2016). In an analysis of consumer responses to identical brand publicity in seven popular blogs and seven popular online magazines, Colliander and Dahlen (2011), found that blogs generated higher brand attitudes and purchase intentions. In today’s new, social media frenzied world; we see celebrity product placement, whether it be on Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat most of our browsing days. One might ask, why do celebrities use these product placements? Product placement isn’t a new craze, it can be seen throughout even the 1790’s – starting with royal endorsements and the promotion of ‘Wedgwood’, a pottery and chinaware company, (I know, nothing like the constant bombardment of the oh so ‘popular’ Boo Tea shakes; which apparently every celeb is using these days as a result of needing to ‘get back at it after the weekend’ – their diet presumably, see Figure 1).Figure 1. (Celebrity Endorsement – Throughout the Ages, 2004)I mean, chances of them actually using these products are very slim – they’re only in it for he paycheck, as so beautifully demonstrated by Scott Disick in this hilarious post, see Figure 2: Figure 2. (O’Toole, 2016)In this quickly deleted, but forever unforgotten; Instagram post, Scott Disick reveals details on his social media product placement extents by LITERALLY COPYING AND PASTING instructions given to him by Boo Tea on how to promote their product, a big mistake to make when you are earning up to $20,000 for posting. So why do these celebrities endorse products in which they probably have no need, or want; to use in the first place? In the 2000’s, research has shown that by having celebrity ambassadors promote your products, sales dramatically improve. An example demonstrating this finding comes from Nike – by using Tiger Woods to promote their golf balls, a $50 million increase in golf ball sales occurred between 1996 and 2002, (Celebrity Endorsement – Throughout the Ages, 2004). How did this simple use of a celebrity provide such dramatic increase in sales? We can look at this through the psychological phenomena..Social ProofThe more it appears everyone is doing it, the more likely others will join and agree. We seem to determine what is correct by looking at what other people think is correct, (Lun et al,. 2007). In reference to product placement, the way in which celebrity endorsements promote sales could be explained by this phenomena. A simple study by Latane and Darley (1968), demonstrates this perfectly. You’re sat in a room and suddenly it begins to fill with smoke, you’re going to get out, right? I mean, that seems like the obvious answer to me, however; this study exhibited different findings. The researchers found that where there were 2 passive confederates whom acted as though nothing was wrong, whilst the room filled with smoke; only 10% of the subjects in their study actually left the room or reported the problem. The rest of them carried on with their task, simply waving the smoke from their faces. Back to product placement – when we are constantly seeing that people, who are deemed to be representative of what is desirable in society; are using these certain products – we are going to want to use them to. It is this provision of both normative and informational influence which promotes us to try out these ‘great’ products. Like the participants in the above study, we simply follow what it looks like most people are doing. We don’t have to think ourselves that a certain product is good, we only need to think that others think it is good. Associative Learning If you received an award in front of someone you previously were neutral towards, the probability of liking them increases. The positive aspects of the reward become associated with the person, (Lott & Lott, 1965).The effect of celebrity endorsements within the world of advertising can be explained through these associative learning principles. As demonstrated in Brian Till’s 1998 paper, when we see pictures of our favourite celebrities appearing on our newsfeed or in our search bars, we feel a certain amount of positive feeling – it is nice to see someone you like or perhaps look up to, right? By getting these celebrities with large fan bases to endorse products, we learn to associate these positive feelings we have about the celebrity alone with the product that they commonly endorse. Like the research findings from Lott and Lott (1965), the positive aspects of the celebrity become associated with the product. This leads us to think we have these positive feelings to, a certain trainer brand let’s say; and is going to make us much more likely to pick this brand over another when it comes to it. Look to the diagram above for a visual explanation!Source CredibilityCredibility is an important aspect to persuasion. If a message comes from a credible source, we are more likely to trust and act upon it. A study by Goldsmith, Lafferty, & Newell (2000), assessed the impact endorser credibility had on the shaping of attitudes towards brands. It was found that endorser credibility had the strongest impact on the participants’ attitudes towards the brand and purchase intentions, even more so than the corporates’ own credibility. If you are a huge fan of a certain celebrity, you probably perceive them as a trustworthy person. People who are trustworthy, physically attractive, have high social status and power must hold the correct attitudes. If they say that a product is good, it is good. People are more likely to attribute credibility to a company if they are using endorsement through a celebrity that you trust. Landscaping Techniques‘If you want to move a marble on a table, you can push it or you can lift the opposite end of the table. Pushing it is persuasion, lifting is pre-persuasion’ (Pratkanis, 2007) Celebrity endorsements can be considered as an example of pre-propaganda, through the creation of images and stereotypes – ‘It is cool to use this product because Justin Bieber does’; is a type of preconditioning of the public. Social ModellingAs most famously demonstrated in the ‘Bobo doll’ study, Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961), provided evidence for the case of learning via observation, imitation and modelling. People learn from one another. The celebrities you follow on your own social media feeds can be considered to be your important role models. It has been found that role models play a big part on teenager purchase intentions (Makgosa, 2010). By seeing your favourite role model endorse something, the likelihood of you to then consequently buy that product increases. We learn how to behave, in relation to our consumerism, by the way that our role models demonstrate we should. These celebrity endorsements are actually shaping our own purchase intentions. Agenda Setting and the Availability Heuristic This theory relates to the ability of the media to influence what topics are salient in the public agenda. Things which are placed highly on this agenda will appear to be more important and subsequently used to define the criteria used in the general public’s’ subsequent decisions. By setting agendas, the media (the products in which are regularly endorsed by celebrities, in this case) can limit the items that are thought about by the public exclusively to those that they want you thinking about. For example, repeated discussion of an issue in the media leads viewers to think it is more important, (Iyengar & Simon, 1983).Taking an instagram feed for example, if one were to follow a set of celebrities from the same sort of group, it would be likely to find that they were endorsing similar products. This provides these specific products to be top of my agenda. When it comes to purchases, I am much more likely to sway towards these. My ‘reality’ may be that I do not have any need for a Boo Tea prescription. However, when I see Louis Tomlinson, (along with many other celebs on my feed) tell me day to day that Boo Tea is an important aspect of his life, that becomes the ‘Media Reality’ – Boo Tea is needed. My new reality is a fabrication of what I have seen being promoted most regularly in the media, which leads me to want to purchase said product. This ties in with availability heuristics, a form of System 1 automatic and effortless thinking leading to preferential consumer patterns for those products most available to mind. Regularly endorsed products have seen, on average, a 2% increase in stock returns as compared to those less regularly endorsed by celebrities, (Elberse & Verleun 2012). Oh, so that’s why companies pay thousands to celebrities to post pictures of them with their products… Message Repetition and Mere ExposureWith a slightly similar basis to agenda setting and availability heuristics, message repetition can increase believability and acceptance. Mere, repeated exposure of an individual to a stimulus enhances his or her attitude towards it, the mere exposure provides a condition which makes the stimulus more accessible to perception, (Zajonk, 1968). The idea of mere exposure has been used to explain product placement (Vollmers & Mizerski, 1994). Mere exposure, in relation to product placement, can be explained like this – viewers will develop more favourable feelings towards a brand simply because of their repeated exposure to it – as demonstrated by Baker, (1999). This mere exposure doesn’t even need to be recalled, a simple repetition of exposure will lead to more favourable attitudes towards that brand (Janiszewski, 1993). It is common to see that celebrities have a select range of products in which they are regular endorsers for. This provides repetition of the message ‘buy this’ for each of those products to create stronger want to purchase said product. This explains the rise in sales for these regularly endorsed products. Theory of Planned Behaviour The theory of planned behaviour (Figure 3) comprises of three suggested components that lead to an intention to perform said behaviour. Figure 3. The first component, perceived behavioural control; is the belief that you can in fact control your own behaviour – this could be related to the idea of an internal locus of control. Perhaps you never thought you could be similar to your favourite celebrity, but where you see constant posts surrounding the sorts of products celebrities buy – you can do the same and increase your similarities! Next, we have social norms. The fact that so many credible sources are advertising how good a product is, and that they actually use it themselves; increases the norms relating to that product. Something which may not have been considered as a purchase is suddenly becoming something that most people are using, so you should too. Attitudes towards the behaviour relate to what you actually think about something, in terms of products this could be, for example, your opinions on the use of home teeth whitening kits, which are highly endorsed by celebrities. We may have certain predispositions towards the health implications these teeth whitening kits may have, but perhaps due to this high exposure of people in the public eye using them and having no problems, these attitudes could become more positive. Theory of planned behaviour suggests that where you have a combination of these 3 components, there will be intent to perform the behaviour – in this case being buying the product that has been endorsed by the celebrity.So as we can see, perhaps it isn’t so crazy to be paying a celebrity $20,000 to post a picture of your products after all. Although it does cost, it does work – and pretty effectively too. Celebrity endorsements are extremely powerful in nature, and whilst they are used to increase sales of non harmful products, one must worry about the implications if they were to endorse anything else.. References Baker, W. E. (1999). When can affective conditioning and mere exposure directly influence brand choice? Journal of Advertising, 28, 31-46.Bandura, A., Ross, D. & Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-82.Celebrity Endorsement – Through the Ages. (2004). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://ibscdc.org/Free%20Cases/Celebrity%20Endorsement%20Through%20the%20Ages%20p1.htm Colliander, J., & Dahlen, M. (2011). Following the fashionable friend: The power of social media – weighing the publicity effectiveness of Blogs versus online magazines. Journal of Advertising Research, 51, 313.Iberse, A., & Verleun, J. (2012). The economic value of celebrity endorsements. Journal of Advertising Research, 52, 149.Goldsmith, R. E., Lafferty, B. A., & Newell, S. J. (2000). The impact of corporate credibility and celebrity credibility on consumer reaction to advertisements and brands. Journal of Advertising, 29, 43–54.Iyengar, S., & Simon, A. (1993). News coverage of the gulf crisis and public opinion: A study of agenda-setting, priming, and framing. Communication Research, 20, 365–383.Janiszewski, C. (1993). Preattentive mere exposure effects. Journal of Consumer Research, 20, 376-392. Latane, B., & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group Inhibition of Bystander Intervention in Emergencies. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 10, 215–221.Lott, A. J., & Lott, B. E. (1965). Group cohesiveness as interpersonal attraction: A review of relationships with antecedent and consequent variables. Psychological Bulletin, 64, 259–309Lun, J., Sinclair, S., Whitchurch, E. R., & Glenn, C. (2007). (Why) do I think what you think? Epistemic social tuning and implicit prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 957–972.Makgosa, R. (2010). The influence of vicarious role models on purchase intentions of Botswana teenagers. Young Consumers, 11, 307–319.O’Toole, C. (2016, May 19). Scott Disick appears to copy and paste Instagram product placement. Daily Mail. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3599720/Scott-Disick-appears-copy-paste-Instagram-product-placement-instructions-social-media.html#ixzz4OH9J2tkHPratkanis, A. R. (2007). The science of social influence: Advances and future progress. New York: Psychology Press.Till, B. D. (1998). Using celebrity endorsers effectively: Lessons from associative learning. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 7, 400–409.Vollmers, S., & Mizerski, R. (1994) A review and investigation into the effectiveness of product placement in films. In K. W. King (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1994 conference of the American Academy of Advertising (pp. 97-102). Athens, GA: American Academy of Advertising. Zajonc, R. B. (1968). Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1-27.96 amazing social media statistics and facts for 2016. (2016, March 7). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from Marketing, https://www.brandwatch.com/2016/03/96-amazing-social-media-statistics-and-facts-for-2016/

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]]> Killer Clowns, Agenda Setting Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/killer-clowns-agenda-setting-theory-and-the-theory-of-planned-behaviour/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=killer-clowns-agenda-setting-theory-and-the-theory-of-planned-behaviour Tue, 25 Oct 2016 11:59:00 +0000 http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/?guid=9d9303c95aff2d65439cbe0edcc557c7

 By now, we’ve all seen them in one way or another. Whether it be in person (Halloween is approaching…), on our social media newsfeeds or in the media. Newspaper headlines read ‘Killer clown craze: 12 of the creepiest UK sightings’ (The Telegraph, 17th Oct), ‘Killer clown with machete threatens two girls in Suffolk’ (The Telegraph, 16th Oct), ‘Childline flooded with calls about killer clown craze’ (Daily Mail, 13th Oct). With the number of these ‘killer clowns’ growing exponentially, you’ve got to ask the question of what took this from a Halloween outfit to a craze confining communities to their homes.

It may not come as a surprise that research has shown the media is strikingly successful in telling its audience what to think about. The more the media reports something, the more available that information is to us and the more frequently we think about it. The agenda setting theory, first proposed in 1922, outlines this effect. It is not surprising then, that killer clowns have become the topic of conversation with them consecutively filling newspaper headlines and their masks filling every scroll down social media. Could it be that this high exposure is what has caused the ‘craze’? Could it be that the volume of others putting on a mask is what is encouraging so many more to do the same?

Figure One: The Theory of Planned Behaviour
The theory of planned behaviour suggests there are three components that lead to an intention to perform a certain behaviour (see figure one).

Perceived behavioural control is simply the belief that you can control your behaviour. Perhaps the consequence of going out and scaring your community is too high; a risk of arrest, for example. But, thanks to the medias mass publications of clowns filling the streets, their perceived behavioural control is reassessed. An individual’s belief that they can to perform this behaviour grows, under the cover of a mask. Suddenly, a behaviour that seemed out of reach is not so anymore.

This of course, ties in with social norms. Whilst it may have been considered unacceptable to go and scare your local community before, suddenly a lot more people doing it and it rapidly becomes a much more normative, and therefore an accepted behaviour to perform. Of course, it is the media that ensures we are aware of the growing number of clowns in our streets.   

The attitude towards the behaviour, in this example at least, is likely to build from the other components. The majority of us are probably horrified by these killer clowns, however, there are clearly individuals who have a more positive attitude to the craze. Or perhaps a more positive attitude of the behaviour has been formed as a result of the high exposure; it could be considered humourous rather than horrifying.

According to the theory of planned behaviour, the combination of these three components lead to an intent to perform a behaviour. Although hard to get inside the head of a killer clown, you can see how putting on a mask, wig and wandering the local streets can suddenly be perceived as more acceptable; a belief that we possibly owe to media sources for sharing. This media exposure should boldly take its place in the diagram of the theory of planned behaviour, feeding into the three components that influence behaviour intentions (see figure two).

Figure Two: Addition of Agenda Setting to Theory of Planned Behaviour

The role of the media treads a very fine line. The damaging effects of them sharing the latest craze can clearly be seen, essentially taking what could have been a few separate instances to the ‘killer clown craze’. But, how long would it take for us to begin to resent the media should they stop sharing the latest horrors? Would we not be outraged if we came face-to-face with a killer clown only to find we could have been warned to stay in our homes, if the media had published the latest instances it had been informed of? Regardless, this latest craze illustrates the strength of agenda setting theory, and the power the media has over us and our behaviours.

References

Francis, J. J., Eccles, M. P., Johnston, M., Walker, A., Grimshaw, J., Foy, R., Kaner, E. F. S., Smith, L., & Bonetti, D. (2004). Constructing questionnaires based on the theory of planned behaviour. A manual for health services researchers, 2010, 2-12.

Rogers, E. M., Dearing, J. W., & Bregman, D. (1993). The anatomy of agenda‐setting research. Journal of communication, 43(2), 68-84.

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]]>  By now, we’ve all seen them in one way or another. Whether it be in person (Halloween is approaching…), on our social media newsfeeds or in the media. Newspaper headlines read ‘Killer clown craze: 12 of the creepiest UK sightings’ (The Telegraph, 17th Oct), ‘Killer clown with machete threatens two girls in Suffolk’ (The Telegraph, 16th Oct), ‘Childline flooded with calls about killer clown craze’ (Daily Mail, 13th Oct). With the number of these ‘killer clowns’ growing exponentially, you’ve got to ask the question of what took this from a Halloween outfit to a craze confining communities to their homes.It may not come as a surprise that research has shown the media is strikingly successful in telling its audience what to think about. The more the media reports something, the more available that information is to us and the more frequently we think about it. The agenda setting theory, first proposed in 1922, outlines this effect. It is not surprising then, that killer clowns have become the topic of conversation with them consecutively filling newspaper headlines and their masks filling every scroll down social media. Could it be that this high exposure is what has caused the ‘craze’? Could it be that the volume of others putting on a mask is what is encouraging so many more to do the same? Figure One: The Theory of Planned BehaviourThe theory of planned behaviour suggests there are three components that lead to an intention to perform a certain behaviour (see figure one). Perceived behavioural control is simply the belief that you can control your behaviour. Perhaps the consequence of going out and scaring your community is too high; a risk of arrest, for example. But, thanks to the medias mass publications of clowns filling the streets, their perceived behavioural control is reassessed. An individual’s belief that they can to perform this behaviour grows, under the cover of a mask. Suddenly, a behaviour that seemed out of reach is not so anymore. This of course, ties in with social norms. Whilst it may have been considered unacceptable to go and scare your local community before, suddenly a lot more people doing it and it rapidly becomes a much more normative, and therefore an accepted behaviour to perform. Of course, it is the media that ensures we are aware of the growing number of clowns in our streets.   The attitude towards the behaviour, in this example at least, is likely to build from the other components. The majority of us are probably horrified by these killer clowns, however, there are clearly individuals who have a more positive attitude to the craze. Or perhaps a more positive attitude of the behaviour has been formed as a result of the high exposure; it could be considered humourous rather than horrifying. According to the theory of planned behaviour, the combination of these three components lead to an intent to perform a behaviour. Although hard to get inside the head of a killer clown, you can see how putting on a mask, wig and wandering the local streets can suddenly be perceived as more acceptable; a belief that we possibly owe to media sources for sharing. This media exposure should boldly take its place in the diagram of the theory of planned behaviour, feeding into the three components that influence behaviour intentions (see figure two). Figure Two: Addition of Agenda Setting to Theory of Planned BehaviourThe role of the media treads a very fine line. The damaging effects of them sharing the latest craze can clearly be seen, essentially taking what could have been a few separate instances to the ‘killer clown craze’. But, how long would it take for us to begin to resent the media should they stop sharing the latest horrors? Would we not be outraged if we came face-to-face with a killer clown only to find we could have been warned to stay in our homes, if the media had published the latest instances it had been informed of? Regardless, this latest craze illustrates the strength of agenda setting theory, and the power the media has over us and our behaviours.ReferencesFrancis, J. J., Eccles, M. P., Johnston, M., Walker, A., Grimshaw, J., Foy, R., Kaner, E. F. S., Smith, L., & Bonetti, D. (2004). Constructing questionnaires based on the theory of planned behaviour. A manual for health services researchers, 2010, 2-12. Rogers, E. M., Dearing, J. W., & Bregman, D. (1993). The anatomy of agenda‐setting research. Journal of communication, 43(2), 68-84.

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]]> Patching the Shoplift Bug: What You Should Be Doing http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/patching-the-shoplift-bug-what-you-should-be-doing/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=patching-the-shoplift-bug-what-you-should-be-doing Tue, 18 Oct 2016 15:44:00 +0000 http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/?guid=2a7b9b3f22d48e028aa364da1abe8eee

If you haven’t patched this vulnerability, you should.  

SecurityMetrics, Chase Palmer, CISSP
By: Chase Palmer
Senior Program Manager
CISSP 

In early 2015, Magento found a vulnerability known as Shoplift Bug and released a patch for it. Unfortunately, many businesses still haven’t patched this vulnerability, which could threaten their e-commerce integrity.

Here is some more information about the Shoplift Bug, how it makes your system vulnerable, and what you need to do to combat it.

SEE ALSO: How do Hackers Hack?

How does the Shoplift Bug work? 

shoplift bugThrough the Shoplift Bug, hackers can remotely execute code on Magento software. This vulnerability seems to affect both the community and enterprise versions of Magento.

The Shoplifting exploit is actually a chain of vulnerabilities in the Magento core software, but is frighteningly simple.  The exploit uses a Python script that forces the server to downgrade the website from HTTPS to HTTP and then uses SQL injection to create a new user with administrative privileges.

Once the attacker has access to the dashboard with administrator access, they will typically install software through the console that will create a backdoor that allows the attacker to remotely alter the functionality of the online store, add or remove products, change the price of products, add phony coupons, and much more.

What should I do? 

Unfortunately, this exploit was highly automated and nearly all vulnerable instances of the Magento dashboard are assumed to be compromised.  If you don’t know if you’ve patched your site recently or if you’re a Magento user, check on MageReport.com.

If you haven’t installed this patch, here’s a list of steps you should take to patching your website:

data security, software updates
  • Download and implement the two patches from the Magento Community Edition download page
  • Test the patches in a development environment first to make sure they’re working properly before deploying them in your production environment
  • Check for unknown files in web server document root directory. If you find any, remove the files, keeping a secure copy if possible
  • Check all admin accounts to make sure they’re all authorized. Change all admin passwords have you suspect a breach
  • Check for unknown IP addresses accessing the system, since hackers may be using legitimate credentials to gain access to your system. Examples of addresses could include 62.76.177.179, 185.22.232.218, and 23.245.26.35 

If you need help installing patches, refer to Magento’s Community Security patch forum where community members, moderators, and Magento can assist with questions about downloading and installing patches.

If you haven’t already installed this latest patch, you should do so as soon as possible.

Patch your systems

Remember, it’s important to stay up to date on your systems and patch any vulnerabilities that pop up. Tips to do this include:

  • Sign up for newsletters/notifications from vendors you use: Once they release a new patch, you’ll be notified. 
  • Patch the vulnerability as soon as possible: The sooner you fix the vulnerability, the less time you’ll be open to attacks
  • Set up a schedule to regularly patch and update software: This will keep your software updated in its most secure state. 

SEE ALSO: Security Patches in Your Business: Complying with PCI Requirement 6.1

Chase Palmer (CISSP) is the Senior Program Manager and has been working at SecurityMetrics for seven years. He manages the company’s largest corporate partners in running mass Level 4 PCI DSS programs worldwide. Chase has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Western Governor’s University. He currently lives in Provo, Utah, and he loves everything about motorcycles.

The post Patching the Shoplift Bug: What You Should Be Doing appeared first on Social Engineering Blogs.

]]> If you haven’t patched this vulnerability, you should.  SecurityMetrics, Chase Palmer, CISSPBy: Chase PalmerSenior Program ManagerCISSP In early 2015, Magento found a vulnerability known as Shoplift Bug and released a patch for it. Unfortunately, many businesses still haven’t patched this vulnerability, which could threaten their e-commerce integrity.Here is some more information about the Shoplift Bug, how it makes your system vulnerable, and what you need to do to combat it.SEE ALSO: How do Hackers Hack?How does the Shoplift Bug work? shoplift bugThrough the Shoplift Bug, hackers can remotely execute code on Magento software. This vulnerability seems to affect both the community and enterprise versions of Magento.The Shoplifting exploit is actually a chain of vulnerabilities in the Magento core software, but is frighteningly simple.  The exploit uses a Python script that forces the server to downgrade the website from HTTPS to HTTP and then uses SQL injection to create a new user with administrative privileges.Once the attacker has access to the dashboard with administrator access, they will typically install software through the console that will create a backdoor that allows the attacker to remotely alter the functionality of the online store, add or remove products, change the price of products, add phony coupons, and much more.Follow for more data security articles like thisWhat should I do? Unfortunately, this exploit was highly automated and nearly all vulnerable instances of the Magento dashboard are assumed to be compromised.  If you don’t know if you’ve patched your site recently or if you’re a Magento user, check on MageReport.com.If you haven’t installed this patch, here’s a list of steps you should take to patching your website:data security, software updatesDownload and implement the two patches from the Magento Community Edition download pageTest the patches in a development environment first to make sure they’re working properly before deploying them in your production environmentCheck for unknown files in web server document root directory. If you find any, remove the files, keeping a secure copy if possibleCheck all admin accounts to make sure they’re all authorized. Change all admin passwords have you suspect a breachCheck for unknown IP addresses accessing the system, since hackers may be using legitimate credentials to gain access to your system. Examples of addresses could include 62.76.177.179, 185.22.232.218, and 23.245.26.35 If you need help installing patches, refer to Magento’s Community Security patch forum where community members, moderators, and Magento can assist with questions about downloading and installing patches.If you haven’t already installed this latest patch, you should do so as soon as possible.Tweet: If you haven’t already installed the Shoplift Bug patch, you should do so now! http://ow.ly/l1TD305ivhF #NCSAMTweetPatch your systemsRemember, it’s important to stay up to date on your systems and patch any vulnerabilities that pop up. Tips to do this include:Sign up for newsletters/notifications from vendors you use: Once they release a new patch, you’ll be notified. Patch the vulnerability as soon as possible: The sooner you fix the vulnerability, the less time you’ll be open to attacksSet up a schedule to regularly patch and update software: This will keep your software updated in its most secure state. SEE ALSO: Security Patches in Your Business: Complying with PCI Requirement 6.1Chase Palmer (CISSP) is the Senior Program Manager and has been working at SecurityMetrics for seven years. He manages the company’s largest corporate partners in running mass Level 4 PCI DSS programs worldwide. Chase has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Western Governor’s University. He currently lives in Provo, Utah, and he loves everything about motorcycles.

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]]> How to Do Passwords Right: Password Management Best Practices http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/how-to-do-passwords-right-password-management-best-practices/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=how-to-do-passwords-right-password-management-best-practices Tue, 23 Aug 2016 17:23:00 +0000 http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/?guid=1f71e1e377df2b8fb688a32e041295e9 password best practices

Learn what your business is doing wrong with passwords. 

George Mateaki, CISSP
By: George Mateaki

With the recent release of PCI 3.2, one of the changes is the requirement that business must use multi-factor authentication within and out of the network. Multi-factor authentication includes at least two of the following:

  • Something you know (password, code, etc.)
  • Something you have (code sent to your phone)
  • Something you are (fingerprint scan, etc.) 

Part of the authentication process includes passwords, but unfortunately passwords can bring their own set of problems.

password best practicesThe problem with passwords

The biggest problem with passwords is they can be broken fairly easily through brute-force and dictionary attacks.  Programs like John the Ripper and L0phtCrack are used to crack even complex passwords.

Human nature also makes passwords insecure. Employees tend to choose passwords they can remember easily, often making it easy for a data thief to crack through social engineering. Many employees also tend to write down passwords or even share them with others for more convenience.

Finally, there’s the matter of storage. Many applications transmit passwords in plaintext, making it easy for hackers to find and use.

Unfortunately, many businesses don’t realize just how easily cyber thieves can crack a password, especially if it’s a common one. As a result, they have poor practices when it comes to password security.

Here are some things businesses are doing wrong with passwords.

  • Default configuration: businesses will often keep the default passwords that were established when their routers/POS systems were set up. Most default passwords have been published on the internet, so that makes it fairly easy for hackers to break into your devices.   
  • Sharing credentials: sometimes employees will share accounts and credentials to save time. However, this makes it easy for social engineers to quickly gain access to sensitive data. 
  • Not updating passwords regularly: for many hackers, it’s only a matter of time before they crack a password, so businesses that have had the same passwords for their accounts since the day the company started are vulnerable. 
  • Choosing words like “password” or “admin”: these passwords are very common and are likely the first words hackers guess when trying to break into your remote access.  

SEE ALSO: Top Ten PCI Requirement Failures: Where is Your Business Struggling?

Do we even need passwords anymore? 

It’s true that passwords alone will not secure your data very well, but it’s the baseline. The fact that many businesses aren’t even using basic password security shows how vulnerable their data may be.

Eventually passwords may not be needed anymore as technology develops, but currently your devices and applications will still need unique, strong passwords.

Password best practices 

So how do you make sure your passwords are secure? Here are some basic practices.

Assign employees unique credentials/change default passwords
Make sure your employees aren’t using the same password or usernames. This will prevent social engineers from getting access to sensitive data simply by targeting one employee. Many companies will create a numeric user name that has absolutely no association with the actual name of the user. Changing the administrator account name to admin may meet the letter of the law but misses the intent. The administrator user name should be changed to something that does not indicate an administrator. This goes for any elevated access account used as the master/root access if the technology allows for this.

You’ll also want to change all the default passwords on devices, otherwise you’re opening up your network to hackers.

Make passwords long and complex
The longer your password, the better. Just like larger encryption keys are harder to break, longer passwords are more difficult to crack. The PCI DSS recommends businesses have passwords of at least eight characters, though I recommend at least 10-15 characters.

You’ll also want to make them complex, using a mixture of numbers, symbols and letters. This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t follow this rule.

Reset passwords often
Train your employees to reset passwords at regular intervals. For example, you could have them change passwords every 30, 60, or 90 days. Switching passwords often can help prevent the vulnerabilities of brute-force attacks. The less time hackers have on your password, the less likely they’ll crack it before you change it. The best approach is forcing users to change their passwords using technology per the current policy.

Have limited login attempts:
Set a number of times your employees can try to log into a system. After a number of unsuccessful logons, have the account lock out the one trying to get in. This will help prevent brute-force attacks and social engineers trying to guess passwords.

SEE ALSO: 3 Data Security Best Practices

How to create a strong password

password managementNow days, using your favorite sport as a password doesn’t cut it anymore. Here’s a list of the top ten popular passwords for 2015:

  1. 123456
  2. password
  3. 12345678
  4. qwerty
  5. 12345
  6. 123456789
  7. football
  8. 1234
  9. 1234567
  10. baseball

Some additional passwords in the top 25 include, “dragon,” “welcome,” and “starwars.” None of these passwords are secure because they’re too easy to guess, being too common or relying on keyboard patterns. Hackers know these lists well and often use them as a first step to cracking your password.  If any of your passwords are on this list, you’ll want to change them as soon as possible.

Your best practice is to do a passphrase that’s unique to you. Take a phrase such as “I wear my sunglasses at night” and use the first letter of each word. Combine it with a number, such as a date, and you have a stronger password. Example: I wear my sunglasses at night= Iwmsg@n1980!

You likely know these, but a few other basic guidelines for passwords include:

  • Use a mixture of upper and lower-case letters
  • Don’t include name or other personal information
  • Replace some letters with numbers
  • Use nonsense phrases, misspellings, or substitutions
  • Do not use repeating patterns between password changes
  • Do not use the same passwords for work and personal accounts

You can’t really afford to have weak passwords. Ultimately a password isn’t going to completely secure your data. What you really need is to use a combination of multi-factor authentication, encryption, and other protocols to make sure your data is secure. But having a strong password is a good start.

George Mateaki (CISSP, CISA, QSA, PA-QSA) is a Security Analyst at SecurityMetrics with an extensive background in Information Security and 20+ years in IT.

SecurityMetrics Guide to PCI DSS Compliance

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]]> password best practicesLearn what your business is doing wrong with passwords. George Mateaki, CISSPBy: George MateakiWith the recent release of PCI 3.2, one of the changes is the requirement that business must use multi-factor authentication within and out of the network. Multi-factor authentication includes at least two of the following:Something you know (password, code, etc.)Something you have (code sent to your phone)Something you are (fingerprint scan, etc.) Part of the authentication process includes passwords, but unfortunately passwords can bring their own set of problems.password best practicesThe problem with passwordsThe biggest problem with passwords is they can be broken fairly easily through brute-force and dictionary attacks.  Programs like John the Ripper and L0phtCrack are used to crack even complex passwords.Human nature also makes passwords insecure. Employees tend to choose passwords they can remember easily, often making it easy for a data thief to crack through social engineering. Many employees also tend to write down passwords or even share them with others for more convenience.Finally, there’s the matter of storage. Many applications transmit passwords in plaintext, making it easy for hackers to find and use.Unfortunately, many businesses don’t realize just how easily cyber thieves can crack a password, especially if it’s a common one. As a result, they have poor practices when it comes to password security.Here are some things businesses are doing wrong with passwords.Tweet: Here are some things businesses are doing wrong with passwords. http://ow.ly/IbEA303vutg #datasecurity #PCIDSSTweetDefault configuration: businesses will often keep the default passwords that were established when their routers/POS systems were set up. Most default passwords have been published on the internet, so that makes it fairly easy for hackers to break into your devices.   Sharing credentials: sometimes employees will share accounts and credentials to save time. However, this makes it easy for social engineers to quickly gain access to sensitive data. Not updating passwords regularly: for many hackers, it’s only a matter of time before they crack a password, so businesses that have had the same passwords for their accounts since the day the company started are vulnerable. Choosing words like “password” or “admin”: these passwords are very common and are likely the first words hackers guess when trying to break into your remote access.  SEE ALSO: Top Ten PCI Requirement Failures: Where is Your Business Struggling?Do we even need passwords anymore? It’s true that passwords alone will not secure your data very well, but it’s the baseline. The fact that many businesses aren’t even using basic password security shows how vulnerable their data may be.Eventually passwords may not be needed anymore as technology develops, but currently your devices and applications will still need unique, strong passwords.Password best practices So how do you make sure your passwords are secure? Here are some basic practices.Assign employees unique credentials/change default passwordsMake sure your employees aren’t using the same password or usernames. This will prevent social engineers from getting access to sensitive data simply by targeting one employee. Many companies will create a numeric user name that has absolutely no association with the actual name of the user. Changing the administrator account name to admin may meet the letter of the law but misses the intent. The administrator user name should be changed to something that does not indicate an administrator. This goes for any elevated access account used as the master/root access if the technology allows for this.You’ll also want to change all the default passwords on devices, otherwise you’re opening up your network to hackers. Follow for more data security articles like thisMake passwords long and complexThe longer your password, the better. Just like larger encryption keys are harder to break, longer passwords are more difficult to crack. The PCI DSS recommends businesses have passwords of at least eight characters, though I recommend at least 10-15 characters.You’ll also want to make them complex, using a mixture of numbers, symbols and letters. This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t follow this rule.Reset passwords oftenTrain your employees to reset passwords at regular intervals. For example, you could have them change passwords every 30, 60, or 90 days. Switching passwords often can help prevent the vulnerabilities of brute-force attacks. The less time hackers have on your password, the less likely they’ll crack it before you change it. The best approach is forcing users to change their passwords using technology per the current policy.Have limited login attempts:Set a number of times your employees can try to log into a system. After a number of unsuccessful logons, have the account lock out the one trying to get in. This will help prevent brute-force attacks and social engineers trying to guess passwords.SEE ALSO: 3 Data Security Best PracticesHow to create a strong passwordpassword managementNow days, using your favorite sport as a password doesn’t cut it anymore. Here’s a list of the top ten popular passwords for 2015:123456password12345678qwerty12345123456789football12341234567baseballSome additional passwords in the top 25 include, “dragon,” “welcome,” and “starwars.” None of these passwords are secure because they’re too easy to guess, being too common or relying on keyboard patterns. Hackers know these lists well and often use them as a first step to cracking your password.  If any of your passwords are on this list, you’ll want to change them as soon as possible.Your best practice is to do a passphrase that’s unique to you. Take a phrase such as “I wear my sunglasses at night” and use the first letter of each word. Combine it with a number, such as a date, and you have a stronger password. Example: I wear my sunglasses at night= Iwmsg@n1980!You likely know these, but a few other basic guidelines for passwords include:Use a mixture of upper and lower-case lettersDon’t include name or other personal informationReplace some letters with numbersUse nonsense phrases, misspellings, or substitutionsDo not use repeating patterns between password changesDo not use the same passwords for work and personal accountsYou can’t really afford to have weak passwords. Ultimately a password isn’t going to completely secure your data. What you really need is to use a combination of multi-factor authentication, encryption, and other protocols to make sure your data is secure. But having a strong password is a good start.George Mateaki (CISSP, CISA, QSA, PA-QSA) is a Security Analyst at SecurityMetrics with an extensive background in Information Security and 20+ years in IT. SecurityMetrics Guide to PCI DSS Compliance

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]]> Many Fans Illegally Download Frank Ocean’s #Blond Album http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/many-fans-illegally-download-frank-oceans-blond-album/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=many-fans-illegally-download-frank-oceans-blond-album Sun, 21 Aug 2016 22:15:07 +0000 https://socialhax.com/?p=387 R&B singer and songwriter Frank Ocean released his new album Blond exclusively to Apple Music. This caused fans to flock to torrent and other illegal file sharing sites to download the album. The entire album has also surfaced for free on Google Drive. (Digital Music News) Because other popular streaming services such as Spotify and […]

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The post Many Fans Illegally Download Frank Ocean’s #Blond Album appeared first on Social Engineering Blogs.

]]> R&B singer and songwriter Frank Ocean released his new album Blond exclusively to Apple Music. This caused fans to flock to torrent and other illegal file sharing sites to download the album. The entire album has also surfaced for free on Google Drive. (Digital Music News)

Because other popular streaming services such as Spotify and Tidal are unable to stream Blonde, those who are not subscribers to Apple’s service have had to find other means of obtaining the album. A quick Google search has also led some listeners to file locker locations containing the album files. Some Reddit threads have links to file hosting sites like Zippyshare to help share the album more widely.

Since Blonde was released exclusively to Apple Music, some have signed up for the service specifically to hear the album:

I don't fuck with Apple Music #, but I'll do it for you Frank #Blonde #FrankOcean

— Rosicella Luna (@chihuahuarosi) August 21, 2016

#Blonde you know what fuck it in using my free 3 moth trial on Apple Music this is an emergency

— #BLM (@miamia697) August 21, 2016

Welp I caved in and subscribed to Apple Music, and it was so worth it. #Blonde #FrankOcean #Masterpiece

— Ali Philippides (@ClubAliP) August 21, 2016

I just made a whole new apple ID just for a free trial of Apple Music #Blond

— grace keller (@graceakell) August 21, 2016

Others are promoting pirating the album for those who don’t want to pay or sign up for Apple Music:

@FrankOcean FOR ALL MY NIGGAZ WHO DONT WANNA PAY FOR THIS –> https://t.co/6mCybw6vT1 #FRANKOCEAN #BLONDE

— JUULDELATOERET (@juuldelatoeret) August 21, 2016

i'm against piracy but when it's ocean i resort to torrenting #Blonde

— Alec Xavier (@axemfirst) August 21, 2016

Having given exclusive rights to Apple Music, the Frank Ocean brand has gone against Kim Dotcom’s suggestions for stopping piracy:

How to stop piracy:1. Create great content2. Make it easy to buy3. Same day global release4. Works on any device5. Fair price

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) September 19, 2013

By not making the album easy to buy or obtain, many people feel that piracy is a better option for those who are not subscribers to Apple Music.

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]]> Summarising and Criticising: Critical Skills You May Not Realize You Need http://www.socialengineeringblogs.com/summarising-and-criticising-critical-skills-you-may-not-realize-you-need/?pk_campaign=rss_feed&pk_kwd=summarising-and-criticising-critical-skills-you-may-not-realize-you-need Sun, 03 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000 http://changingminds.org/blog/1607blog/160703blog.htm Here's two very useful skills you can focus on learning that will be really helpful in all kinds of ways.

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]]> Here’s two very useful skills you can focus on learning that will be really helpful in all kinds of ways.

The post Summarising and Criticising: Critical Skills You May Not Realize You Need appeared first on Social Engineering Blogs.

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