I've brought up social engineering before, and I'll bring it up again, multiple times, over and over again as its intention, angle, and approach can vary, and the outcome brutal. I wouldn't exactly classify this as social engineering possibly more likely social conditioning taken advantage of.
That little X on the top corner of a window, everyone knows, everyone loves, it lets us free of the holds of unresponsive programs, lets us get out of a program we are done with. Same applies to the cancel button's we see so often, and the close buttons in random locations on files and programs. Above you can see its in the bottom right hand corner. Anyone who reads this knows, clicking any of those buttons closes the window right? This fact isn't true in all cases.
Every pixel on a program is coded to do certain functions, an X button closes, a _ puts it into your lower task bar, and those boxes in the middle let you go full screen or shrink the window. Generally speaking of course, these can actually be changed. The X button isn't statically assigned to closing a program, the _ isn't statically assigned to minimizing your current task, they can be altered to allow for alternate tasks to occur.
Ever wonder how you got signed up for an emailing list? Ever wonder how you got that virus when you swear you didn't click or download anything? Its quite possible at some point in time this happened to you. You got a pop up on a yahoo search (yeah I'm dating myself here) and you clicked X since you knew you weren't the factual 1,000,000 visitor to the site, the window closed, and shortly after you started having problems with your computer. More pop ups, you lost your myspace account (yeah dating once more), all gone without explaination. It could possibly be that X button, or the cancel you clicked.
Yes people can do some horrible horrible things, and since we've become conditioned to click X when we are done, or cancel when we are done. As a matter of fact, I downloaded a code that popped up a window that gave the options of Cancel and Ok, I set them both to do the same thing, its surprisingly easy, its rudimentary scammery (if that's a word.)
What can you do to absolve yourself of these problems? Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce 2 buttons that'll kill most programs
Yes alt + F4, this is one of the most commonly used button combinations that computer folks use.
Done with this game? Alt + F4
Done with this program? Alt + F4
Done sending email? Alt + F4
Not only is this safer and more secure than searching for an X button or cancel button with your mouse, its faster as well. You're already typing, just need to hit two more keys and boom you're already done with what you were doing. I highly suggest learning this trick, it won't just save your butt, it'll make you faster, you can change what an X does, but you can't change what ALT + F4 does. That's hard coded into the system.
Don't fall victim to such a simple habit to break. Until next time, be safe my goblins.
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