Page 45 - JDPA Volume 02, Issue 02

Journal of Defence & Policy Analysis Volume 02, Issue 02, December 2023

MASTERING THE SOCIAL ENGINEERING:
STRATEGIES FOR PERSUASIVE INFLUENCE AND
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
Dr Anver Hamdani
(Coordinator in Charge of Healthcare Donor Activities and Diplomatic Affairs,
Ministry of Health)

“We know that they are lying
They know that they are lying
They know that we know that they are lying
We know that they know that we know that they are lying
and
still they continue to lie”.

This stands as the truth of the world.

Introduction

Social engineering involves skillfully manipulating individuals to adopt a par-
ticular belief or align with a desired objective through persuasive tactics and stra-
tegic communication.

Ex:- Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the dissemination of both disinforma-
tion and misinformation regarding vaccinations led to hesitancy among individ-
uals to receive the vaccine. This hesitancy was influenced by various factors such
as cultural beliefs, social norms, and prevalent myths. Addressing this challenge
necessitated engagement with diverse social, cultural, and religious groups, each
harbouring distinct perspectives. However, the overarching goal was to convey
the importance of national immunization efforts for collective protection. This
involved the formal processes of persuasion, manipulation, instilling trust, and
eliciting the willingness of individuals to share their information.

Why basically did social engineering become successful?

During the 1970s and 1980s, the prevalent portrayal of heroes engaging in smok-
ing practices in popular media contributed significantly to the subsequent adop-
tion of smoking by a substantial portion of the teenage population. This phenom-
enon exemplifies the effectiveness of branding strategies wherein the association
of credible and authentic personalities with a particular behaviour or product

Faculty of Defence and Strategic Studies, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka
35