One type of social engineering that targets senior officials is called "whaling," which is a highly targeted phishing attack aimed at senior executives and masquerading as a legitimate email. Whaling is similar to spear phishing, but it is more sophisticated and specifically targets high-level executives.

Social engineering attacks are a popular tactic among attackers because it is often easier to exploit people than it is to find a network or software vulnerability. Social engineers use a variety of tactics to perform attacks, such as performing research and reconnaissance on the target, gathering intelligence on the organizational structure, and studying the behavior of employees who have low-level but initial access.

Here are some common types of social engineering attacks that can be used to target senior officials:

• Phishing: This is a type of social engineering attack that involves sending fraudulent emails that appear to come from a legitimate source, such as a bank or a company. The goal is to trick the recipient into providing sensitive information, such as login credentials or credit card numbers.

• Spear Phishing: This is a more targeted form of phishing that involves sending fraudulent emails to specific individuals or groups. The emails are designed to look like they come from a trusted source, such as a colleague or a business partner, and often contain personalized information to make them seem more legitimate.

• Whaling: This is a highly targeted form of phishing that specifically targets high-level executives, such as CEOs or CFOs. The emails are designed to look like they come from a trusted source, such as a senior executive or a business partner, and often contain personalized information to make them seem more legitimate.

• Baiting: This is a type of social engineering attack that involves leaving a physical device, such as a USB drive, in a public place in the hope that someone will pick it up and plug it into their computer. The device is often infected with malware that can give the attacker access to the victims computer.

• Pretexting: This is a type of social engineering attack that involves creating a false pretext, such as pretending to be a customer or a vendor, in order to trick the victim into providing sensitive information or performing a specific action.

To protect against social engineering attacks, it is important to educate employees about the risks and to implement security measures such as two-factor authentication and email filters that can detect and block fraudulent emails.