Psychological subversion

Psychological subversion (PsychSub) is the name given by Susan Headley to a method of verbally manipulating people for information. It is similar in practice to so-called social engineering and pretexting, but has a more military focus to it. It was developed by Headley as an extension of knowledge she gained during hacking sessions with notorious early computer network hackers like Kevin Mitnick and Lewis de Payne.

Headley often gave the following example of the use of psychological subversion: Suppose the hacker needed access to a certain classified military computer called, say, IBAS. He would obtain the name of the base commander or other high-ranking official, gain access to the DNS network, (which is the separate military telephone network) and dial up the computer center he needed to reach, which was often in a secured facility. The person who answered the phone would usually be a low-ranking enlisted person, and the hacker would say something like, "This is Lieutenant Johanson, and General Robertson cannot access his IBAS account, and he'd like to know WHY?" This is all said in a very threatening tone of voice, clearly implying that if the general can't get into his account right away, there will be severe negative repercussions, most likely targeting the hapless person who answered the phone.

The hacker has the subject off guard and very defensive, wanting nothing more than to appease the irritated general as quickly as possible. The hacker then goes silent, giving the victim ample time to stammer into the phone and build up his fear level, while listening for clues from the victim as to how best to proceed. Eventually, the hacker suggests that the tech create a temporary account for the general, or change the general's password to that of the hacker's choice.

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