In IT security, which of the following best defines "social engineering"?

The term "social engineering" refers to the psychological manipulation of individuals to influence them into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. This can involve tactics such as impersonating a trusted individual or organization, creating a sense of urgency, or developing rapport with the target to lower their defenses. In this context, the correct choice highlights the core aspect of social engineering, which is the interaction with people to extract sensitive data rather than relying on technological exploits.

The other options focus on technical measures and practices, such as using software for security, implementing controls, and creating complex passwords, which do not address the human element of security vulnerabilities that social engineering exploits. Understanding social engineering is crucial in IT security because it emphasizes the need for human awareness and training in addition to technical defenses.