A denial of service (DOS) attack involves overwhelming a server or cluster of servers to the point that they are unable to respond to legitimate requests, thereby making them unavailable for normal usage. A DOS attack certainly requires a reasonable amount of technical and network skills to successfully execute. Dumpster diving requires no computer knowledge whatsoever, only the willingness to get a little bit dirty. Phishing refers to deceiving others into revealing personal and/or sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, passwords, etc., usually through an email message. This requires no sophisticated technical knowledge beyond being able to send an email. Social engineering refers to using social tactics to gain information. For example, an employee from one company may call a competitor and pretend to be a coworker who forgot how to access certain files, hoping that the person who they are talking to will reveal that information. No technical skills are required; in fact, social skills would be the most essential when attempting to gain information through social engineering.
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