Seven 'Weaknesses' Criminals Use Online to Exploit You

A good con is like a magic trick. Those best thought out (think of The Spanish Prisoner) stand the test of time, and can be recycled generation after generation.

What makes a con work? Human nature. By applying psychology, criminals achieve predictable results most of the time. High-tech giant Cisco's recently released annual security report contains a breakdown of "seven deadly weaknesses" that make us particularly susceptible to criminal persuasions (the Dilbert brigade at your office, when they give you the "employee risk management" speech, probably will refer to this give-and-take between con and mark as "social engineering"). Sadly, many impulses the bad guys play on are good ones -- and so, perhaps it's best to keep in mind that on the Internet, the virtuous are targets for victimhood.