1: I would describe social engineering attacks as bait tricks used to secure other individuals information. Users are taking advantage of by criminals who use fraudulent deceiving tactics to get access to a debit card number, bank account number, and more. Social engineering can cause monetary and identity problems if you are a victim. The gas pump card skimming would be a good example of social engineering for me because a customer think its a normal transaction and its not.
2: You are absolutely correct when you mention skimmers at a gas station, but how many times have you heard about skimmers on an ATM machine at a bank. I don't know about anywhere else but here in Florida it has happened on a few occasions. As far as pop ups on the computer offering free things, I have stopped even reading these messages. I block the senders and that seem to cut down on the emails. But once in a while one will sneak through.
3: Timothy, good post and I like how you included virus attacks with both, hardware and software and now, even browsers should be considered. And as Jezreel stated, our past pluralsights, they review how individuals continue to monitor open and secure networks. For these reasons, understanding the process of forensics and how crucial this can help recognize defects and document changes. Timothy, Jezreel, and class, how important is documentation?