Which of the following is a method used to engage in social engineering?

The method of engaging in social engineering primarily involves manipulating individuals to disclose confidential or personal information. Cold calling individuals to obtain sensitive information epitomizes this tactic. In social engineering, the perpetrator often leverages interpersonal skills and psychological manipulation to build trust and persuade victims to divulge information that they typically would keep private, such as bank account details or passwords.

While utilizing hacking software and sending phishing emails are also methods to compromise security, they are not classified as social engineering tactics in the same way that directly interacting with individuals is. Hacking often involves technical skills to exploit system vulnerabilities, and phishing emails primarily serve to deceive recipients into providing information, which may not always involve direct conversation or manipulation in the same manner that cold calling does. Thus, the focus on interpersonal interaction makes cold calling a prime example of social engineering.