The report draws attention to the ambiguity of the onlooker’s perception of social engineering as an information security industry, and society as a whole. It outlines the main tenets, goals, principles and methods of social engineering. Attention is paid to the basics of biology, the mind, psychological exposure and the elements of nonverbal communication. It criticises neuro-linguistic programming. It gives examples of the positive use of social engineering techniques in information security and other areas. There are recommendations for further study of the subject of social engineering.