People weakness identification consists of identifying and analyzing weaknesses and vulnerabilities from the intelligence gathering phases which can be leveraged to gain access to target or intermediate target persons of interest or social trust relationships.
Social media provides insight into the target's affiliations with groups and organizations. Certification information can explain their technical associations and professional associations. Personal information can provide data for exploitation or even blackmail.
An adversary may assess a target's operational security (OPSEC) practices in order to identify targeting options. A target may share different information in different settings or be more of less cautious in different environments.12