Final answer:
C. Social engineering attacks rely mainly on the discipline of psychology, exploiting human behavior and cognitive biases to manipulate individuals into disclosing confidential information.
Step-by-step explanation:
When social engineering attacks are employed, they rely on principles from the field of psychology. Specifically, attackers utilize an understanding of human behavior and cognitive biases to manipulate individuals into revealing personal or sensitive information. This type of attack focuses on exploiting psychological weaknesses rather than technical vulnerabilities in a computer system. The attackers typically project a sense of urgency, authority, or familiarity to deceive the target into performing specific actions or divulging confidential information.
Social engineering attacks might leverage aspects of cognitive psychology, which studies human thinking, and social psychology, which examines how situational factors affect individual behaviors. These can include tactics that take advantage of the way people process information, their desire to be helpful, their fear of confrontation, or their inclination to trust authority. By honing these psychological skills, attackers can successfully execute their social engineering campaigns.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is c. psychology, as that is the science discipline most social engineering attacks rely on.