Many major damages of metal structures, machine parts made of metal alloys and metals generally can cause major problems such as work delays, major material losses, damage of human health, and contamination of environmental components. The most common cause of damage of metals and metal alloys is corrosion, and as a highly destructive and aggressive form of corrosion that occurs during the action of several influences, stress corrosion cracking. Stress corrosion cracking is an example of local corrosion that occurs when the observed sample is simultaneously exposed to the aggressive action of the media and stress, which most often leads to the formation of cracks and the final fracture of the material. Cracks caused by stress corrosion cracking can be transcrystalline or intercrystalline, i.e. across the surface of the material or along the grain boundaries of the metal into depth. This paper will investigate the effects that lead to stress corrosion cracking, such as the effects of stress, environment, material structure, and others that can stimulate the development and progression of said corrosion. The consequences and possible damages on metals and metal alloys, as well as the methods of metal protection from stress corrosion cracking will be stated.