Unlocked office door can be as big a threat as computer hackers, experts say
With all the attention that’s been focused on cybersecurity lately, it’s easy for those in charge of business operations to lose sight of a simple fact.
Criminals don’t necessarily have to hack into the computer system to get hold of confidential information from law firms or other companies. Often, employees literally open the door to them, reports the Risk & Compliance Journal page of the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.).
“People will put their finger on a biometric fingerprint reader, but they’re still willing to hold the door open for the guy behind them,” says Dan Berger, who serves as president and chief executive of the Redspin cybersecurity firm. “It is unbelievably easy to get in.”
He knows, because his company’s security analysts test client companies to find such vulnerabilities. In addition to workers willing to hold the door open for an individual they don’t know, open laptop ports and unlocked computers can offer immediate access to internal documents. Security analysts also are assigned to follow workers to after-hours spots such as bars and restaurant and eavesdrop to see if they can hear them discussing confidential information.
See also:
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