Physical Security

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Physical Security

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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August 24, 2013 at 11:53 am

#298080

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Physical Security

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004363 More actions · Answer 1

One of the other possible security problems is with the janitorial and repair staff. They have the keys and RFIDs to get just about anywhere. They might not be able to get into the server room but they sure can visit your desk. They don't even need to stop what they're doing if they have a good enough memory. 24/7 video monitoring won't be enough for them to pickup what they need for a hack or whatever. Even if they need to linger, who's to say that they haven't enlisted the person watching the tubes? Locked desk drawers don't make it either. It takes someone with the right tool about the same amount of time to open a locked desk as it does as someone with the correct key.

Of course, wireless transmitters can be easily hidden just about anywhere. Normally people don't need to go that far though. The supposedly secure wireless transmitters in the building do just fine. 🙂

--Jeff Moden

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Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

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TomThomson SSC Guru Points: 104773 More actions · Answer 2

Yes, we should try to get our offices, server rooms, and so on up to a high standard of physical security.

But something far more important for us to do is always to behave as if the physical security of all those things is totally broken.

The physical security measures that most companies can afford are so easily hackable and/or bypassable that if an attack by a competent and well resourced attacker takes place it will almost certainly succeed. Confidential information lying around on desk and table tops, PCs left logged in and unlocked overnight are bad; confidential information in ordinary desk drawers or cupboards isn't a lot better; nor is unshredded confidential information in waste bins. Confidential information held on portable storage without really effective encryption is worse. Relying on physical security to prevent any such confidential information from getting to those whom you don't want to have it is extremely foolish, unless you know that the risk of attack is extremely low because the "enemy" doesn't care enough about the information to spend two cents on obtaining it. Many people have been badly bitten by thinking they knew that.

Tom

shoestringdba SSCertifiable Points: 6226 More actions · Answer 3

In a bookstore one day I picked up a book called "No-Tech Hacking". I sat there and read nearly the whole thing. Certainly an eye-opener regarding physical security.

____________
Just my $0.02 from over here in the cheap seats of the peanut gallery - please adjust for inflation and/or your local currency.

jay-h SSCoach Points: 18816 More actions · Answer 4

lshanahan (8/26/2013)
In a bookstore one day I picked up a book called "No-Tech Hacking". I sat there and read nearly the whole thing. Certainly an eye-opener regarding physical security.

hmmm is reading the whole book in the store a version of 'no tech hacking'? 😉

...

-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --

djackson 22568 SSChampion Points: 11733 More actions · Answer 5

For obvious reasons I am leaving all details out of this comment.

I know of a person that was easily able to go through every nursing station in a hospital and at each one, disconnect a device, plug in something and then reattach the device to his. He did this without a hospital ID, without a contractor badge, without a badge from anywhere. He wore ripped jeans, a ratty t-shirt, hadn't even combed his hair. He made himself look as suspicious as possible.

Not one person stopped him. Not one person even questioned him. He was working on computers, he "must be trustworthy!"

A short time later management received a report about the 'intrusion". I am sure that discussions were had, people were talked to, and that it was made clear exactly what to do if this type of event occurs.

Do I believe anything changed? Well, I prefer to not speculate...

Dave

Miles Neale SSChampion Points: 13147 More actions · Answer 6

L' Eomot Inversé (8/25/2013)
But something far more important for us to do is always to behave as if the physical security of all those things is totally broken.

Perfect - I had not heard something this important stated so simply before.

Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!

tabinsc SSCommitted Points: 1812 More actions · Answer 7

I've heard of retailers who make it all too easy to walk up to one of their terminals and get to a root prompt.

Tony
------------------------------------
Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

Miles Neale SSChampion Points: 13147 More actions · Answer 8

tabinsc (8/27/2013)
I've heard of retailers who make it all too easy to walk up to one of their terminals and get to a root prompt.

Now that is full-service retail at its best!

Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!