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How I Socially Engineer Myself into High Security Facilities

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How I Socially Engineer Myself into High Security Facilities

A pentester shares a story that shows how social engineering can get you anywhere.

Motherboard,

5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Is your organization vulnerable to malicious social engineering?

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening
  • Insider's Take

Recommendation

Every office building and computer network has vulnerabilities. The task of security professionals is to find them before criminals do. Many companies hire “pentesters” (penetration testers) who get creative at breaking into buildings and networks to evaluate an organization’s defenses. In a short article posted on Motherboard, penetration tester Sophie Daniel shares the tale of her most memorable break-in and draws conclusions about organizations’ most common vulnerabilities. getAbstract believes that her story serves as a warning to employees at every level.  

Summary

As a “pentester” (penetration tester), Sophie Daniel is responsible for evaluating the security of organizations by finding and exploiting their vulnerabilities. Although picking locks and climbing over walls are among her tactics, Daniel has found “social engineering” to be the most effective way to gain access to restricted locations.

One break-in that made Daniel simultaneously pleased with and shocked at herself required gaining access to an iron-gated manufacturing plant and nearby data center with “armed guards, badge readers, biometric security controls and turnstiles at every entrance.”  After studying the maps, ...

About the Author

Sophie Daniel is a facilities penetration tester and information security consultant. 

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