Latest Threat To Your Corporate Network: Smoking Bans?
from the um...-what? dept
It's amazing what kinds of things people will try to warn you about these days when it comes to computer systems. Following the warning about bird flu potentially taking down the internet now we apparently need to be aware that smoking bans may put company networks at risk. Apparently, over in the UK, they're about to put in place a ban on smoking in workplaces (similar to bans that have been found in the US for many years). So, what's the problem? Turns out those darn smokers leave the back door to their offices open so they can go in and out -- and a crafty criminal can just walk right into the building and plug into the network. Of course, there are a few problems with this. First off, walking directly into an office is pretty risky. While some people can get away with it, it hardly seems like a common practice that your ordinary cybercriminal is going to try. Second, it seems ridiculous to blame the smoking ban for this rather than the people who leave the door open. It's not the fault of the ban, but the workers who can't learn to shut the door properly. Apparently, that doesn't make for such a good headline, though.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Disable their ass!
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Front Door
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Alarm
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Open Doors
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Re: Kyros
So exactly how many security guards have ADMIN level access on the company network? Hell you want in just become a rent a cop.
Whatever. . .
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Change the doors then
Years ago I used to work in a datacentre as a temp and used exactly this method to get in every day for 4 months, rather than stand in line every morning to get my new pass (the company had a farce of a procedure which involved me spending 5 minutes with a security guard every day while he checked various crap)
All went well for ages until we got audited and in the pre-audit someone asked me where my pass was
1st time I had been challenged in 4 months of working in a building of over 500 employees - I'd spent the rest of the time tailgating etc
So yeah if you're convincing you can get away with a LOT once you're in the door ;0)
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Security Fusion
Stovepipes of cyber and physical security are being broken-down. Looks like the buzzword is "Security Fusion."
For example, DHS will now have an emergency communications IT component in the next iteration of its TOPOFF exercise. Amazing to think that DHS was doing these large-scale COOP/COG simulations without any this communications component.
E.G.,
http://www.fcw.com/article97613-02-08-07-Web
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I have to ask
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Bah!
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Duh?
Apparently not, because you are still using a misguided headline.
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Stealth Nicotine
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Re: Stealth Nicotine
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The front door security guard may be a dork, but most of us geeks know who we work with. We may be lazy - and not want to fix the mess a hacker makes - but we aren't stupid.
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Re:
In case you're interested the real trick is to be smoking a cigarette yourself and be stubbing it out as they open the door to come out
Hold it open for them once they've turned the knob
I guarantee you very few people will stop you if you look confident enough - just another smoker going back in
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What we are implementing now in the UK is a total ban on smoking anywhere in an enclosed public space. This means that all public places, including all pubs, restaurants, bars and private members clubs, will be smoke free from Summer 2007.
And to be honest it's about time. These bans have been in place in other European countries for some years now but the UK just doesn't want to lose tax money from tobacco, just in case people decide to quit smoking.
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silly
I mean, if a company has a weak enough security system that people can just walk in and have access to everything, then they have more serious things to worry about anyway. Looking to blame smokers leaving the doors open (and attended even) shouldn't be the first place to look. If these "security experts" were experts, they would know that modern offices use RFID badges, not just for the back (or any other) door but also for access to equipment rooms.
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This is Silly
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It's actually very common in office towers etc. to have people walk in & grab latops/wallets etc. during office hours with people present - and this is in places where the only access is via passcode.
I've been surprised over the years how many times I've been in an office of another company and basically given free-roam over the space, including being let back into secure doors by simply knocking on the glass and simply saying "I'm just in a meeting down the hall".
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