2KKUU7ita

Chapter 5: Social Engineering
Regardless of the initial research method, all a hacker might need to penetrate
an organization is an employee list, a few key internal phone numbers,
the latest news from a social media website, or a company calendar.
Using the Internet
Today’s basic research medium is the Internet. A few minutes searching on
Google or other search engines, using simple keywords, such as the company
name or specific employees’ names, often produces a lot of information. You
can find even more information in SEC filings at www.sec.gov and at such
sites as www.hoovers.com and http://finance.yahoo.com. (Many organizations
— especially their management — would be dismayed to discover
the organizational information that’s available online.) By using this searchengine
information and browsing the company’s website, the attacker often
has enough information to start a social engineering attack.
The bad guys can pay just a few dollars for a comprehensive online background
check on individuals. These searches can turn up practically any
public — and sometimes private — information about a person in minutes.
Dumpster diving
Dumpster diving is a little more risky — and it’s certainly messy. But, it’s a
highly effective method of obtaining information. This method involves literally
rummaging through trash cans for information about a company.
Dumpster diving can turn up even the most confidential information because
many employees assume that their information is safe after it goes into the
trash. Most people don’t think about the potential value of the paper they
throw away. And I’m not just talking about the recycle value! These documents
often contain a wealth of information that can tip off the social engineer
with information needed to penetrate the organization further. The
astute social engineer looks for the following printed documents:
✓ Internal phone lists
✓ Organizational charts
✓ Employee handbooks, which often contain security policies
✓ Network diagrams
✓ Password lists
✓ Meeting notes
✓ Spreadsheets and reports
✓ Printouts of e-mails that contain confidential information
71