Comments on: Needles and Pins… And Shoulder Surfing

By: Shione Masters

Shione Masters — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:10:16 +0000

I always believe that people are inherently trusting, despite being warned by our parents when we were children to be wary. Of course, the few who have had been through difficult circumstances would develop a learned skepticism and distrust with other people. But for most people, rarely do we have the foresight to accommodate the possibility that people, too, regardless of how spotless their reputation might have been, will falter and attempt to take advantage of useful information that’s within their reach, especially if they don’t even have to try hard to get that information, i.e. passwords spoken within earshot or information placed on open desks.
I keep on telling people: trust people but lock your doors.

By: John Deeley

John Deeley — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:56:49 +0000

I’ve worked in environments where someone will ask them to print something off a locked workstation, and shout their password over several rows of workstations. Any level of security is worthless if you disregard the physical senses, and how one might perceive the information you are supposed to protect to keep yourself and your peers safe.

By: Toni Johnson

Toni Johnson — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:50:21 +0000

In a time when open cubicles and open office spaces are the norm, this is quite a problem.

I hear people from accounting getting credit card information over the phone and repeating the confidential data within earshot by the person next to him.

People working on confidential proprietary information who still has their monitors faced other people is cause for concern for management.

You’re right. Even if recruitment and onboarding procedures are so stringent on getting people with character, there is no fool proof system. There will always be people who will be tempted to get information, use them or even sell them much to the detriment of the organization. Be wary.