Beware of Dumpster Diving and Shoulder Surfing!

Dumpster Diving: Finding Treasure in Trash

Dumpster diving refers to the practice of going through another person's garbage to find discarded information that can be used to facilitate identity theft or corporate espionage. It's surprising how much information people carelessly discard, such as bills, letters, and documents which may contain sensitive data. By sifting through trash, hackers can gather valuable information that can be used for malicious purposes.

Shoulder Surfing: Sneaky Observations for Personal Gain

Shoulder surfing involves the hacker directly observing the target's screen during critical operations, such as entering a password on a login page. This is often done in public places, like coffee shops or libraries, where the hacker can easily look over the target's shoulder without arousing suspicion. By gathering sensitive information visually, hackers can gain access to personal or confidential data.

Exploiting Human Weakness

Both dumpster diving and shoulder surfing rely on the negligence or lack of awareness of the targets. Instead of exploiting system vulnerabilities, these techniques target the 'human element' in security. This highlights the importance of being cautious with the information we discard and the actions we take in public spaces to protect our privacy and security.