Have you ever dined in a restaurant with a police officer?  When choosing a table, or seating location, law enforcement professionals will often choose the seat that positions them with their back to the wall.  This plays out quite humorously when a group of law enforcement professionals dine together, all racing toward that coveted “protected” chair.  It’s obvious why this occurs.  Law enforcement professionals are trained observers, and any time that their clear view of a room is obstructed, they become uncomfortable.  The same is true with other trained professionals.  A firefighter will often enter a room, noting the exits and occupancy. 

Cybersecurity professionals are similarly observant, aware of systems such as door mechanisms, security cameras, and other vulnerable artifacts of our modern world.  Even a simple elevator ride can be a fascinating experience for a security practitioner.  The average person may wonder what makes these objects a source of fascination for security professionals?  The thought that all of these security controls are connected, and in many cases, automated, piques their curiosity.  Unfortunately, cybercriminals are also interested in these controls.

Automation is everywhere

Think of the last action movie you saw that involved a physical break-in to a secured area. The technology in place to protect those areas usually involved some type of monitoring system. Whether it was an automated door-locking mechanism, or a camera, the first step the criminals always took was to alter the automated system to appear as if it was in a normal state, even if it wasn’t.   One of the most common examples is to force a surveillance camera to display an image of an empty room while the thief is inside that room.  Another example is to force a door locking mechanism (Read more...)