Article from a few years ago

I've been searching everywhere and I can't find it!

It was and article a few years ago, I think within the last 10 years,
from someone describing how he had been given a contract to test the
security of an organisation. The people who gave him the contract
thought he was going to try to hack in but instead he used social
engineering to get inside the building and visited a number of
computers, gaining id cards and passwords as he went. The usual thing,
except he was describing his whole process, who he talked to, what he
got out of them etc. I believe he actually got access to the computers
of the head of security and the IT section. One person actually
questioned him and he got past that person by owning up, saying he was
testing security and this staff had passed, whereupon the staff gave him
an extra useful step (I can't remember what, maybe access to the server
room or the managers office or something). I belive he left notes
behind? and took photos. The organisation wasn't named, I think mainly
out of shame, and the tester was not popular with management because he
used tactics they weren't expecting and he showed up all their flaws.

Anyone else know this article?

Thanks

jules

none

"none" <""jules\"@(none)"> wrote

<< snipped >>

I didn't read that article I think, because it was not in my native
language.
But your story does remind me of a book : The art of deception from Kevin
Mitnick ( 2002 ).

chris

I did wonder if it was Kevin but it was an article, not a book, and I
couldn't find it on his company website. It could just as easily have
been someone else so I thought I'd throw out a line here.

ta anyway

j

chris wrote:
> "none" <""jules\"@(none)"> wrote
>
> << snipped >>
>
> I didn't read that article I think, because it was not in my native
> language.
> But your story does remind me of a book : The art of deception from Kevin
> Mitnick ( 2002 ).
>
>
>
>

none

none wrote:

> I've been searching everywhere and I can't find it!

See alt.urban.legends

Some Guy

That's interesting. Why would it be an urban legend? Social engineering
is used by those wanting to get into buildings all the time. I've seen
how slack security is in several of my workplaces, I could see people
getting away with it very easy.

Some Guy wrote:
> none wrote:
>
>> I've been searching everywhere and I can't find it!
>
> See alt.urban.legends

none

And the article isn't urban legend. I read it.

Some Guy wrote:
> none wrote:
>
>> I've been searching everywhere and I can't find it!
>
> See alt.urban.legends

none

On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:38:31 +1100, none <""jules\"@(none)"> wrote:

>And the article isn't urban legend. I read it.

Probably not here.

Social engineering works though.
--
Jim Watt
http://www.gibnet.com

Jim Watt

Ah. No, I didn't read it here. This is the first time I've been on this
newsgroup. I was just hoping someone into security would know about the
article but it doesn't look like it. Oh well.

Jim Watt wrote:
> On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:38:31 +1100, none <""jules\"@(none)"> wrote:
>
>> And the article isn't urban legend. I read it.
>
> Probably not here.
>
> Social engineering works though.
> --
> Jim Watt
> http://www.gibnet.com

none

On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:46:27 +1100, none wrote:

> Ah. No, I didn't read it here. This is the first time I've been on this
> newsgroup. I was just hoping someone into security would know about the
> article but it doesn't look like it. Oh well.
>
> Jim Watt wrote:
>> On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:38:31 +1100, none <""jules\"@(none)"> wrote:
>>
>>> And the article isn't urban legend. I read it.
>>
>> Probably not here.
>>
>> Social engineering works though.
>> --
>> Jim Watt
>> http://www.gibnet.com

Well if you ever find the article then please post here.
I would be very interested in reading it myself.


--

Regards
Robert

Smile... it increases your face value!
Linux User #296285
http://counter.li.org

Robert

Yeah ok, but I'm having such trouble that I'm doubting I will find it.

Robert wrote:

>
> Well if you ever find the article then please post here.
> I would be very interested in reading it myself.
>
>

none