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When Social Engineering Gets Physical
David Utter
Staff Writer
2007-02-20
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
Criminals may be a superstitious, cowardly lot in Batman's world, but an evildoer in the real world may be ready to fight as one security company learned.
Steve Stasiukonis wrote a tale of how his Secure Network Technologies had to deal with an executive suspected misconduct by his company. The story at Dark Reading discussed the account of investigating a computer-savvy individual who might or might not have been enriching himself at the company's expense.
The firm wanted Stasiukonis to get the laptop away from the guy in a way that would not give him time to delete anything from it. He and another guy disguised as building maintenance staff set up outside the executive's office and began poking around the ceiling.
The exec ignored them, and when he stepped away from his office the fake maintenance guys grabbed the laptop and ran. But the exec happened to see what was going on, and despite being much older than the investigators he wrestled the laptop away from them and retreated to his office with them in hot pursuit.
It wasn't until the arrival of company security and a couple of cops that Stasiukonis was able to get the laptop away from the guy. Later forensics showed that the company's suspicions were correct, and the firm took legal action against the executive.
While Stasiukonis presented this as a cautionary tale in how people can go from meek to marauding when confronted, it serves better as an object lesson in how not to get a laptop away from someone suspected of misconduct.
Consider this scenario: the security guys grab the laptop, the exec gives chase, a struggle begins. The exec, who has no idea who these guys are, believes he is in a fight for his life. He draws a legally purchased handgun for which he has a concealed carry permit, intending to order them to stop. But in the chaos of the fight, the gun goes off and someone dies.
Or scenario number two - the executive is a desperate man. He draws a weapon and coolly shoots both men, then departs to a waiting private jet and leaves for someplace warm where no one has ever heard of an extradition treaty.
Instant PR nightmare.
The company erred in its approach in getting the laptop from their suspected employee. The laptop is company property; a corporate officer backed up by security could have demanded the device be turned over to them. There was no reason for them to engage an outsider to steal back their property if they felt so strongly that misconduct was taking place.
About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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