Attacks & Threats
Tailgating
Also known as: Door tailgating
Definition
A physical intrusion technique where an attacker slips through an access control by closely following an authorized person without their consent or awareness.
Examples
- An intruder walks closely behind an employee badging into a data centre and enters before the door closes.
- An attacker wearing a fake contractor badge slips through a turnstile when the queue is busy.
Related terms
Piggybacking
Unauthorized physical or logical access gained when an authorized person knowingly allows an attacker to follow them past an access control.
Social Engineering
The psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or disclosing confidential information that benefits an attacker.
Pretexting
A social-engineering technique in which an attacker invents a believable scenario or identity to manipulate a target into disclosing information or performing an action.
Shoulder Surfing
Observing someone's screen, keyboard, or PIN pad over their shoulder — directly or via cameras — to steal credentials, codes, or sensitive information.
Dumpster Diving
Searching through an organisation's or person's discarded materials — paper, removable media, hardware — to recover sensitive information.
Baiting
A social-engineering attack that lures victims with an enticing physical or digital object designed to trigger malware execution or credential theft.