2ND MAY 2024
Imagine this: an employee swipes their access card to enter a secured area. An unauthorized person spots this and quickly follows behind them, taking advantage of the momentary lapse in security to gain unauthorized access. This is the essence of tailgating in cybersecurity.
Tailgating can lead to breaches in both digital and physical security measures within an organization. It can occur at various access points, including physical premises like office buildings, data centers, or even virtual environments where someone gains access to sensitive information or systems without going through the appropriate authentication processes.
In this blog, we’ll explore what tailgating is, how it works, and, most importantly, how to prevent it.
Tailgating, in cybersecurity, refers to a social engineering attack where an unauthorized person gains physical access to a restricted area or system by closely following an authorized individual. The unauthorized person exploits the trust or courtesy extended to the authorized person to bypass security measures.
Tailgating, similar to piggybacking attacks, exploits human behavior rather than technical vulnerabilities, making it a challenging aspect of cybersecurity to address. Here are some common tailgating methods:
A hacker follows an employee into a secure building, posing a colleague or contractor.
An attacker uses a stolen ID badge to gain access to a restricted area.
A cybercriminal uses a phishing email to trick an employee into revealing their login credentials.
Tailgating poses significant risks to organizations:
Bypassing Security Controls: Tailgating bypasses established security protocols, allowing unauthorized individuals to enter restricted areas or systems without detection.
Data Breach Risk: Once inside, a tailgater can access confidential information, compromise data integrity, or introduce malware, leading to potential data breaches and financial losses.
Insider Threats: Tailgating blurs the line between external threats and insider risks. An unauthorized individual gaining physical access can pose significant threats, especially if they have malicious intent or insider knowledge.
Reputational Damage: A successful tailgating attack not only impacts data security but also tarnishes an organization's reputation, eroding customer trust and investor confidence.
In 2023, a high-profile cybersecurity breach at LastPass shed light on the dangers of overlooking tactics like tailgating. Threat actors breached a LastPass engineer’s home computer and used a keylogger to steal his master password. The breach occurred when the attackers infiltrated LastPass's AWS resources. However, they did not possess the necessary keys to access more sensitive information.
What's particularly noteworthy is how the attackers escalated their breach by tailgating into protected corporate resources. They exploited a vulnerable third-party media software package to implant the keylogger on the engineer's home machine, capturing the master password after MFA authentication, and gaining access to the engineer's LastPass corporate vault. The breach exposed encrypted password vaults and other sensitive user data.
To combat tailgating effectively, organizations must adopt a multi-faceted approach:
Educate employees about the dangers of tailgating and the importance of maintaining strict access control measures. Innovative training platforms especially those making use of gamification can boost employee engagement and knowledge retention.
Implement robust access control systems such as biometric authentication, access cards, and video surveillance to monitor and restrict unauthorized entry.
Enforce strict visitor management protocols, requiring all guests to sign in, wear visitor badges, and be escorted while on-site.
Use physical barriers like turnstiles, mantraps, or security guards to prevent unauthorized individuals from tailgating.
Foster a culture of security awareness and vigilance among employees, encouraging them to report suspicious behavior or unauthorized access immediately.
Conduct regular audits and security assessments to identify vulnerabilities in access control mechanisms and address them proactively.
Tailgating poses serious threats to organizations, jeopardizing data security, regulatory compliance, and overall business resilience. By understanding what tailgating is and its risks, and implementing prevention strategies, you can protect your organization from this common security threat.
Vigilance, employee education, and technological solutions are key pillars in combating tailgating successfully.
