Slashdot Mirror
Penetration Testing TV Series Coming
ChazeFroy writes "CourtTV (TruTV) has a new series starting Dec. 25 at 11 pm called 'Tiger Team.' It follows a group of elite penetration testers hired to test organizations' security using social engineering, wired/wireless penetration testing, and physically defeating security mechanisms (lock picking, dumpster diving, going through air vents/windows). They do all of this while avoiding the organizations' various security defenses as well as law enforcement. The stars of the show also did a radio spot this morning in Denver." Wonder how they socially engineer away the presence of a camera team in the air vents.
Don't make Americans even more freaked out. Everyone's already worried about 'security'. Don't make them think that us average dumpster divers and hackers are bad people.
Tibbon
tibbon.com
From the looks of the trailer/montage, it looks like these are people who are paid by the site owners to test the security systems; the tech security equivalent of "secret shoppers".
Not very surprising, but what does surprise me is that the site owners are letting CourtTV broadcast to the world that their facilities are insecure.
- RG>
Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
I'm sure the elite group won't be a bunch of skr1p7 k1dd13z. Nyuh-uh.
Probably auditioned the Geek Squad.
Nah, this won't be laughably pathetic at all!
If it's on TV then you know it will be staged and chock full of pseudo-science dumbed down for the unwashed hordes (like Ghost hunters only with even worse acting and cheesy special effects).
Ok, airvents yes, but social engineering would probably benefit from these cameras. A secretary might not stop a guy in an IT suit walking out with a computer, but you think he/she'd be more likely to stop a guy carrying out a computer while he's talking to a 3 man camera team with boom microphones etc. "Hey, where are you going with that computer?" "Oh, I'm John from tech co, is having me lead this team from around about IT in the modern world." (turns to camera) "One thing paramount to security is patching your systems, this machine here has been exhibiting bizzare behavior on the network, most likely due to spyware and that is why it has been removed from the network to undergo analysis in the IT lab." Really, I think the hardest part would be getting the crew to go along with whatever quick responses you give to anyone who really questions you. It only takes 1 guy that acts a bit suspicious and unsure to ruin the whole thing.
If you are about to mod me down, keep in mind that this post was most likely sarcastic.
I am guessing this is something like "It Takes a Thief" on the Discovery Channel
This is one of those things where just because you *can*, doesn't mean you *should*. And putting it on TV with a CYA boilerplate of "don't try this at home kids", is an astoundingly stupid idea.
It actually kind of reminds me of a segment in Weird Al's movie "UHF".... "Today boys and girls, we're going to learn to make PLOO-TOE-NEE-UM. Out of common, household items."
"No problem. I have the capacity to do infinite work so long as you don't mind that my quality approaches zero."-Dilbert
This is the only way I'd do it in a country like the US. Else it could be quite dangerous if you happen to meet a trigger happy cop who mistakes those tapes in your hands for a machine gun.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I have already seen shows where people are hired to brak into houses and buildings and then 'steal' things. The people get a new burglarproof house, which is then also tested.
Probably this will follow the same format, but include other techniques as well.
What people do not realize is that with the world of spam, people hardly ever target one premisis and then see what the best opportunity is, but rather look for the best opportunity and then see to what premesis it is connected.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.