Is your ID badge giving away too much about you?

ID badges are a two-edged sword, providing security and convenience on one hand, but risking exposure of sensitive data on the other.
The reason Abbott's now-removed Insta post caught so much heat is that a hacker named Alex Hope was able to uncover the politician's phone number and passport details after just 45 minutes of digging around and without using any special software.
The security takeaway is as relevant today as it was then-that innocent-seeming sharing of information can have serious consequences.
It's especially relevant now as we move into trade show season, with CES, SXSW, RSA, and scores of other expos and conventions coming down the pike-and with them millions of ID badge-wearing attendees displaying full names, company affiliations, and more for all the world to see.
ID badges at conferences and in corporate environments in general offer a measure of security and convenience-controlling access, for example, and allowing attendees to easily identify each other.
Don't let these badges lull you into a false sense of security.
To a bad actor looking to exploit security vulnerabilities, an ID badge can be a treasure trove of personally identifiable information and other risky data.
Consider the types of information typically displayed on ID badges.
Aside from full names and addresses, badges can include employee user IDs for internal systems, building designations, internal department codes, barcodes, QR codes, and more.
Nothing unusual about that, but if their badge is on full display, the prying eyes of a malicious actor could spell trouble down the road. But in many cases, security gaffes occur when sensitive data finds its way online.
Or a scammer could use your stolen ID data for what's called synthetic identity theft, a rapidly growing financial crime in the U.S. An ambitious attacker could also use web search tools in a bid to breach corporate data assets-for example, by researching details about your company's tech infrastructure.
RFID cards, barcodes, and QR codes To counter risks like these, some companies issue cards with RFID tags, barcodes, or QR codes.
The thinking is that, because these cards usually display less printed information, they offer a greater level of security.
A criminal doesn't even need to see the card.
Worse, in some cases a company may require an employee user ID to access its human resources portal.
Once a hacker breaches the corporate system, they can use this access to move laterally across the network with the goal of accessing valuable data, exfiltrating data, or deploying ransomware.
Lost or stolen ID cards can allow a criminal who finds them to stroll through the front doors of office buildings, exposing companies to theft of valuable equipment or worse.
If a lost or stolen card is recovered, criminals may still have access because the magnetic strips and EMV chips used in some cards can easily be cloned.
Use badge holders or shields that obscure sensitive data without limiting the badge's usefulness.
In addition to cybersecurity training to help employees grasp the importance of keeping personal and organizational information safe, companies should cultivate a culture of security awareness by encouraging employees to be vigilant and to report suspicious activity or attempted breaches.


This Cyber News was published on blog.avast.com. Publication date: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:43:04 +0000


Cyber News related to Is your ID badge giving away too much about you?

How to perform a proof of concept for automated discovery using Amazon Macie | AWS Security Blog - After reviewing the managed data identifiers provided by Macie and creating the custom data identifiers needed for your POC, it’s time to stage data sets that will help demonstrate the capabilities of these identifiers and better understand how ...
1 month ago Aws.amazon.com
Encrypted mail service still okay with giving PII to cops The Register - Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are interacting with. Information about your activity on this ...
5 months ago Go.theregister.com
US Man Jailed 8 Years for SIM Swapping and Apple Support Impersonation - Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are interacting with. Information about your activity on this ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Is it possible to use an external SSD to speed up your Mac - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
9 months ago Hackread.com
Defend Your Business: Testing Your Security Against QakBot and Black Basta Ransomware - Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are interacting with. Information about your activity on this ...
5 months ago Securityboulevard.com
What is Biometric Security? Your Body Becomes Your Key - Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are interacting with. Information about your activity on this ...
9 months ago Hackersonlineclub.com
Lee County student Chromebooks hacked in 'Cyber Monday prank' - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Nbc-2.com
Google to Delete Inactive Gmail Accounts From Today - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Particle Network's Intent-Centric Approach Aims to Simplify and Secure Web3 - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Stellar Cyber Bridges Cybersecurity Skills Gap with First-of-Its-Kind University Program - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Microsoft Outlook Vulnerability Exploited by Russian Forest Blizzard APT - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Int'l Dog Breeding Org WALA Exposes 25GB of Pet Owners Data - Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are interacting with. Information about your activity on this ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Q3 2023 Cyber Attacks Statistics - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackmageddon.com
Fake Lockdown Mode Exposes iOS Users to Malware Attacks - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Cryptocurrency losses reach $1.75 Billion in 2023; CeFi and Hacks Blamed - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Flashpoint Uncovers 100,000+ Hidden Vulnerabilities, Including Zero-Days - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Reflectiz Introduces AI-powered Insights on Top of Its Smart Alerting System - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
New XorDdos-Linked Linux RAT Krasue Targeting Telecom Firms - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Hacker IntelBroker Leaks Alleged Sensitive US DoD Documents - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
11 months ago Hackread.com
Bluetooth Vulnerability Enables Keystroke Injection on Android, Linux, macOS, iOS - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
10 months ago Hackread.com
Fake hotel reservation phishing scam uses PDF links to spread MrAnon Stealer - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
10 months ago Hackread.com
Interpol Busts Human Traffickers Luring Victims with Fake Online Job Ads - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
10 months ago Hackread.com
Spanish Police Nab Venezuelan Leader of Kelvin Security Hacker Group - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
10 months ago Hackread.com
Gamers Warned of Potential CS2 Exploit That Can Reveal IP Addresses - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
10 months ago Hackread.com
Fake Resumes, Real Malware: TA4557 Exploits Recruiters for Backdoor Access - Cookies, device or similar online identifiers together with other information can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. Advertising ...
10 months ago Hackread.com

Latest Cyber News


Cyber Trends (last 7 days)


Trending Cyber News (last 7 days)