The Real-Life-Is-Stranger-Than-Fiction Files: Stealing From Banks Gets Easy
These are the facts — and they are shocking.
From an AP report published Monday:
With a startling success rate, security researchers disguised as fire inspectors, exterminators or government safety monitors were able to slip past tellers in nearly 1,000 bank branches and steal confidential data about customers, according to a study being released Tuesday.
Using little more than simple disguises, basic e-mail trickery and smooth talking, the researchers from Baton Rouge, La.-based TraceSecurity Inc. walked off with loan applications, laptops, backup tapes of customer databases and even big computer servers that they simply carried out the front door.
…Most of the branches had 10 or fewer employees on staff at the time they were duped. From 2003 to 2008, the researchers were able to compromise the banks’ security policies and make off with sensitive data 963 times — out of 1,000 total attempts.
Huh? A 96.3% success rate?!? I’m stunned.
