What does Shoulder Surfing mean?
Shoulder
surfing refers to the act of obtaining personal or private information through
direct observation. Shoulder surfing involves looking over a person's shoulder
to gather pertinent information while the victim is oblivious. This is
especially effective in crowded places where a person uses a computer, Smartphone
or ATM. If shoulder surfing occurs when there are very few people, the act
becomes suspicious very quickly. Binoculars, video cameras and vision-enhancing
devices also are used, depending on location and situation.
As defined by Techopedia;
Because of
our data and identity driven society, personal security keys, like username and
password combinations, are critical personal and private data safeguards.
Unfortunately, technical savvy is not always required for hackers to gain
information. The most commonly stolen data through shoulder surfing includes
credit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PIN), important personal
information (like middle name and birth date used in password recovery) and
usernames/passwords. This type of information may be used to login to accounts
and steal other information, such as money, in the case of bank accounts.
The
following are simple ways to protect yourself from shoulder surfing when
entering or accessing personal data on an electronic device:
Look for an
area where your back is against a wall.
Spend more
for a screen filter or protector to obscure the visibility of the display.
Never give
your password or any vital information to anyone.
Locate a
quiet spot away from the crowd.
As much as
possible, never open personal accounts in public.
Please stay Safe
