What is Tailgating Attack? Your Detailed Guide to Understand the Term

Tailgating is annoying and equally dangerous both on the road or within office premises. It is a common social engineering attack that threatens an organization’s security physically instead of the usual cyber route the other attacks take. 

A tailgating attack implies that a person with malicious intent follows an authorized office worker, hoping to gain access to restricted areas. We shall discuss all you need to know about tailgating to detect and mitigate this security attack. Let’s get started:

What Do You Mean By Tailgating? 

Generally, tailgating refers to driving too close to the vehicle in the front. This way, the driver does not leave enough space for the other vehicles to stop suddenly without causing a rear-end collision. 

While tailgating on the road is due to impatience, tailgating within an office premise is a deliberate attack that is carefully planned and executed. The outcomes of both kinds of results have similar consequences, as both forms of tailgating would result in a loss, whether it would be in the form of an accident or security breach. It is what tailgating looks like on the road:

Source: Kohn Law Firm

What is Tailgating in Cybersecurity?

Tailgating in the context of cybersecurity is similar in principle to what you would see on the road. Simply put, tailgating implies that an unauthorized person (attacker) follows an authorized person closely to pass through a secure checkpoint. 

Suppose you used an identification card to verify yourself and held a door open for the person behind you to let them pass out of courtesy. Now, this person could easily be tailgating you, hoping to gain access to restricted areas to compromise or steal sensitive information. Researchers say that around 48% of respondents claimed to have experienced tailgating.

Source: Cessecurity

Tailgating in terms of Social Engineering

Tailgating is a type of social engineering attack. Such attacks are commonly-termed psychological manipulations, where unsuspecting employees get tricked into giving out sensitive information or data. Tailgating also follows the same principle and relies on human manipulation instead of exploiting a software or technical vulnerability like other cyber attacks. 

Tailgating Attacks and Methods – A brief overview

Here are some tailgating methods used by individuals who are looking for a way to break into high-security regions:

Walking behind the employee method

It is a direct tailgating method where an unauthorized person closely follows an employee and gains entry into restricted areas when the employee swipes their card.

Blend-in or Courier method

An unauthorized person blends in by pretending to be part of the maintenance team or some courier service.

Conversation method

An attacker can also converse with an authorized individual and build trust. This way, they can follow the individual while leading the conversation and ask the employee to assist them or hold the door open. 

Hands-are-full method

Attackers also often carry large boxes and ask for assistance from other employees. And since the attacker’s hands are full, the employee assumes that the person won’t be able to use their ID card, so they open the door for them instead.

Forgot their ID method

An unauthorized person can also pretend that they left their ID card at home, while they don’t have one. This way some unsuspecting employee would let them in out of courtesy.  

Invitation method

Lastly, an attacker could claim that so-and-so has invited them and provide security with correct details regarding that person. The information is easy to gather with a little snooping around.

How do Tailgating Breaches Impact Security? 

A successful tailgating violation can have some serious consequences when it comes to an organization’s security. That is because it does not only threaten technical aspects of security, such as confidential data and information, but it risks physical security as well. 

Such a breach can compromise sensitive information or leak trade secrets, which are damaging in terms of reputation and finances. And If a tailgating incident takes a wrong turn on its already wrong route, people can even get hurt!

Source: Giphy

How to Prevent Tailgating Attacks via Social Engineering

Here are some of the most common ways to help prevent a tailgating attack from disrupting your organization’s security. Have a look:

Employee security training

It is one of the most crucial prevention strategies against any cyberattack. But since Tailgating depends on social engineering, educating employees regarding security risks is even more relevant. 

Regular workshops should be arranged to teach employees how to spot and deal with a tailgating attack. It will help employees to be vigilant, analyze consequences, and avoid actions that could risk organizational security.

Access control systems

It implies that employees use smart cards or badges that can help companies classify them as authorized personnel. Using such control systems can prevent unauthorized people from accessing sensitive regions. 

Biometric scanners

Biometric scanners like iris recognition, facial recognition, fingerprint scans, etc. offer more advanced ways to control employee access. The disadvantage of only using an identification card is that an employee can lose it or it could get stolen by an unauthorized person. However, these biometric scanners depend upon entities that are not as easily misplaced.

Turnstiles

Other physical security elements like guards and turnstiles allow an organization to manage security at all levels. Turnstiles are often recommended to prevent tailgating as they only allow one person at a time whether you have your identification with you. So, following an authorized person goes out of the question.

Video surveillance

Installing security cameras, and surveillance devices ( like CCTVs) can help you monitor what goes around on the company premises. It is a necessary measure that will allow you to dispatch security personnel even if a tailgater makes it to some restricted section.

Tailgating Attack Examples

Tailgating attacks can take various forms, as we previously discussed, but the general principle remains the same. Here are some common examples of a tailgating attack:

• An attacker walks closely behind an employee and passes the security checkpoint without swiping their card.
• The attacker engages the employee in a conversation to build trust and asks to let them in through the security door.
• The attacker carries heavy boxes and asks other employees to get the door for them. 
• Attackers also pose as delivery or courier personnel and are often allowed in to make the delivery.
• Attackers can also pretend to have forgotten or lost their ID card and ask to be let in for now. 

What is Piggybacking Attack vs Tailgating?

Tailgating and piggybacking are often considered the same for the sake of simplicity. However, there is a basic difference that separates both forms of security attacks.

Tailgating implies that an unauthorized person simply follows an authorized person closely to gain access to restricted areas. There is no idea of consent in tailgating. However, Piggybacking attacks are coordinated, and the attacker has the support and consent of an authorized individual who provides the attacker access to restricted areas.

Is Tailgating a Phishing Attack?

While both tailgating and phishing attacks rely on manipulating employees or individuals to gain unauthorized access, they differ in methodology. Tailgating is a physical security attack that does not involve online deception, at least for the initial phases of the attack. 

The information or data that has been compromised as a result of a tailgating attack can later be used to lead to other kinds of attacks like phishing. However, a phishing attack normally involves tricking people using some online medium, mostly emails. 

Wrapping Up 

All in all, tailgating can seriously damage not only your organization’s reputation or data security, but it can also cause physical harm. These attackers deliberately track and follow company employees and try to gain access to restricted areas within an organization, hoping to get their hands on sensitive information and trade secrets.

You must implement various physical security measures to prevent a tailgating attack. Measures like smart ID cards, iris recognition, fingerprint sensors, and turnstiles, can help you control movement within your organization. Lastly, educating employees regarding such security attacks is crucial to help prevent tailgating violations. 

Frequently Asked Questions