Dumpster Diving: Sombody's Got To Do It by Al Ratcliffe
CBS 42 News 2007-11-23 10:05:00.0
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Al Ratcliffe has already shown us jobs that can be filthy, nasty and smelly. In this “Somebody's Got To Do It” report, he takes us behind the scenes of a corporate security expert. And while the job might not sound all that bad, Aal says it's definitely dirty and at times dangerous.
In a small Homewood office, Josh Perrymon runs Packet Focus, a small corporate security business. Josh spends his days checking out security systems. Most of it he can do online, like hacking into a computer system.
"We attack networks the same way a real bad guy would a real world attacker," said Perrymon.
But that doesn't mean he never gets out. The job has taken him around the world. And it can get dangerous depending on where he goes and what he's doing.
"I was doing a bank in Indonesia. That was just, the higher security they have. They have guards with M-16's standing outside," said Perrymon.
Perrymon does security checks for all kinds of businesses, from banks to big corporations. And most will require an on-site security check. This is where it can get a little dirty.
“Josh can get most of his work done while sitting in front of a monitor. But it's digging around in these where he gets information that will make the rest of his job a little easier."
John Slanker handles a lot of the dumpster diving. He has a couple of rules that he dives with, the first don't go in head first. And the second, "Don't dumpster dive behind a Chinese buffet."
Most dumpster dives take about an hour. On this afternoon, he shows us how it's done.
"We walk over to our dumpster. And start scanning through for materials we feel could be useful," said Slanker.
It doesn't take long for him to find something.
"Sometimes we get lucky and we find a box that's got some old equipment and some information in it," said Slanker.
And it also doesn't take time to find something nasty.
"That would be drywall which is always fun to get all over you and your clothes.”
But it's little pieces of paper that he's searching for.
“Like right here. Somebody has written down on a piece of paper a password and information that can be used," said Slanker.
But he has to go through a lot of trash to find what he's after.
Josh, John and the other members of the packet focus team have always done what they call ethical hacking. They sign a contract with the business they're checking out and only do what that contract calls for. In essence they have a get out of jail free card for if and when they're caught.
