Shoulder Surfing

What is shoulder surfing?

It is a term mostly used with computer security. It is when a criminal looks over a computer user’s shoulder and secretly sees the passwords or other information the user is typing. Later, the thief will use the information to log into the site and steal the user’s information.

The most popular locations for thieves to do this are cyber cafes or coffee shops where many people go to use laptops or public computers. So, if you’re abroad with your laptop visiting a coffee shop or if you visit one of the many cyber cafes, beware that laptop safety is an issue.

In many internet fraud cases involving shoulder surfing, the victim is located in one country and the criminal is located in another.

Why does this matter? Because many law enforcement officials are reluctant to get involved because of jurisdiction issues.

Computer crimes are extremely difficult to investigate for the police. Even if they are successful in locating a suspect in another country, strict extradition laws make it almost impossible to have the assailant prosecuted.

This is what makes tourists and expats so vulnerable in foreign countries. The criminals know that foreigners will return home and be unable to prosecute them from afar.

What type of information can a thief steal from you while “surfing”?

• Email passwords
• Bank account numbers and personal identification numbers (PINs)
• Credit card numbers, PINs, and passwords

So, what can you do to prevent this from happening to you?

1. Don’t frequent cyber cafes and coffee shops to surf the web.
2. If you do visit these places, be aware of your surroundings. Make sure that no one is viewing the information that you are using.
3. Do not use the same password for all your accounts. This makes it easier for criminals to illegally view all your accounts with one password that he/she stole from you.
4. Create complex passwords. Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Also, I would suggest a password with a minimum of 8 characters.
5. Change your passwords every 6 months. In the event that your password is stolen, the criminal would only have temporary access. If you’re lucky you will be able to change it before the thief uses it.
6. Use a privacy filter on your laptop while using it in public view. This device clips onto the screen and prevents people around you from seeing the information you are typing.

Cyber crime is a growing problem so make sure that you take the appropriate precautions when using a computer abroad.

• Return from Shoulder Surfing to Laptop Security