Sam: …but that’s why the Rams won the game.
Bob: Yeah, but it was a close game.
Sam: The seats were unbelievable. I wish you and Sally could’ve come.
Bob: Yeah, me too; too many conference calls last night with the investment bank.
Sam: I forgot about that. How is the IPO work going anyway?
Bob: Pretty good. We have obtained underwriting from Large Investment Bank XYZ
Corporation. The share price is currently being set at around 15. The bank thinks that
is around 70% of what the stock will go for on the open market.
Sam: Well, that should be a nice little investment for them.
Bob: Yeah. Well, our shares should be worth more after the 180-day waiting period too.
Sam: All right! That’s what I like to hear.
The information that is exposed in this conversation may not seem super-sensitive. But
this information may aid an attacker in gaining an employee’s trust, since he knows
about the IPO work that is being done. This information may even help someone who
is not an attacker. It may help a non-critical employee or some other person who was
walking around the corporate campus that day.
Cigarette smokers are easy targets for gathering information about an organization.
Typically, smokers have designated areas for their breaks; attackers can hang out in
these areas, asking for “a light” and beginning a conversation with an employee about
internal projects or intellectual property.
The following is a conversation involving a person who appears to be an employee
walking back to the building from lunch. The person stops and lights a cigarette and
begins a conversation with a director at the company.
Employee: How’s it going?
Director: Good. (Reading a newspaper)
Employee: Good to hear. (Waits patiently)
*After a few seconds*
Director: You know, every time I read one of these electronics ads, I want to go to the
store and buy something. But once I get there I realize why I don’t go there. They have
horrible customer service.
Employee: I totally agree. What are you interested in purchasing?
Director: Well, I was thinking about the....
*General small talk regarding television sets*
Employee: Yeah, I would get the LCD television. So, when is the Q4 earnings call? I don’t
think I received an email with the date yet.
Director: January 25. But it’s a year-end call. As you know, here at Large Organization
we have year-end calls instead of Q4 calls.
4 | Chapter 1: Intelligence Gathering: Peering Through the Windows to Your Organization