Piggybacking (security)

In security, piggybacking, similar to tailgating, refers to when a person tags along with another person who is authorized to gain entry into a restricted area, or pass a certain checkpoint.^[1] It can be either electronic or physical.^[2] The act may be legal or illegal, authorized or unauthorized, depending on the circumstances. However, the term more often has the connotation of being an illegal or unauthorized act.^[1]

No tailgating sign at Apple Inc. office

To describe the act of an unauthorized person who follows someone to a restricted area without the consent of the authorized person, the term tailgating is also used. "Tailgating" implies no consent (similar to a car tailgating another vehicle on a road), while "piggybacking" usually implies consent of the authorized person, similar to a person giving another person a piggyback on their shoulders.^[3]

Piggybacking came to the public's attention particularly in 1999, when a series of weaknesses were exposed in airport security. A study showed that the majority of undercover agents attempting to pass through checkpoints, bring banned items on planes, or board planes without tickets were successful. Piggybacking was revealed as one of the methods that were used in order to enter off-limits areas.^[4]

Methods

Electronic

• A user fails to properly log off their computer, allowing an unauthorized user to "piggyback" on the authorized user's session.^[2]
• Using authorized shared or common log in credentials to gain access to systems

Physical

Piggybackers have various methods of breaching security. These may include:

• Surreptitiously following an individual authorized to enter a location, giving the appearance of being legitimately escorted
• Joining a large crowd authorized to enter, and pretending to be a member of the crowd that is largely unchecked
• Finding an authorized person who either disregards the law or the rules of the facility, or is tricked into believing the piggybacker is authorized, and agreeably allows the piggybacked to tag along
• Donning counterfeit identification badges or cards to seamlessly integrate into the environment
• Gaining access through alternative entrances like rear or side doors, such as those found in parking lots^[5]

Piggybacking can be regarded as one of the simpler forms of social engineering.^[6][7]

Piggyback prevention

Doorway Tailgate Detector (image courtesy of Orion Entrance Control, Inc.)

Some of the devices employed into a security design - to prevent tailgating or piggybacking - may include:

• Security revolving doors, mantrap portals, security entrance control turnstiles or speedgates.
• Doorway tailgate detection sensor systems linked with sophisticated logic or software. Some systems are linear infrared beam systems and others may be TOF (time of flight), stereovision, or Lidar with AI enhancements.

• Overhead detection is believed to be more accurate than linear beam systems due to the viewpoint which cannot be foiled so easily by side-by-side persons.

See also

• Gate crashing