Searching through rubbish to find confidential information, documents, or discarded equipment.
Dumpster diving involves searching through an organisation's rubbish to find useful information—documents with account numbers, organisational charts, technical manuals, old hard drives, or any data that wasn't properly destroyed. Information gathered through dumpster diving supports social engineering, identity theft, and targeted attacks. The attack exploits inadequate disposal procedures for sensitive materials.
Why It Matters
The DSC Perspective:
Proper document destruction and equipment disposal are essential controls. Shredding policies, secure bins for sensitive documents, and proper sanitisation of old hard drives and devices prevent dumpster diving attacks.