Dumpster Diving Harmful to the Community Historically, dumpster diving has long been known to describe the act of looking for treasure in someone else’s trash. In today’s world, dumpster diving is referred to as a technique used to retrieve personal information that is then used by attackers to gain trust that is then exploited to obtain even more valuable information in an effort to harm the innocent. Dumpster diving isn’t limited to searching through the trash for obvious treasures or access codes and passwords. Seemingly innocent information, such as a phone list, calendar, or organizational chart, is used with social engineering techniques by an attacker to gain access to private valuable information. Social engineering is using human interaction to trick another person into giving access or performing an action for the attacker. A primary goal of social engineering is to establish trust between the attacker and the target. Dumpster diving is a way for attackers to gain information that they use to establish trust. Attackers are strategically obtaining information about an individual. Even the most innocuous documents can be used by an attacker. A list of names or phone list can be used to access web accounts or for identity theft and can also be used as general phishing against a family member, neighbor, or friend. Telephone numbers can be used with caller ID spoofing to coerce an individual to reveal information. An attacker may use this to call an indiviudal with a story intended to get the person to relinquish even more information. Similar to social media posts, dumpster diving is used to better understand routines of family members. The more these attackers gain access to information about individuals and family members, including their routines and behaviors, the easier it is to plan an attack.
HOW TO PREVENT A DUMPSTER DIVING ATTACK Although it may seem like a lot of work to properly care for trash, processes can be put in place to help prevent a dumpster diving attack. • Ensure all identifiable information is removed from computer equipment before it is disposed of or sold. This includes securely erasing data from hard drives and clearing TPM data.
• Securely erasing disk drives, shredding compact discs (CDs), and degaussing magnetic storage. • Shred all paper documents including receipts, messages, family notes, letters, credit card offers, utility bills, phone and contact lists, and financial records. • Keep trash and recycling bins in a secure area until shortly before pickup. Don’t leave trash/recycling out all night. For most of us, the trash seems like a black hole from which discarded items never return. But for identity thieves, garbage and recycling bins are veritable treasure troves of invaluable information. Think about it: when you toss a credit card statement, a hospital bill, or even some junk mail, you’re filling your recycling bin with valuable personal information. Those papers you tossed out for the trash or recycling could leave you and others vulnerable for identity fraud. If you notice someone going through your trash or your neighbor’s trash, please call the Warren County non-emergency number at 513.695.2525 and ask for the Mason Police Department to respond. Help keep the community safe.
Township Policies on Recreational Vehicles on Driveways With warm weather comes outdoor recreational activities. Many township residents own recreational vehicles such as travel trailers, motor homes, boats, jet skis, etc. Recreational vehicles may be parked anywhere on the premises for loading or unloading purposes for a period not to exceed 48 hours. For permanent storage, recreational vehicles shall be stored in the side or rear yard. If permanently stored in a side yard, the recreational vehicle shall be screened from abutting properties by a solid fence/wall or landscape buffer. Such screening shall be a minimum of six (6) feet in height. A parked or stored recreational vehicle or trailer shall not be connected to water, gas, or sanitary sewer facilities. At no time shall this equipment be used for living or housekeeping purposes.
8 CenterPoint Summer 2022