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Beyond Firewalls: The Physical Side of Cybersecurity Attacks
When most people think of cybersecurity, they imagine digital threats — firewalls blocking hackers, phishing emails tricking employees, and malware spreading through networks. But security isn’t just about software vulnerabilities; it’s about physical security too.
As a penetration tester specializing in Black Team engagements, my job is to think and operate like a real-world attacker. My role is to simulate real-life breaches by bypassing locks, cloning access badges, and deploying covert devices to identify weaknesses in an organization’s security posture. And here’s the cold, hard truth: If I can break in, so can a real hacker.
The Reality of Physical Cybersecurity Attacks
Many organizations focus heavily on digital security while neglecting the physical attack surface. Unfortunately, this oversight makes it even easier for an attacker to exploit weaknesses that bypass traditional cybersecurity measures. In the real world, security is about more than just protecting data — it’s about protecting access points, preventing unauthorized entry, and ensuring attackers cannot establish a persistent foothold within the network.
I want to share some of the gear we used in a recent engagement to highlight how real-world attacks happen and how organizations can protect themselves.
