A penetration tester is conducting a physical assessment and wants to test whether an employee will allow them into a secured area. The tester approaches a door carrying large boxes, making it difficult to badge in, and waits for an employee to open the door. What technique is this?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation and Infographic
Here's the deal — b is correct because using boxes as props exploits the natural human tendency to help someone whose hands are full by holding the door open, combining tailgating with a social engineering prop to make the bypass seem more natural and less suspicious. A is wrong because pretexting involves fabricating a false identity or story (e.g., 'I'm from IT'); carrying boxes is a physical prop, not a narrative identity assumption.
Full explanation below image
Full Explanation
B is correct because using boxes as props exploits the natural human tendency to help someone whose hands are full by holding the door open, combining tailgating with a social engineering prop to make the bypass seem more natural and less suspicious. A is wrong because pretexting involves fabricating a false identity or story (e.g., 'I'm from IT'); carrying boxes is a physical prop, not a narrative identity assumption. C is wrong because shoulder surfing involves observing credentials being entered, not physical access bypass. D is wrong because dumpster diving involves searching discarded materials for sensitive information, not bypassing physical access controls.