The key to no-tech hacking is to think simply, be aware, and to travel eyes open, head up. For example, when I go to a mall or some other socially dense atmosphere, I watch people. To me, strangers are an interesting puzzle and I reflexively try to figure out as much about them as I can. When I pass a businessman in an airport, my mind goes into overdrive as I try to sense his seat number and social status; make out his medical problems; fathom his family situation (or sense his sexual orientation); figure out his financial standing; infer his income level; deduce his dietary habits; and have a guess at his home address. When I go to a restaurant, I drift in and out of conversations around me, siphoning interesting tidbits of information. My attention wanders as I analyze my surroundings, taking it all in. When I walk through the parking lot of a building, I check out the vehicles along the way to determine what goes on inside and who the building’s residents might be. I do all this stuff not because of my undiagnosed attention deficit disorder but because it’s become a habit as a result of my job. I have personally witnessed the power of perception. When faced with tough security challenges, I don’t charge. I hang back and I watch. A good dose of heightened perception levels the playing field every time.
- Johnny Long