shoulder surfing

shoulder surfing
pp.
Stealing a computer password or access code by peeking over a person's shoulder while they type in the characters.
—shoulder surf v.
—shoulder surfer n.
Example Citations:
"Telephone companies say they put a dent in this 'shoulder surfing' by furnishing pay phones with automatic card readers as well as plastic shields and other measures to obstruct the view of potential thieves."
— Jayson Blair, "Arrests Reveal New Way to Steal Phone Card Data," The New York Times
"Shoulder surfing" is the term for someone who stands behind a customer and looks over his or her shoulder, sometimes using binoculars, to discover the customer's secret code.
—Michelle Levander, "ATM scams bring new meaning to term 'inside job," San Jose Mercury News, February 26, 1989
Earliest Citation:
Shoulder surfing, the stealing of passwords by watching users sign on to systems at their terminals, is generally a ploy of employees. But Parker tells of a more ingenious variation of the technique. Juvenile computer hackers invaded the financial district of a major southern city by spying with binoculars on employees in adjacent buildings who were working at their computers and terminals. The youths were able to pick up passwords and log-on protocols t gain access to systems.
—Theresa Conlon, "Parker's guide to hackers' lexicon," Computer Decisions, July 15, 1985
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • shoulder surfing — noun (informal) The practice of looking over the shoulder of a person who is entering a personal security code • • • Main Entry: ↑shoulder * * * ˈshoulder surfing 8 [shoulder surfing] noun …   Useful english dictionary

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  • shoulder surfing —    The practice of looking over somebody s shoulder when they are using a computer, cash dispenser or other electronic device, in order to obtain personal information (identification, account number, password, etc.) is called shoulder surfing …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • Shoulder surfing (computer security) — In computer security, shoulder surfing refers to using direct observation techniques, such as looking over someone s shoulder, to get information. Shoulder surfing is particularly effective in crowded places because it s relatively easy to… …   Wikipedia

  • Shoulder surfing (surfing) — In surfing, shoulder surfing refers to shoulder hopping. Shoulder hoppers do not take off on the critical part of the wave where there is a need for a high level of skill, but take off further down the line. They are often regarded as annoying by …   Wikipedia

  • shoulder surfing — noun a) the use of direct observation, such as looking over someones shoulder at an ATM, in order to obtain information b) a technique in surfing requiring less skill See Also: shoulder surf, shoulder surfer …   Wiktionary

  • shoulder surfing — /ˈʃoʊldə sɜfɪŋ/ (say shohlduh serfing) noun the practice of looking over someone s shoulder to see the PIN that they key into an ATM …  

  • Surfing — This article is about stand up ocean surfing. For other uses, see Surfing (disambiguation). A surfer performing a late drop …   Wikipedia

  • shoulder surfer — noun Someone who engages in shoulder surfing …   Wiktionary

  • shoulder surf — verb To engage in shoulder surfing …   Wiktionary

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