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Darknet Diaries #134 · June 6, 2023 · 60m

Deviant

Deviant Ollam — a physical penetration tester who legally breaks into buildings for a living. He picks locks, clones badges, and walks past security guards to demonstrate how weak physical security really is.

Canon

Ollam identifies the key variable in physical security: organizational culture. Buildings where employees are trained and empowered to challenge unfamiliar faces are nearly impenetrable. Buildings where deference to authority is the norm are trivially vulnerable.

Highlights

Physical security is theater in most buildings — locks, cameras, and guards create the illusion of security without the substance
Ollam demonstrates that most physical security measures (locks, cameras, badge readers) deter casual intruders but are trivially bypassed by anyone with basic lockpicking skills and social engineering confidence.