How I Rob Banks

Chapter 46E-Waste

Recycling is great; it's environmentally friendly and saves vast amounts of energy. What it doesn't do, though, is help with security.

I remember being asked to break into a commercial office space. It was the headquarters of a tech company, and by this point in the book you are probably well aware of how it went. I highlighted several security issues, and the company did a wonderful job of fixing them.

Months later, I returned to the office and had a fantastic washup meeting with the board. They had been delighted with the results and the process and especially that they had been able to implement all the changes we recommended.

There were handshakes all around. Then, as I was being shown out, I spotted a new issue that hadn't been there originally.

In the hallway next to the cafeteria door was a big cardboard box. A garish yellow and red sign in the shape of an arrow pointed to the box, and a poster instructed people to recycle their old phones. Slogans such as “Give a second life to your old phone,” “Old phone batteries are the largest energy waste,” and “We send old phones to economically deprived areas” peppered the signage.

The director caught me looking at it and proudly told me that they went through so many company phones—salespeople needed the latest ones, techs and developers needed upgrades—that they were throwing out tens of thousands of pounds (that's UK monetary pounds, not weight) per month. This was their way of giving back to those unable ...