Intelligence is the gathering and collection of information. It’s a common practice that uses knowledge as the main weapon.
Intelligence follows a process and includes different disciplines. There’s HUMINT (human intelligence), SIGINT (signals intelligence), and GEOINT (geospatial intelligence), to name a few.
The average person’s impression on intelligence is its primary use in government and law enforcement. While this is true, ordinary people outside these practices also use intelligence on a regular basis—but without realizing it.
There’s one particular intelligence discipline—albeit unofficial—that doesn’t get much attention, but it does the job of obtaining useful information.
Let’s turn the spotlight on TRASHINT and learn interesting facts about this less-talked-about practice:
1. TRASHINT is all about gathering information from disposed of items.
Trash intelligence (TRASHINT), as the name implies, is simply obtaining intelligence from trash. Most people prefer to hear it this way, although TRASHINT is also loosely called “information diving”.
TRASHINT recovers data from disposed of material. While the initial reaction is thinking about someone digging into a trash bin for confidential documents, TRASHINT also involves information-gathering from discarded computers for important files.
Officers of the law and private investigators use TRASHINT, along with other methods, to collect intelligence.
However, it is also used by criminals like identity thieves, fraudsters and con artists.
2. TRASHINT is colloquially referred to as a poor man’s intelligence.
Compared to other intelligence disciplines that require meticulous processes and tools, TRASHINT is undeniably low-tech and a walk in the park.
TRASHINT is also referred to as “dumpster diving”. Seeing a discarded computer, repairing it to its functional state, and ultimately gaining access to undeleted files—this is the perfect example of the old saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
3. Identity thieves use TRASHINT a lot.
They love trash—sifting through piles and piles of seemingly useless information until they hit their jackpot.
Though private investigators do use TRASHINT, identity thieves are the common users. It’s cheap, easy and does the job—what more can they ask for?
Bank letters, expired contracts, copies of visa application, plane tickets—most people are too complacent about properly discarding their trash.
Identity thieves tirelessly dig through garbage, and it only takes several moments for them to use your identity—by using the information you’ve discarded.
The same is true for electronic files stored in computers, mobile phones, hard drives, and compact discs.
4. Children and senior citizens are common targets of TRASHINT.
Because of their vulnerability, the younger and older population are favorite targets by criminals who utilize TRASHINT.
Getting hold of a child’s personal information is a step closer to obtaining information about the whole family, especially the parents. This may be used for fake kidnapping scams and extortion.
A senior citizen’s savings is like a pot of gold for thieves, too. Seniors may carelessly throw away letters, receipts and other documents that contain tax information, social security details, and bank account numbers. All these may be used to steal their identities.
5. Trash is typically not private property.
Did you know that in most countries, garbage is not considered private property?
The notion is that once you discard an item by throwing it in your garbage bin or at any place for that matter—you leave it on public territory.
In the US, the legal basis is the 1988 Supreme Court Ruling in the California vs. Greenwood case, which indicated that the seizure of trash left for collection outside anybody’s home is not prohibited.
This is what makes TRASHINT easy for identity thieves and criminals. It’s hard to pinpoint them of the means they used to steal your identity, because it’s basically just trash they dug up.
6. Paper-based TRASHINT data is not just found in a garbage bin.
When a breach is detected, security experts don’t just look into trash receptacles. They also search at other areas where sensitive information could be kept or left lying around.
Desktop tables, meeting rooms, and inventory rooms are just some of the places where a lot of documents are left, either deliberately or accidentally. Paper shredders left out in the open and common workspaces are also the usual areas where trash with sensitive information can be found.
7. Countering TRASHINT is as easy as throwing garbage.
This is due diligence at its finest.
When you’re fully aware of the risks of inadvertently throwing away a crumpled copy of your passport page, credit card statements, and even your children’s old school projects—you decide that no one should gain access to your information.
Remember that identity thieves, through your trash, can profile you and your family. Never underestimate how they paint a picture of your personal background, academic history, and employment records.
There’s also a good reason why government agencies and banks ask for an affidavit when you lose a national ID, passport or credit card. These documents hold extremely sensitive information. By explaining under oath, such loss is properly documented. When the need arises, this may be used in court for your defense.
So how exactly do you counter TRASHINT measures by criminals? It’s a low-tech modus, so you only need simple but fool-proof preventive habits to keep your information safe.
It should be a practice for the average individual to properly dispose of their documents, whether paper-based or electronic.
Invest in a good-quality paper shredder that shreds your documents into very thin strips. Don’t forget to mix them up before discarding.
Before disposing gadgets that are deemed useless or defective beyond repair, make sure that you leave no trace of such files. Wipe out the entire gadget’s memory if possible.
Identity thieves also feast on digital footprint. Always erase cookies in your online browser, empty your e-mail trash bin, and permanently delete unused files in your computer.
