What is the act of closely following an authorized person into a secure area called?

• A. Tailgating
• B. Shoulder Surfing
• C. Whaling
• D. Spear fishing

Answer: (A)

Tailgating describes the act of closely following an authorized person through a secured doorway or access point to gain entry into a restricted area without presenting credentials. It’s a physical security risk that relies on social behavior—the authorized person may hold the door or not notice the follower—making it a common and challenging breach to defend against. This is why it’s the right choice: the scenario involves moving through a secured space by piggybacking behind someone, not breaking a device or targeting electronic systems. Shoulder surfing, by contrast, is about watching someone enter a password or PIN to steal credentials, which is a different attack vector. Whaling and spear phishing are phishing attacks aimed at tricking people into revealing information or access, usually via email or messages, and do not describe the act of physically following someone into a secure area. To reduce tailgating, organizations use measures like badge-controlled doors, mantraps, turnstiles, and security training to encourage individuals to challenge or report anyone following close behind.