Monday, March 24, 2014

Three of the Biggest Threats to Company’s Cyber Security

Phishing, Malicious Political Attacks & Monetary Fraud

Every business needs to address the ever-changing cyber threats that now make their way the Internet. It is not enough to merely install anti-virus software and believe that this will solve all of a business’ problems. Here are three of the biggest threats to company’s cyber security that you should know.

Phishing

Phishing is a practice in which hackers gain access to private consumer data. Frequently, a hacker creates an email to look like it was issued by your company. A customer may then respond to the email and provide his or her personal information. The hacker then preys upon this disclosure and uses it to open credit cards, make unauthorized charges and take advantage of the consumer’s identity. The essence of a phishing crime is that the hacker gains the trust of the customer. They may use sophisticated tactics to learn information about your customers, such as the names of relatives. The hacker then may pretend to be one’s distant relative to ask for financial assistance from the consumer.

Businesses have a duty to protect their customers from phishing attacks. Businesses should realize that information even like consumer names can be private information. If a hacker gains access to consumer names, then he or she may use social networks like Facebook to learn more information about the customer. Businesses need to be aware of these practices and work with cyber security firms to prevent information disclosures.

Malicious Political Attacks

Businesses should also be aware that not every hacker is motivated by profits. Some hackers are residents of foreign nations and discontented with the notion of capitalism in general. These hackers are very sophisticated and using numerous methods to target specific businesses. One example of a recent attack included an attack on a satirical news company by the Syrian Electronic Army. The Syrian Electronic Army was able to hack into the servers for the news company and then make its own postings on the site. One mistake that businesses make is underestimating the abilities and sophistication of enemy nations or politically-motivated hackers.

The best way for businesses to handle attacks from politically-motivated data hackers is to be proactive in preventing attacks. Businesses should not use a reactive method of dealing with politically-motivated data hackers. A reactive method does not solve the actual issues that lead to the hacking of business accounts. A reactive method also does not provide security to a business, because a business may still be attacked by army hackers in the future.

Monetary Fraud Hackers

Unlike the Syrian Electronic Army, some hackers are only motivated by financial gain. These hackers only seek to gain access to checking accounts, savings accounts, trust funds, Social Security information and credit card information. These hackers attempt to gain access to the internal data systems of highly-profitable companies. They are very sophisticated in the tactics that they use to hack corporate accounts.

Businesses need to take preventative measures in protecting internal corporate data systems. Many businesses are realizing this and are now working with sophisticated firms to protect their internal data systems. A company can also be very selective in the access that it provides to internal information systems. If many employees have access to internal data systems, then a company may be jeopardizing the information of its customers.

More than ever, companies need to be proactive in addressing cyber security threats. Cyber threats can cause serious legal issues for companies in the event of a hack or leak. Taking time to improve a company’s data system security is an investment in the future of the company. Cyber threats are only likely to increase in the future years, and businesses must be ready to prevent these attacks.

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