Security through obscurity isn’t a good plan when it comes to protecting your business from cyber criminals. In fact, it’s a mistake to think your business is too small or obscure to attract the attention of criminal hackers.
These hackers are looking for chinks in the armor of organizations of all types and sizes. Typically such criminals aim to hold data hostage in a ransomware attack. Or, they try to trick an employee into downloading malware that exposes sensitive information online.
It’s crucial to have an up-to-date firewall and other security measures in place. If any of your colleagues are still sitting on the fence about updating your cyber security, it
will be helpful to consider some recent significant cyber security fails for perspective.
The problems caused by hackers to other organizations should help motivate you to take cyber security more seriously.
If your own IT department isn’t up to the task, it might be time for you to partner with third-party professionals, such as the experts at ATSI Business Communications Systems.
Recent Major Cyber Security Fails
Here are some examples of significant cyber security fails. Details of these data breaches will serve as a reminder how important it is to protect your data and computer network.
Adult Friend Finder: A social networking service for adults seeking romance saw 20 years worth of customer data stolen by online criminals in October 2016, according to CSO. The data breach involved names, email and password information for more than 414 million accounts. This exposure was particularly problematic because of the sensitive nature of the database; people looking for love.
Alibaba: In November 2019, an unauthorized developer misused credentials while working for an affiliate marketer and scraped 1.1 billion pieces of data on Alibaba users. The crime took place over eight months. Apparently, the developer did not sell the information over the black market, but explained that the culprits received a 3-year prison sentence.
Facebook: Account names, phone numbers and Facebook ID information for more than 530 million social network users were exposed and posted on the Internet for anyone to see. The breach took place in April 2019.
LinkedIn: Hackers stole 165 million passwords and email addresses of LinkedIn users in June 2012. The criminals then posted these details in a hacker forum frequented by Russians. Initially, LinkedIn thought criminals had stolen only 6.5 million passwords, but the total amount became apparent in 2016. The long lag time illustrates how serious these security lapses can be.
Marriott: The hotel chain suffered a breach in its security in February of 2021, but did not disclose this lapse until March, according to ZDNet. A criminal used credentials from two employees to log into the system and stole information on about 5.2 million guests. The data came from the hotel’s loyalty program, revealing customer contact information along with information such as their birth date, gender and employment details.
Shoring up Your Online Security With the Help of Cyber Security Experts
Failure to protect your business against online criminals is a recipe for disaster. It’s prudent to consider that malicious actors will eventually try to penetrate your system. Their motivation might be mischievous vandalism or it could be more serious, such as trying to steal intellectual property or sensitive information about customers or employees.
This is why so many businesses prefer to partner with ATSI Business Communications Systems to shore up their online defense. For assistance in safeguarding your business against cyber attacks, contact us at 713-622-8666 today.
