Early in October, software giant Microsoft announced that a hacker group with ties from the Iranian Government had attempted to hack several key people, including politicians connected to a 2020 Presidential campaign. “Phosphorus” had compromised four people.
It’s no surprise that people who have both the means and the knowledge to hack would do so. From personal information to trade secrets to matters concerning the country, there’s no gray area for unethical hackers if they can profit from it. Boosting your business’s network security lets you get one step ahead from hackers.
Naturally, everything comes with a price. There are costs when improving your network security. You’ll need to upgrade and update computers. Improve your network infrastructure. Look for business VoIP providers and ask for secure company phones. Hire a person who knows how to implement and maintain this stuff.
It’s a lot of work and for what? Your customers, of course.
Every person gives away some parts of their data when they sign up for a service–their name, their email address, possibly their phone number. When you buy something from an online store, they give their physical address. As a business, securing your network should be your priority, not just to protect your trade secrets but for your customers’ safety, as well. The same goes for B2B companies, especially if they’re outsourcing or subcontracting work.
Time to hack
There are a lot of ways hackers gain access to your network. Some depend on someone’s gullibility, like phishing scams and password hacking. The former fools a person to input their credentials. The latter happens if you don’t use a secure password for your accounts.
Then there’s security exploitation, where hackers use a weakness in the system to gain access or extract information.
And lastly, there’s the more popular distributed denial of service attack, DDoS for short. In the case of Phosphorus, they tried to initiate the password reset function of the email client.
Sometimes, there’s no need for the use of sophisticated scripts and codes to hack. If they work, they’re in. They can steal and sell your customers’ data. It all depends on how vulnerable your network is. Having an information security expert assess your network and security policies helps. They’ll be able to pinpoint how flawed your network’s security is and how hackers can enter your network with ease
Being “pwned”
Has your business been pwned? How do you even know if you’ve been hacked? If you have proper network security, you’ll probably get notified. Otherwise, you will be bleeding data after data without you knowing, akin to a leech on your limbs. It won’t be until you or your employees notice something weird about your data that you’ll realize that you’ve been hacked.
After that, it’s just damage control. Have a security expert assess the situation, especially its severity. Make sure to scan your network and any hardware for any malware. Taking preventative measures, such as limiting the use of thumb drives, educating your employees on data security, and much more can ensure that your network stays safe.
There are so many things you can do to improve your network’s security and ensure your company and your customers’ safety. With technology advancing at a very rapid pace, your business should be equipped with the latest tools to keep your network and your data secure.
