How vulnerable is your website to cyber criminals? Notice that the question is not “Is your website vulnerable…” but “How vulnerable…”. Today, cyber crime is a bigger threat than ever before.
Large business and government websites and networks are being attacked 24/7. Customer and employee data is compromised. Healthcare data is now worth more to the crooks than credit card data because of the wealth of information available, including social security numbers. While some of the tried-and-true tactics, such as sending emails with virus-infected attachments, are still used, there are many new strategies now being employed.
Social Networking Sites are Risky
Today, organizations incorporate social networking into their overall kansas city web design strategy. Employees access social networking sites at work or on a computer or mobile device that is also used for work. All it takes to put the corporate network at risk is to click on a link or download a file, introducing worms, viruses, trojans and other forms of malware.
Phishing
This is an old scam, but today’s variations look entirely legitimate. An email pretends to be from a trusted bank or other source and reports an account problem. When the recipient logs in, information is harvested and money or identities stolen. This scam has a new twist. People often answer phones to find no one there. The caller could be a computer verifying that the number called is working. When the phone is answered, the number is put on a target list.
Out-of-Date Security Software
The fastest way to put either an organization or individual at risk is to delay performing security updates. Small businesses, in particular, are often vulnerable to hackers. Updates plug holes that hackers can use, so any organization has to be meticulous about keeping security software up-to-date.
Browsers and Add-Ons
Popular browsers and add-ons like Acrobat or Flash Player can provide opportunities for cyber crooks. People forget or postpone updating these, allowing access to emails, documents and a user’s browsing history.
Poisoned Websites
Many fake websites exist, but even a legitimate website can send an unwary visitor to a poisoned website. When someone clicks on an intriguing video or news story, the computer is infected. Another variation of this is to hijack the receiving computer with the “blue screen of death,” demanding cash to disinfect the system. Everyone doing computer repair in Hawaii has worked on computers that became infected this way.
How Should a Company Respond?
There’s no easy answer. The threats change daily, so constant vigilance is required. One theft of customer data will have severe repercussions. Bank accounts can be emptied. Even worse, intellectual property and sensitive data can be stolen.
SuperGeeks offers proactive network monitoring and management to prevent problems. They will help establish an acceptable user policy to minimize risks, but be aware that any policy must be enforced. SuperGeeks are also experts at Hawaii SEO and Hawaii Web Design and can ensure that the website employs the latest security solutions. Don’t leave your website vulnerable to the cyber crooks.