Are you using an aggressive approach to your computer network security? Cybercrime is increasing at an alarming rate, becoming more sophisticated every day. However, many businesses continue to ignore best practices regarding security measures.
The following are the top six breaches that occurred in 2013:
- Adobe
38 million active Adobe usernames and encrypted passwords were stolen as part of a massive cyber-attack.
- Drupal.org
Nearly one million accounts were accessed through vulnerabilities in third-party software used by Drupal.org.
- AHMC Hospitals
More than 700,000 patients using AHMC Hospitals had personal information stolen after thieves broke into an administration office and stole two laptops.
- Evernote
50 million members were notified of unauthorized access to information, including hashed and salted passwords.
- Federal Reserve
Hacking group Anonymous exposed information for 4,000 bank executives after taking advantage of vulnerabilities in a website vendor product.
- LivingSocial
Over 50 million customers were notified of a cyber-attack that resulted in data, including hashed and salted passwords, being compromised.
Going Forward — 2014
What security best practices should you be concerned with? How can you avoid data breaches? The following are the top lessons to consider:
- Encryption
When you’re storing data, whether it’s on a laptop, server, or a USB, there’s no excuse for data to remain unencrypted. When storage devices are lost or stolen, you’re exposed to a huge security risk. Sensitive data at rest, or in transit, must be encrypted at all times.
- Passwords
Avoid using easy-to-remember passwords and reusing passwords for multiple services. Create a separate password for each service you’re using, and always use long passwords with letters and numbers.
- Training
You must educate employees about appropriate handling and protection of sensitive data. Many businesses stop training after the initial hiring process. Training should be ongoing with regular reminders regarding security.
To learn more about how you can use security measures to avoid data breaches give your team of computer network security professionals a call at (443) 589-1150 or send us an email at info@tieroneit.com.