We often think of hackers as loners, however, the reality is that cybercrime has evolved into an extremely sophisticated and collaborative system. Hackers have a range of motives, from economic gain to political goals. Knowing what they’re after can aid in preventing attacks and put systems in place to protect your small business.
Some hackers use their skills to do good. They find security holes and report them so that they can be repaired. White hat hackers are compensated by their employers to carry out penetration tests. Some hackers have more grave motives, for instance, stealing personal information for fraud with credit cards or identity theft, or using viruses to generate unauthorised charges or to cause denial of service attacks (which shut down devices).
A secure password is the primary line of defense in the fight against hackers. Adding two-factor authentication to sites like social media and banking will further enhance your security. The encryption of your hard drive is another simple way to stop hackers from gaining access to your personal data even if you gain access to your device. Finally, keep your operating system, browsers and other important applications up-to-date regularly. Many devices will automatically update, which can close vulnerabilities in software that could otherwise permit hackers to access and steal data.
We live in a world where we’re always connected to our computers, phones, and tablets. Hackers are looking for any information that you divulge online. It’s tempting to loose your guard and give away too much. Beware of shopping on public Wi-Fi and login to personal accounts. Also, don’t keep any account open for all time.
