Reduce Your Risk from the Top 3 Data Breaches

by | Apr 18, 2017 | Business

Source: howtostartablogonline.net/tech

Data breach attacks are commonplace now, so commonplace that you need to think about when you will be exposed in a data breach not if it will happen. Here are the top 3 data breaches and how to reduce your company’s risk of becoming a target:

  1. Aftershock Password Breaches

When a website or service experiences a data breach of their user information, many usernames and passwords are leaked and made public. Because of this, many users who use the same usernames and passwords for different services have not only their original account compromised, but put all of their accounts at risk. If a user has a password that was not secure or a duplicate, it could easily be used to access that user’s email inbox, and by extent, all of their accounts.

So what can be done to prevent this from happening to you?

  • Always use a unique and complex password for each account you have online.
  • Whenever possible, activate two-factor authentication on all of your accounts.
  • Stay up to date with data breaches and change your passwords about every six months.

 

  1. Healthcare Organizations At Risk

Healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, have access to countless personal medical records from all across the country, which makes them high-value targets for cyber-attacks. Electronic health records are the primary target for hackers. The biggest risk is the in the nature of electronic health records which can be accessed by numerous entities, increasing the risk of an infected system catching them.

One of the biggest threats facing these institutions is ransomware. A ransomware virus can infect a hospital’s network and disrupt system operations which would prove catastrophic for patients and doctors alike. Whether or not the ransom is paid, the attacker still gets access to patient records and can still profit from the attack.

The only way that healthcare organizations can prevent this from happening is to increase their data security systems. Any company that stores as much personal information as a hospital should ensure that the security regarding the information of their patients is a top priority.

 

  1. The Internet of Things

Nearly everything around us now connects to the internet, from smartphones to cars to even toaster ovens. And while it is convenient to be able to tell your coffee maker to start brewing from your phone, it opens up security risks that were previously not considered. As with any device connected to the internet, these things are vulnerable to hackers.

Both consumers and manufacturers can make these devices more secure in various ways. Users should change the login information on these devices to make sure that they cannot be easily accessed. They should also change the privacy settings on the device to make sure it cannot be accessed from outside the network. Manufacturers should stop hardcoding default user information into these devices. As it stands now, the IoT is still in its infancy, and has a while to go before it is secure and usable.

About The Author

Chris Regan

Chris Regan

Founder of CLR Solutions LLC, a specialized electronics recycling/refurbishing and data security services firm which offers clients secure data destruction, equipment investment recovery solutions, electronic disposal, and recycling services. Over 15 years industry experience in various leadership and management roles. A drive and determination necessary to make any project successful.