The shift from the Industrial Age to the Information Age introduced endless possibilities. What might have been considered “science fiction” five years ago has become a reality. Things are moving fast, and for the average consumer, keeping up can be a challenge. Unfortunately, there are certain people out there who consider keeping up with technology something of a sport, and they’re not just looking to win – they’re looking to destroy you.
Let’s face it. Hackers are smarter than most of us. Yet, we continue to purchase the technology that lets them into our private and financial lives, often wreaking havoc before we even know what hit us. There’s an old saying, “Knowledge is power.” In this new age where everyone is wired in, it makes sense to be armed with as much defense as possible so we can continue to enjoy the 21st Century’s definition of “creature comforts.”
Here are three big risks you should know about:
1) Right in the Palm of Your Hand
With the increased use of mobile technology both by individual consumers and businesses, experts warn of increased attention to these devices by hackers. Worms are popping up that infect mobile devices with near-field communications (NFC) capabilities, which is the technology that allows tap-and-pay purchases. Once they’re in your phone, they’re in your bank.
These days hackers don’t even have to be that smart. “Ransomware kits” are a new form of malware being developed and marketed underground for those who don’t have the skills to do it themselves. The malware holds the victim’s personal information on mobile devices (and PCs) hostage with the threat that if the victim doesn’t pay a ransom, they will lose their data.
For both of these threats, experts recommend that you make sure to keep your mobile’s operating systems updated and install internet security software that is specific to mobile phones to increase its threat intelligence.
2) Don’t I Need Java for Everything?
No, you don’t. It turns out that Java is quickly becoming a door where many hackers are finding entrance into our lives. It has been estimated that Java is running on over 850 million computers worldwide. Combine this with the fact that many users are running outdated versions and you have a situation that is ripe for criminal picking.
While Java is important for many useful programs and interactive content such as online games, the truth is that you don’t need Java. In fact, as the result of a 2012 attack in which over 600,000 Macs were compromised, the Department of Homeland Security issued a recommendation that users disable or remove Java entirely from their browsers. Of course, Java is crucial to many people’s online experience, so most users will simply choose the former. To protect yourself, remove any previous versions, make sure you have the latest version, and only enable it on sites that you trust.
3) Businesses Are a Target Too
Some hackers exist simply to cause chaos. While groups such as Anonymous seem to have a focus, albeit loosely structured, many of these “hacktivists” are only out there to cause problems. With the move among many businesses to start digitizing and evaluating their “big data” (a term used to describe data that is too large to be processed from a single database or using current database management tools), it will be more attractive for hackers to try to compromise these large data sets in order to potentially cripple a business.
While security software is important, one of the best safety measures for businesses is backing up data off-site using a service that periodically performs back-ups in case of system failure or attack. There are also companies offering real-time situation awareness and advanced malware detection to help businesses minimize damage in the case of a cyber attack.
The progression of our civilization towards increased technology use has brought infinite benefits. Unfortunately, where there is progress, there are some who will seek to take advantage by criminal means. Hackers aren’t going away. It is our responsibility to be aware and protected.
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Written by Robert Cordray,
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