Protective Measures against Data Breach

Any business that deals with clients and customers on a daily basis must step up their game when it comes to data protection. If any organization is found to be guilty of exposing client or customer data, whether intentionally or unintentionally, will most likely be held liable for data breach. When this happens, they will not only be ordered to pay huge fines but are also likely to lose credibility in the industry, which can eventually lead to loss of customers or clients.

A good way to protect data is to apply password security systems. However, there are times when passwords are easily figured out by hackers and cybercriminals, especially when the passwords were weak to begin with. Thus, employees can be encouraged to strengthen their passwords by using a combination of at least eight alphanumeric characters; they can also be encouraged to change their passwords on a weekly or monthly basis.

There are times, however, when employees tend to forget their passwords, and since they are discouraged from writing these passwords down on their notebooks, retrieving them becomes difficult, opening up an opportunity for hackers to step in and log on to the employees' e-mail accounts. An effective way to reduce these risks is to use a password management software to store these passwords so they can be easily retrieved as needed; this software typically features an encryption key that makes it hard for cybercriminals to penetrate.

A Quick Look at Corporate Identity Theft

Many people are by now aware of the growing incidents of identity theft, which have brought financial woes to unsuspecting victims. Identity theft, however, is not just confined to individuals; businesses of any size can also fall victim to corporate identity theft. Just as in personal identity theft cases, corporate identity thieves can assume a company's identity and use it to transact business, such as making purchases using the company's finances and/or credit lines. There are also corporate identity thieves whose intentions are to sabotage a company by maligning its reputation or destroying its data.

Authorities who have investigated cases of corporate identity theft said that most of these thefts were facilitated by the growing use of the Internet in businesses. One can easily find identifying information about a company through the Internet, including logos, patents, trademarks, and web domains. Phishing is a technique where fraudsters send a virus to a company's employee through emails. When the virus is activated, the phishers are allowed a “back entry” into the company's system.

Other more sophisticated hacking techniques have recently been developed by fraudsters, which gives them entry into a company's data systems without resorting to phishing. One of these techniques is keylogging, which allows hackers to track the keys struck by a user, including their email and company network passwords.

Countering Cyber Hacking with Password Management

Cyber criminals (particularly hackers) have become more cunning and cutting edge when it comes to penetrating personal and corporate accounts and systems. Over the years, these online offenders have become bolder, and their attacks have become grander in scale. Some have attempted to hack into the websites and networks of various governments and multinational corporations. Fortunately, there are safeguards that can keep cyber hackers at bay. In fact, securing an account, network, or device can be accomplished with something as simple as password management.

Passwords used on and offline should be as long as possible, and must contain alphanumeric characters. Throwing in symbols, and using both upper and lower case letters in passwords, is also recommended. The longer and more complicated the code is, the more difficult it will be for hackers to crack.

Unfortunately, even the most complicated passwords can be cracked. For this reason, one must be one step ahead of cyber criminals, and change passwords every three to six months. Do not use variations of the old code. As much as possible, create an entirely new one that does not have any connection with the last password that was created.

Finally, invest in a device that has the capacity to encrypt sensitive information such as passwords. This is important for businesses and organizations, since they operate more complex technologies than private users. Password management software usually centralizes password authentication, and effectively eliminate security breaches.

Network Access Control: Securing Confidential Info

Network Access Control (NAC) is a word used by many IT groups, as it is connected to computer network security. NAC limits access to the computers, networks, and systems of a particular group. In this manner, computers, networks, and systems are restricted from unauthorized personnel, devices, and programs (especially malicious software). By enforcing network security, company data and systems are protected, and confidential information is safeguarded.

Without NAC, the integrity of entire companies and organizations, as well as their affiliates, would be jeopardized. Sometimes, employees will use passwords that are not very secure. Insecure passwords are used because it can be difficult to remember passwords that are too long or have unusual combinations of special characters, numbers, and letters in both upper and lower cases. Forgetting a password can be a hassle, as it will bar access to devices, programs, and entire networks. This in turn, can compromise productivity, and impede the workflow of companies and organizations.

Passwords that can be easily identified by unauthorized third party programs and personnel carries a much bigger risk. With Network Access Control, these risks are minimized or obliterated. IT personnel who are in charge of password creation and resets, and managing any restricted information, will embed sophisticated passwords into every employee's swipe card.

Open Sesame: A Brief Take on Passwords

Obviously, computers can't be locked in the physical sense to impede unlawful access. The standard security measure computers use to deter unauthorized access is the password prompt, which serves as an electronic lock of sorts. The origins of the password could be traced as far back as the era of the Roman Empire, when the Empire's watchmen would discreetly pass around a “watchword” that only they would know of.

Passwords are still some of the most reliable applications designed for security; hackers can try to crack the code, but it will take them a considerable amount of time to do so. To further bolster security, it's even possible to create rotating passwords that would make access to the system next to impossible for criminals. For all its strengths against decryption, however, passwords can complicate the lives of those using them.

Those who use long and complex passwords might have difficulty remembering such codes. Thankfully, there are password managers that can help users key in their passwords without challenging their memory. They could either come in the form of software (either as an application or a cloud-based service) that safely store a list of passwords for users, or as a portable physical device (such as a USB drive) that keeps the passwords inside them.

Securing Your Network From Crackers

Not all hackers are bad guys; some are just very curious individuals who simply have to know how secure a site really is. A good example is Adrian Lamo, who succeeded in hacking the sites of major companies such as Yahoo!, Google, and The New York Times. It turned out Lamo was actually a good Samaritan who informed his victims—at no cost—about the weaknesses in their networks' security systems.

However, there are hackers who try to get into companies' and individuals' computing systems with malice in mind. Strictly speaking, these people should be called “crackers,” a term used to distinguish them from the less harmful “hackers”. Crackers get into systems primarily to extract information that may be used against the owners and users of these systems. The most common crime associated with crackers recently is identity theft, which can be committed against both businesses and individuals.

Sometimes, all it takes to hack into a system is to crack the password of a single user in a network. Once a hacker gets into this user's account, they can enter the entire network and access the system's database. This is why securing passwords is very important both in business and personal computing systems. What may seem to be the most secure password can still be cracked by a determined hacker, making innovative password protection systems necessary.