Protecting Your Customer Data from Hackers

Criminal hackers hack for fun, fame, revenge, trade secrets, or terror, but mostly they hack for financial gain. According to a data breach study, based on 75 incidents in the second half of 2010, 13% of web hacking cases involved leaked client data leading to financial fraud. (The top two reasons hackers attacked websites were site defacement at 15% and site downtime at 33%.)

Once customer information is hacked, it can be used to open new accounts or to take over existing accounts. It often takes only a few hackers to crack a system containing millions of customerrecords. These thieves will then broker and sell the information to other hackers.

The victims find and repair the vulnerabilities in their systems, but the damage has already been done. The individuals whose data has been compromised face an uphill, ongoing battle to protect themselves from financial fraud.

Protecting small business customer data starts with network securitybasics including:

Software: Antivirus, antiphishing, antispyware. Total protection “all access” suites of protection and full disk encryption

Hardware: Routers, firewall security appliances

Physical security: Commercial grade solid core doors, security alarm systems, security cameras.

Robert Siciliano personal and small business security specialist toADT Small Business Security discussing  ADT Pulse on Fox News. Disclosures