Written By: Adam Groff
If your business has ever been hacked, the first things you want to know are how it happened and how to stop it from happening again. And, the more companies grow in network size, the more opportunities there are for hackers to attack.
So, which major businesses are falling victim and what are they doing to prevent future hacking?
The Hacked
Any business, company, or organization is susceptible to hacking.
Sometimes hackers are in search of specific data and sometimes they just want to prove their code breaking mastery to other hackers. The point is hackers target just about anyone for any reason.
With that in mind, there are some major online players that have suffered the woes of being attacked by hackers.
- Facebook – With more than1 billion users and growing, it’s no surprise this social network has had some socially awkward hacking moments. In late 2012, the Ramnit worm hacked its way into Facebook, stole over 50,000 usernames and passwords, and wrecked havoc on their accounts.
- NBC – In January 2013, a handful of NBC Network websites were hacked rendering them useless. It turns out the malicious Redkit virus was unleashed on these websites in order spread the virus to anybody visiting the sites or even coming across the infected sites in search engine results.
- Twitter – In one of the biggest hacking incidents of 2013, more than 250,000 Twitter users were hacked resulting in the unrestricted access of their passwords and private account information. False tweets and surprised followers almost brought Twitter to its knees.
Hacking Prevention
The first line of defense for any business when it comes to hacking is the installation of a firewall.
Firewalls act as a protective barrier between a company’s network and the Internet. Without one, it’s like having a “Hackers Welcome” sign on your front door.
In addition, the constant changing of passwords is like the changing of the guard in terms of network security. So, it’s wise to implement a monthly or even weekly password change for all employees on the network.
And, if you want to take network protection for your company one step further, installing advanced logging tools will help detect outside sources entering the network. In other words, if an unfamiliar IP address attempts a system login, its access will be denied.
Antivirus Software
There are a multitude of options in the realm of antivirus protection software.
Some software is tailored specifically for large business networks and others for personal use. If it’s a network of 20 users or more, it’s wise to choose network rated antivirus protection.
Companies like McAfee and Symantec Endpoint offer software that protects networks with traveling laptops, desktop computers, and multiple servers. So, if your company has computers by the hundreds, there’s antivirus software available to cover them all.
For more specialized virus protection, Panda Antivirus Pro and Bitdefender Plus offer software that protects against the kind of viruses that sometimes slip through the cracks. This could be anything from instant messaging and email threats to phishing scams.
As long as the Internet is around, hacking will continue to be a major threat.
So, every company should learn from their previously hacked brethren and invest in some protection.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including personal health,online reputation management services, and practicing safe computer networking.