Industrial Revolution revamped the structure of business and brought a drastic change in their conduct. Along came the second wave of change, which introduced technology in every sphere of life, including industry and business - improving quality of work and life. Cell phone technology has brought innovation to the business world - where owners of small to large sized business are conducting work related activities over the phones - storing important information, which can prove devastating for the business if fallen in the hands of wrong people. Moreover, advancement in technology has raised severe issues of identity theft. It is becoming easier for the thieves to access, obtain and make fake copies of the identity - which a common person cannot fathom. This practice is gaining momentum in small neighborhood business. Sharing personal information with a small business may seem very harmless - but the reality can be different sometimes.
In this regard, centers responsible for data collection in businesses are being scrutinized. Personal details of users are extracted on a massive scale by monitoring computers businesses employees. They also track details stored in cell phones through cell phone monitoring software.
Free Passage for Attackers
It does not require high technological skills to obtain personal data of business personnel from data centers. All you need is access to the mobile phone service providers, which makes very easy to target small businesses, as their data is not very secure - the files are not protected, which makes it easier for the infiltrator to pass the security systems and extract information. People feed their personal information online daily while shopping online, on a social site; making them easy targets for thieves. Attackers can easily trace data and track the person of their choice.
The 2012 report of DBIR gives a horrific picture of data theft. The report stated that more than roughly 174,080,317 records were stolen last year. This means that where you shop might be misusing your information. Only three years ago, internal threats were almost half as bad as external ones.
Not a Super Hero's Job
You don't need to be member of any intelligence agency to be expert at spying. All you require is a computer, an internet connection, dedication and skill to destroy the victim's PC. Spying Attackers use several ways to break into the system and extract the details - including remote desktops, open wifi's and even remote access services. It's not that difficult to access the device by deploying spyware to the device. Not just spy software, attackers also utilize key loggers to penetrate the system. The story continues with cell phones and tablets also being attacked conveniently, Verizon has reported.
The issue with the business is not only lack of security, but also their unwillingness to appropriately use the security that was already in place. Improper use of reminders for the firewall have resulted in many simply turning it off as if you were keeping your doors unlocked in a dangerous neighborhood. This is in addition to a missing ACL or one that isn't properly linked to a network.
It is practically impossible to expect not to lose any data in this ever increasing world of digital technology. However, it is imperative that smaller business take real measures to keep their data centers locked in and identity thieves locked out.
About Author: Natalia David has made quite a name for herself in the arena of technology writing. Her comprehensive work related to mobile and PC security and employee monitoring software (@mobistealth\.com) has earned her the status of a technology specialist in the eyes of her followers.