Many of us follow the news and read reports and articles about cybercriminals, hacking, and security. But is what we are reading and watching really an accurate reflection of reality? Not necessarily. Read on for a few things you might think about cyber security that aren’t as clear as they might seem.
Do you have the impression that hackers are sinister foreign agent types, or recluses living on pizza in their mother’s basements? Not usually the case. Most often, cyber security breaches have a person on the inside-whether doing something for themselves or working with outsiders. Just like in any other crime, having a source on the inside makes the entire operation much easier to implement and get past existing security measures. Many times, hospital data breaches have occurred, as a result of which healthcare professionals are usually trained in HIPAA compliance. Furthermore, HIPAA requires both covered entities and business associates to provide regular HIPAA training to all employees who may have access to protected health information (PHI). Many healthcare units also use hipaa compliance software to effectively train their employees so that they are aware of potential data breaching scenarios.
Anyway, do you also believe that cyber security is a well-understood science and that breaches take place just because of carelessness on the part of those who are victimized? Actually, new risks are being discovered every day-even within the confines of cyber security specialist companies. The huge holes revealed in the “Internet of Things” (smart devices usually used in homes) are an example of a previously undiscovered and unanticipated security issue.
And many believe that their industry (whatever that might be) is “safe”-usually because of the false impression that hackers would not be terribly interested in that industry or individual business. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just like traditional burglars, cybercriminals look for easy targets, rather than focusing on large (and probably well-defended) enterprises. Just because a business is not in the Fortune 500 does not mean it is at any less risk.
NSC Information Technology group understands the risks and exposures of cyber security and how to implement cyber security at all levels of business. You owe it to your business to contact them to begin implementing a cyber security strategy designed specifically for your enterprise.