In the history of Apple Valley information technology as it relates to security, many analysts believe that we are in the midst of a second Golden Age of hacking; however, not everything about this era should be celebrated.
A Brief History of Cybercrime
The initial Golden Age of hacking took place from about 1970 to the late 1980s. Back then, hackers focused on breaching communications and data networks as a challenge; they also enjoyed reverse-engineering and cyber pranks. Somewhere along the line, some hackers adopted cybercrime as a lifestyle for various reasons; it all started with invasions of privacy, stolen passwords and cracking copy protection features to enable software piracy.
When thinking about IT security in the business world, it is important to remember how costly it has been for companies such as Home Depot, which recently offered shoppers $19 million as compensation for an embarrassing network breach that compromised credit card information and personal data.
Business Cyber Security Starts at the Top
Some of the most spectacular acts of cybercrime have been carried out due to the carelessness of a business principal. Apple Valley company owners and top-level managers must learn to keep their computing devices secure at all times. For example, iPhone owners should create long alphanumeric passwords and disable touchscreen ID in case of theft. Android smartphones are a risk in the sense that hackers tend to favor targeting that specific operating system.
USB memory drives and PDF files can also be major external threats. Apple Valley business owners and managers must make sure that they only connect USB drives to secure machines; additionally, they should check with their security consultant about malware scanners that check for infected PDF files since they are one of the most common attack vectors used these days.