A sideways view on IT security

BGi.uk

Would you dance if I asked you to dance?
Would you run and never look back?
Would you cry if you saw me crying?
Would you save my data tonight?

Would you tremble if I touched your servers?
Would you laugh? Oh, please tell me this.
Now would you die for just one mistake?
Do pay attention, tonight.

In this article I am going to avoid using the ‘C’ word.
It’s everywhere.
Overkill. None the less, it’s important.
Critically important.

Have you ever lost data – or simply mislaid it?
Have you ever let others into your shell?
Have you ever moved money without first checking the recipient?
Have you ever uploaded your daughter’s homework?

Would you tremble if your fire walls were breached?
Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this.
Would you survive a simple attack?
Would you share your data tonight?

The following are real events. Which of these events might have been you?

Technology Company – System Hack
Total Cost: £250,000
A Client was notified of an intrusion on their systems and the Insurers IT forensic experts discovered a significant amount of malware had been deployed.

Retail Company – Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS)
Total Costs: £144,000
Data centre hosting a website was subject to a DDOS attack through hacked Internet of Things (IOT) devices. Website was inaccessible for 6 hours before back up could restore functionality.

Charity – Care Home Sector
Total Costs: not measurable
Staff member uploaded her daughter’s homework for printing – and shut down the business’s systems for six days.

Recruitment Firm – Funds Transfer Fraud
Total Cost: £20,000
Hackers altered an email that was sent from the MD to accounts team with an invoice to a supplier. Accounts team followed ‘MD’s instructions’ and paid monies into the hackers account.

Publishers – Held to Ransom
Total Cost: £60,000
An employee opened a phishing email, which contained the Crypt locker virus. The client’s operating system was blocked and client files encrypted. A ransom of £400 in Bitcoins was demanded. Only 90%.

Featured in :